Health Services
The Yale Health Center is located on campus at 55 Lock Street. The center is home to Yale Health, a not-for-profit, physician-led health coverage option that offers a wide variety of health care services for students and other members of the Yale community. Services include student health, gynecology, mental health, pediatrics, pharmacy, blood draw, radiology, a fifteen-bed inpatient care unit, and an acute care clinic with extended hours and telephone triage/guidance from a registered nurse twenty-four hours a day. Additional specialty services such as allergy, dermatology, orthopedics, a travel clinic, and more are available through Yale Health Hospitalization Specialty Coverage. Yale Health’s services are detailed in the Yale Health Student Handbook, available through the Yale Health Member Services Department, 203.432.0246, or online at https://yalehealth.yale.edu/coverage/student-coverage.
Eligibility for Services
All full-time Yale degree-candidate students who are paying at least half tuition are enrolled automatically for Yale Health Basic Student Health Services, which is offered at no charge and includes preventive health and medical services in the departments of Student Health, Gynecology, Student Wellness, and Mental Health & Counseling. In addition, treatment or triage for urgent medical problems can be obtained twenty-four hours a day through Acute Care.
Students on leave of absence, on extended study and paying less than half tuition, or enrolled per course credit are not eligible for Yale Health Basic Student Health Services but may enroll in Yale Health Student Affiliate Coverage. Students enrolled in the Division of Special Registration as nondegree special students or visiting scholars are not eligible for Yale Health Basic Student Health Services but may enroll in the Yale Health Billed Associates Plan and pay a monthly fee. Associates must register for a minimum of one term within the first thirty days of affiliation with the university.
Students not eligible for Yale Health Basic Student Health Services may also use the services on a fee-for-service basis. Students who wish to be seen fee-for-service must register with the Member Services Department. Enrollment applications for the Yale Health Student Affiliate Coverage, Billed Associates Plan, or Fee-for-Service Program are available from the Member Services Department.
All students who purchase Yale Health Hospitalization/Specialty Coverage (see below) are welcome to use specialty and ancillary services at Yale Health Center. Upon referral, Yale Health will cover the cost of specialty and ancillary services for these students. Students with an alternate insurance plan should seek specialty services from a provider who accepts their alternate insurance.
Health Coverage Enrollment
The university also requires all students eligible for Yale Health Basic Student Health Services to have adequate hospital insurance coverage. Students may choose Yale Health Hospitalization/Specialty Coverage or elect to waive the plan if they have other hospitalization coverage, such as coverage through a spouse or parent. The waiver must be renewed annually, and it is the student’s responsibility to confirm receipt of the waiver by the university’s deadlines noted below.
Yale Health Hospitalization/Specialty Coverage
For a detailed explanation of this plan, which includes coverage for prescriptions, see the Yale Health Student Handbook, available online at https://yalehealth.yale.edu/student-coverage.
Students are automatically enrolled and charged a fee each term on their Student Financial Services bill for Yale Health Hospitalization/Specialty Coverage. Students with no break in coverage who are enrolled during both the fall and spring terms are billed each term and are covered from August 1 through July 31. For students entering Yale for the first time, readmitted students, and students returning from a leave of absence who have not been covered during their leave, Yale Health Hospitalization/Specialty Coverage begins on the first day required to be on campus for program orientation. A student who is enrolled for the fall term only is covered for services through January 31; a student enrolled for the spring term only is covered for services through July 31.
Waiving Yale Health Hospitalization/Specialty Coverage Students are permitted to waive Yale Health Hospitalization/Specialty Coverage by completing an online waiver form at https://yhpstudentwaiver.yale.edu that demonstrates proof of alternate coverage. It is the student’s responsibility to report any changes in alternate insurance coverage to the Member Services Department within thirty days. Students are encouraged to review their present coverage and compare its benefits to those available under Yale Health. The waiver form must be filed annually and must be received by September 15 for the full year or fall term or by January 31 for the spring term only.
Revoking the Waiver Students who waive Yale Health Hospitalization/Specialty Coverage but later wish to be covered must complete and send a form voiding their waiver to the Member Services Department by September 15 for the full year or fall term, or by January 31 for the spring term only. Students who wish to revoke their waiver during the term may do so, provided they show proof of loss of the alternate insurance plan and enroll within thirty days of the loss of this coverage. Yale Health fees will not be prorated.
Yale Health Student Dependent Plans
A student may enroll the student’s lawfully married spouse or civil union partner and/or legally dependent child(ren) under the age of twenty-six in one of three student dependent plans: Student + Spouse, Student + Child/Children, or Student Family Plan. These plans include services described in both Yale Health Basic Student Health Services and Yale Health Hospitalization/Specialty Coverage. Coverage is not automatic, and enrollment is by application. Applications are available from the Member Services Department or can be downloaded from the website (https://yalehealth.yale.edu/forms-and-guidelines) and must be renewed annually. Applications must be received by September 15 for full-year or fall-term coverage, or by January 31 for spring-term coverage only.
Yale Health Student Affiliate Coverage
Students on leave of absence, on extended study, or enrolled per course per credit; students paying less than half tuition; students enrolled in the EMBA program; students enrolled in the Broad Center M.M.S. program; students enrolled in the PA Online program; and students enrolled in the EMPH program may enroll in Yale Health Student Affiliate Coverage, which includes services described in both Yale Health Basic and Yale Health Hospitalization/Specialty Coverage. Applications are available from the Member Services Department or can be downloaded from the website (https://yalehealth.yale.edu/forms-and-guidelines) and must be received by September 15 for full-year or fall-term coverage, or by January 31 for spring-term coverage only.
Eligibility Changes
Withdrawal A student who withdraws from the university during the first fifteen days of the term will be refunded the fee paid for Yale Health Hospitalization/Specialty Coverage. The student will not be eligible for any Yale Health benefits, and the student’s Yale Health membership will be terminated retroactive to the beginning of the term. The medical record will be reviewed, and any services rendered and/or claims paid will be billed to the student on a fee-for-service basis. Assistance with identifying and locating alternative sources of medical care may be available from the Care Management Department at Yale Health. At all other times, a student who withdraws from the university will be covered by Yale Health for thirty days following the date of withdrawal. Fees will not be prorated or refunded. Students who withdraw are not eligible to enroll in Yale Health Student Affiliate Coverage. Regardless of enrollment in Yale Health Hospitalization/Specialty Coverage, students who withdraw will have access to services available under Yale Health Basic Student Health Services (including Student Health, Athletic Medicine, Mental Health & Counseling, and Care Management) during these thirty days to the extent necessary for a coordinated transition of care.
Leaves of Absence Students who are granted a leave of absence are eligible to purchase Yale Health Student Affiliate Coverage for the term(s) of the leave. If the leave occurs on or before the first day of classes, Yale Health Hospitalization/Specialty Coverage will end retroactive to the start of the coverage period for the term. If the leave occurs anytime after the first day of classes, Yale Health Hospitalization/Specialty coverage will end on the day the registrar is notified of the leave. In either case, students may enroll in Yale Health Student Affiliate Coverage. Students must enroll in Affiliate Coverage prior to the beginning of the term unless the registrar is notified after the first day of classes, in which case, the coverage must be purchased within thirty days of the date the registrar was notified. Fees paid for Yale Health Hospitalization/Specialty Coverage will be applied toward the cost of Affiliate Coverage. Coverage is not automatic, and enrollment forms are available at the Member Services Department or can be downloaded from the website (https://yalehealth.yale.edu/forms-and-guidelines). Fees will not be prorated or refunded.
Extended Study or Reduced Tuition Students who are granted extended study status or pay less than half tuition are not eligible for Yale Health Hospitalization/Specialty Coverage. They may purchase Yale Health Student Affiliate Coverage during the term(s) of extended study. This plan includes services described in both Yale Health Basic and Yale Health Hospitalization/Specialty Coverage. Coverage is not automatic, and enrollment forms are available at the Member Services Department or can be downloaded from the website (https://yalehealth.yale.edu/forms-and-guidelines). Students must complete an enrollment application for the plan prior to September 15 for the full year or fall term, or by January 31 for the spring term only.
Per Course Per Credit Students who are enrolled per course per credit are not eligible for Yale Health Hospitalization/Specialty Coverage. They may purchase Yale Health Student Affiliate Coverage during the term(s) of per course per credit enrollment. This plan includes services described in both Yale Health Basic and Yale Health Hospitalization/Specialty Coverage. Coverage is not automatic, and enrollment forms are available at the Member Services Department or can be downloaded from the website (https://yalehealth.yale.edu/forms-and-guidelines). Students must complete an enrollment application for the plan prior to September 15 for the full year or fall term, or by January 31 for the spring term only.
For a full description of the services and benefits provided by Yale Health, please refer to the Yale Health Student Handbook, available online at https://yalehealth.yale.edu/resource/student-handbook and from the Member Services Department, 203.432.0246, 55 Lock Street, PO Box 208237, New Haven CT 06520-8237.
Required Immunizations
Proof of vaccination is a pre-entrance requirement determined by the Connecticut State Department of Public Health. Students who are not compliant with this state regulation will not be permitted to register for classes or move into the dormitories for the fall term, 2024. Please access the Incoming Student Vaccination Record form for graduate and professional students at https://yalehealth.yale.edu/new-student-health-requirements. Connecticut state regulation requires that this form be completed and signed, for each student, by a physician, nurse practitioner, or physician’s assistant. The form must be completed, independent of any and all health insurance elections or coverage chosen. Once the form has been completed, the information must be entered into the Yale Vaccine Portal, and all supporting documents must be uploaded to https://campushealth.yale.edu/welcome-to-health-on-track. The final deadline is August 1.
COVID-19 As per recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, vaccination against COVID-19 is strongly encouraged, but not required, for incoming (matriculating) students. Students are asked to submit documentation of prior any primary series vaccinations or bivalent boosters that they have received through the Yale Health website, http://yalehealth.yale.edu. Vaccination requirements remain in place for healthcare workers and trainees, including students who work in settings where patient care is provided, or those who work with human research subjects in clinical settings. Those individuals must submit documentation of vaccination with a primary series and one booster (or, for those who have not yet received a primary series, one bivalent dose of vaccine) to the university or seek approval for a medical or religious exemption. Yale will accept any combination of COVID-19 vaccines that have received full approval or Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) or have been issued Emergency Use Listing (EUL) by the World Health Organization (WHO). International students who do not have access to WHO or FDA authorized or approved vaccines may be vaccinated at Yale Health on request.
Influenza All students are required to have flu vaccination in the fall term when it is made available to them by Yale Health.
Measles, Mumps, Rubella, and Varicella All students are required to provide proof of immunization against measles (rubeola), mumps, German measles (rubella), and varicella. Connecticut state regulation requires two doses of MMR (combined measles, mumps, and rubella) vaccine and two doses of varicella vaccine. The first dose must have been given after the student’s first birthday; the second dose must have been given at least twenty-eight days after the first dose. If dates of vaccination are not available, titer results (blood test) demonstrating immunity may be substituted for proof of vaccination. The cost for all vaccinations and/or titers rests with the student, as these vaccinations are considered to be a pre-entrance requirement by the Connecticut State Department of Public Health. Students who are not compliant with this state regulation will not be permitted to register for classes or move into the dormitories for the fall term, 2024.
Quadrivalent Meningitis All students living in on-campus dormitory facilities (all undergraduate residential colleges and the following graduate dormitories: 254 Prospect Street, 272 Elm Street, 276 Prospect Street, Baker Hall, and Edward S. Harkness Memorial Hall) must be vaccinated against meningitis. The only vaccines that will be accepted in satisfaction of the meningitis vaccination requirement are ACWY Vax, Menveo, Nimenrix, Menactra, Mencevax, and Menomune. The vaccine must have been given within five years of the first day of classes at Yale. Students who are not compliant with this state regulation will not be permitted to register for classes or move into the dormitories for the fall term, 2024. The cost for all vaccinations and/or titers rests with the student, as these vaccinations are a pre-entrance requirement by the Connecticut State Department of Public Health. Please note that the state of Connecticut does not require this vaccine for students who intend to reside on campus and are over the age of twenty-nine.
TB Screening The university requires tuberculosis screening for all incoming students who have lived or traveled outside of the United States within the past year. Tuberculosis screening is required for all medical, physician assistant, and nursing students.
Hepatitis B Series The university recommends that incoming students receive a series of three Hepatitis B vaccinations. Students may consult their health care provider for further information. Hepatitis B immunity is required for all medical, physician assistant, and nursing students.