Health Insurance#
This page includes information about the university health insurance plan provided to PhD students at the university. As an enrolled graduate student, you are covered under Berkeley’s Student Health Insurance Plan, SHIP. What does this mean? This section describes the details of your health insurance, dental insurance, vision services, and post-graduation choices. This page was last updated for the 2025-26 (and now maybe 26-27) school year, so check the SHIP website for the most up-to-date information. Note that you may have a deductible which is an amount that you must pay out of pocket before the insurance starts to cover your costs.
SHIP Insurance#
SHIP insurance was provided through Wellfleet Student Insurance for 25-26 and is now provided through Aetna Student Health (26-27). Vision is through VSP and dental through MetLife. For SHIP services, you will need your insurance ID, which you will receive after you enroll in SHIP likely via email since it’s all digital now. You will also need to show your student ID card to receive care at the Tang Center. The Tang Center is the university’s student health center, located on campus. They provide a wide range of in-house services, including primary care, mental health services, physical therapy, etc. SHIP also provides coverage for specialists and other care outside of the Tang center, but check the SHIP website for details. Some prescriptions and services may be cheaper through the Tang center than at other pharmacies. For archived SHIP benefits documents, see the SHIP archive.
Pharmacy Benefits#
Check the SHIP page on prescription benefits for the most up to date information. You can usually order medicine through the Tang Center Pharmacy. To know what’s covered, look for the Formulary (2026 Formluary).
Dental insurance#
SHIP insurance provides basic dental care through MetLife for cleanings every six months and most dental needs, including fillings, X-rays, wisdom teeth removal, etc. This service is provided outside the Tang Center, and the dental care website (company name: UC Berkeley Student Health Insurance Plan) provides a long list of dentists that are covered by the insurance. BADGrad-recommended dentists are listed in our dentist recommendations.
Vision Services#
SHIP insurance also provides vision services through the UC Berkeley School of Optometry, operated out of the Tang Center and Minor Hall. The insurance covers a comprehensive eye exam once a year, as well as some benefit towards glasses or contacts each year. Additionally, the School of Optometry gets discounts for some brands of contacts.
Enrolling Dependents#
Spouses, domestic partners, and children are all eligible to be enrolled in SHIP as a dependent. The deadlines for enrolling a dependent each semester can be found here.
Post-Graduation#
You will be insured by SHIP for only a little while after you graduate. The post-grad info page gives exact dates. After these dates, it is no longer possible to be insured through UC Berkeley.
There are a number of options for insurance after your Berkeley insurance runs out. Typically, you will be joining group insurance with your future employer, but you should check with their HR department to find out when that insurance goes into effect. Your goal should be to always be part of a group insurance (ie through an employer), which is more comprehensive and more affordable than individual insurance. If your gap period between your SHIP coverage and your future insurance coverage is less than 63 days, conditions that develop during that period cannot be considered to be pre-existing (ie your new insurance cannot deny you coverage because of them).
This does not mean that you are retroactively covered during that gap period. If your SHIP coverage ends before your next insurance goes into effect, you will need short-term individual insurance to cover your medical expenses during that time. (For a gap period of 63 days or less, you could in principle be without insurance with no adverse affects to your long-term coverage; however, you will then have no insurance in the event of an emergency.) You can apply for multiple insurance plans at once and then have the opportunity to accept only one of them after applying.
For information about individual plans, the SHIP office has a nice spreadsheet and offers several information sessions towards the end of the semester. For additional information, you used to be able to call Kathy at the SHIP office at 510 642 5742. Note that the SHIP office does not schedule insurance inquiry appointments for walk-ins, so call first.