§ 147.145 - Student health insurance coverage.

§ 147.145 Student health insurance coverage.

(a) Definition. Student health insurance coverage is a type of individual health insurance coverage (as defined in § 144.103 of this subchapter) that is provided pursuant to a written agreement between an institution of higher education (as defined in the Higher Education Act of 1965) and a health insurance issuer, and provided to students enrolled in that institution of higher education and their dependents, that meets the following conditions:

(1) Does not make health insurance coverage available other than in connection with enrollment as a student (or as a dependent of a student) in the institution of higher education.

(2) Does not condition eligibility for the health insurance coverage on any health status-related factor (as defined in § 146.121(a) of this subchapter) relating to a student (or a dependent of a student).

(3) Meets any additional requirement that may be imposed under State law.

(b) Exemptions from the Public Health Service Act and the Affordable Care Act -

(1) Guaranteed availability and guaranteed renewability - .

(i) For purposes of sections 2741(e)(1) and 2742(b)(5) of the Public Health Service Act, student health insurance coverage is deemed to be available only through a bona fide association.

(ii) For purposes of section 2702 of the Public Health Service Act, a health insurance issuer that offers student health insurance coverage is not required to accept individuals who are not students or dependents of students in such coverage, and, notwithstanding the requirements of § 147.104(b), is not required to establish open enrollment periods or coverage effective dates that are based on a calendar policy year or to offer policies on a calendar year basis.

(iii) For purposes of section 2703(a) of the Public Health Service Act, a health insurance issuer that offers student health insurance coverage is not required to renew or continue in force coverage for individuals who are no longer students or dependents of students.

(2) Levels of coverage. The requirement to provide a specific level of coverage described in section 1302(d) of the Affordable Care Act does not apply to student health insurance coverage for policy years beginning on or after July 1, 2016. However, the benefits provided by such coverage must provide at least 60 percent actuarial value, as calculated in accordance with § 156.135 of this subchapter. The issuer must specify in any plan materials summarizing the terms of the coverage the actuarial value and level of coverage (or next lowest level of coverage) the coverage would otherwise satisfy under § 156.140 of this subchapter.

(3) Single risk pool. Student health insurance coverage is not subject to the requirements of section 1312(c) of the Affordable Care Act. A health insurance issuer that offers student health insurance coverage may establish one or more separate risk pools for an institution of higher education, if the distinction between or among groups of students (or dependents of students) who form the risk pool is based on a bona fide school-related classification and not based on a health factor (as described in § 146.121 of this subchapter). However, student health insurance rates must reflect the claims experience of individuals who comprise the risk pool, and any adjustments to rates within a risk pool must be actuarially justified.

(c) Student administrative health fees -

(1) Definition. A student administrative health fee is a fee charged by the institution of higher education on a periodic basis to students of the institution of higher education to offset the cost of providing health care through health clinics regardless of whether the students utilize the health clinics or enroll in student health insurance coverage.

(2) Preventive services. Notwithstanding the requirements under section 2713 of the Public Health Service Act and its implementing regulations, student administrative health fees as defined in paragraph (c)(1) of this section are not considered cost-sharing requirements with respect to specified recommended preventive services.

[77 FR 16468, Mar. 21, 2012, as amended at 78 FR 13439, Feb. 27, 2013; 79 FR 13834, Mar. 11, 2014; 81 FR 12334, Mar. 8, 2016]