Student Health Insurance Plan (SHIP)
To help minimize the cost of health care, the Student Health Center encourages all students to have health insurance.
The Student Health Insurance Plan is underwritten by Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Alabama and enrollment in the plan is administered by Academic HealthPlans, Inc. (AHP). For students enrolled in the student health insurance plan, provider visits on-site at the Student Health Center are not subject to co-pays or deductibles. You may have a co-pay or deductible if seen by another provider outside of Student Health.
Eligible USA students can voluntarily enroll in the health plan during the Open Enrollment windows listed below. For more information and to enroll, visit https://southalabama.myahpcare.com/
Please be on the lookout for emails from Academic HealthPlans to access your account to review the plan or enroll.
ACCESS YOUR AHP ACCOUNT TO ENROLL >
Guide to Creating an AHP Account >
Open Enrollment
| OPEN ENROLLMENT PERIOD | COVERAGE PERIOD |
|---|---|
| Fall 2026 7/01/2026 - 8/15/2026 | Fall 2026 8/1/2026 – 12/31/2026 |
| Spring 2027 12/01/2026 – 1/15/2027 | Spring 2027 01/01/2027 – 7/31/2027 |
| Summer 2027* 5/01/2027 – 06/15/2027 *New Students |
Summer 2027 06/01/2027 – 7/31/2027 |
Eligibility Requirements & Who Is Eligible?
All full-time USA undergraduate students are eligible to purchase the student health insurance plan.
Part-time, USA undergraduates enrolled in at least 6 credit hours per semester on campus and USA graduate students enrolled in at least 3 credit hours per semester on campus are eligible to purchase the student health insurance.
Eligible students may also insure their dependents. Eligible dependents are the student's spouse and dependent children under 26 years of age.
*All international students are automatically enrolled in this insurance plan at registration. J1 Scholars are required to provide proof of comparable insurance or purchase this insurance plan.
**Students must actively attend classes for at least the first 31 days after the date for which coverage is purchased. Web courses do not fulfill the Eligibility requirements that the student actively attend classes.
***Auburn School of Pharmacy students are NOT eligible to purchase the USA Student Health Insurance Plan (SHIP) underwritten by Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Alabama. Please contact Auburn University to enroll in their university sponsored student health plan.
FAQ
Get online help from the AHP team https://help.ahpcare.com/hc/en-us
There is a search bar and chat feature available.
Academic HealthPlans (AHP) Enrollment Support: 1 (855) 825-3980
Get online help from the AHP team https://help.ahpcare.com/hc/en-us
There is a search bar and chat feature available.
If you are already enrolled in the BCBS plan and have questions or issues related to claims, ID cards, benefits, pre-authorization, or coverages, please contact Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Alabama at (866) 346-4585.
No, the SHIP is optional for domestic students.
All international students are automatically enrolled in this insurance plan at registration. J1 exchange visitors are required to provide proof of comparable insurance or purchase this insurance plan.
Once you enroll and pay for coverage, AHP will send your information to BCBS for enrollment. You will get email confirmation from AHP when your coverage is active. You will also get a welcome email from BCBS with instructions on how to log-in to your BCBS account and obtain an electronic ID card. Be sure to use your J number for your student ID.
Digital ID cards can be accessed 24/7 by creating an account with BlueCross BlueShield of Alabama online at AlabamaBlue.com. To create your account, you will need to use your Group/Contract number.
To find your Group/Contract Number, please log in at students.care26.com and open the menu on the right-hand side of your dashboard. If you have active coverage, you can find your contract number and other information there. You will need this information to set up your myBlueCross account.
Coverage must be purchased for one semester at a time, but spring and summer are purchased together. See open enrollment dates.
There is an option to purchase summer health insurance coverage
Once you log-in to your AHP account there will be an option for "I want to enroll" button to add a plan for a dependent.
Dental or Vision coverage options are available at https://southalabama.myahpcare.com/products?i=480383
If you visited the On-Campus Student Health Center(SHC) and have questions about your
billing/insurance information, contact studenthealth@southalabama.edu
If you have health related questions for the clinic nurse, call (251) 460-7151 and
ask to speak with a nurse or you can log in to the web portal to send a secure message
at southalabama.edu/departments/studenthealth/ .
If you have a question about your student account, contact studentaccounting@southalabama.edu