Navigating Student Health and Well-being at Johns Hopkins University
Johns Hopkins University prioritizes the health and well-being of its students, offering a comprehensive suite of services designed to support their academic and personal success. Recognizing that the transition to university life, especially graduate school, can bring unique challenges, the university provides accessible, high-quality healthcare resources, including mental health support, health insurance options, and spiritual care.
Mental Health Services: Fostering a Supportive Environment
Johns Hopkins University is dedicated to supporting the diverse community of students and trainees through comprehensive mental healthcare resources. Mental Health Services is committed to providing all students with the opportunity to pursue excellence in their academic endeavors. Recognizing the importance of mental well-being, the university offers a range of services, including:
- Mental Health Services: Supporting the diverse community of Johns Hopkins University students and learners through the provision of accessible, high-quality and compassionate mental healthcare resources.
- Short-term Teletherapy Psychiatry: Psychiatry: Short-term, teletherapy psychiatry appointments for those who otherwise lack prompt access to psychiatry.
- Behavioral Health Crisis Support Team (BHCST): For students or learners in need of urgent assistance for their own mental health concern? The Behavioral Health Crisis Support Team (BHCST) can be reached 24 hours a day, 7 days a week at 410-516-WELL (9355). The BHCST pairs specially trained public safety officers with licensed clinicians to provide mobile crisis response to the Homewood, Peabody, and East Baltimore campuses.
- TimelyCare TalkNow: An on-demand telehealth service that connects you to a clinician for support, any time you need it. This service is available in all 50 states and in international locations that permit web access.
- Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Justice: We are committed to diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice and prioritize these values in our approach to clinical care as well as every aspect of the work we do.
The university strives to create a confidential and respectful partnership between students and providers, fostering optimal health and well-being. Students are encouraged to provide feedback on their experiences to help improve services.
Health Insurance Requirements and Options
Johns Hopkins University requires that all full-time, degree-program students maintain adequate health insurance coverage to provide protection against unexpected accidents and illnesses. All full-time, degree-seeking students enrolled in at least one in-person course are required to maintain adequate health insurance to protect against unexpected accidents and illnesses. To ensure students have access to necessary medical care, the university has specific health insurance requirements:
- Automatic Enrollment: Full-time, in-residence students are automatically enrolled in the university student health benefit plan, but may waive out of the plan by successfully completing the waiver process demonstrating US-based coverage comparable to the university's plan. Most of these students are automatically enrolled in the university-sponsored student health insurance plan, and the premium is charged to their student account-unless they provide proof of comparable coverage and are approved for a waiver.
- Waiver Option: Students eligible to waive the university plan must do so each academic year. If you have private insurance coverage comparable to the university plan, then you may be eligible to submit a waiver request form via the Student Information System (SIS) during the open-enrollment period.
- International Students: International students with an active F-1 or J-1 visa are not eligible to waive and are required to enroll in the university plan.
- Department Coverage: In some cases, a student's department may cover the cost of health benefits. When this applies, students will see a credit on their SIS bill for medical, dental, and/or vision coverage.
- Waiver Deadlines: Please note: A waiver request form must be submitted every academic year, even if your insurance information has not changed. Waivers will not be accepted after the open enrollment deadlines: July 15 for learners and September 15 for students.
Key Dates for Health Benefit Enrollment & Waiver
- House Staff and Postdocs will be able to login to the AHP site between June 2, 2025 - July 15, 2025. Elections made during this enrollment period will begin on July 1, 2025.
- All students will be able to login to the AHP site between July 1, 2025 - September 15, 2025. Elections made during this enrollment period begin on August 15, 2025, unless stated otherwise.
Academic Student Waiver Periods
For all schools except Bloomberg School of Public Health (BSPH):
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| ACADEMIC PERIOD | COVERAGE DATES | ENROLLMENT/WAIVER PERIOD |
|---|---|---|
| EARLY FALL (NEW AAP, SAIS, CAREY, SOM MEDICAL STUDENTS) | Aug 1 - Dec 31 | July 1 - Sept 15 |
| FALL | Aug 15 - Dec 31 | July 1 - Sept 15 |
| SPRING | Jan 1 - Aug 14 | Dec 1 - Feb 15 |
| SUMMER (NEW STUDENTS ONLY) | July 1 - Aug 14 | June 1 - Aug 14 |
Students who start in the summer may have their coverage begin on May 15, June 1, or July 1.
Student Health Benefit Waiver Criteria
Comparable coverage to the university plan must meet all of the waiver criteria requirements below.
- My plan is Affordable Care Act (ACA) compliant.
- My plan covers the following essential health benefits:
- Emergency Services: care received for conditions that could lead to serious disability or death if not immediately treated, not penalized for going out-of-network or not having prior authorization.
- Hospitalization: treatment in a hospital for inpatient care including laboratory services and medication during the hospital stay.
- Laboratory services: testing provided to help a doctor diagnose an injury, illness or condition, or to monitor the effectiveness of a particular treatment.
- Maternity, newborn care and breastfeeding coverage: Care that women receive during pregnancy, through delivery, post-delivery and care for newborns.
- Mental health services and addiction treatment: inpatient and outpatient care provided to evaluate, diagnose and treat a mental health condition or substance abuse disorder. Limits must comply with state or federal parity laws.
- Outpatient Care: care received without being admitted to a hospital such as a doctor’s office or clinic.
- Pediatric services: well-child visits, vaccines, immunizations, dental and vision care
- Prescription drugs, including birth control coverage: medications that are prescribed by a doctor to treat an illness or condition, some prescription drugs can be excluded.
- Preventive services, wellness services and chronic disease management: including physicals, immunizations and screenings designed to prevent or detect certain medical conditions.
- Rehabilitative services and devices: Services to help recover or develop skills and device to help gain or recover mental and physical skills due to injury, disability or chronic condition.
- I understand I am responsible for paying my deductible and any out-of-pocket costs for medical services that I receive.
- My plan covers me while in the state I will be residing in for the upcoming semester. [Note: if your current health insurance plan is a Medicaid plan, it must provide coverage for you in the state you will be residing in for the upcoming semester.]
- I will remain enrolled in health care coverage for the duration of the academic year.
- I understand am responsible for paying my deductible and any out-of-pocket costs for medical services that I receive.
Note: A deductible is the amount you pay for covered health care services before the insurance plan starts to pay (e.g. with a $2,000 deductible you pay the first $2,000 of covered services for yourself, after you pay your deductible, you usually pay only a copayment or coinsurance for covered services). An out-of-pocket maximum is the total amount you pay each plan year for healthcare including co-pays, deductibles, and co-insurance.
Additional Support Services
Beyond mental health and health insurance, Johns Hopkins offers other resources to support student well-being:
- Department of Spiritual Care & Chaplaincy: The Department of Spiritual Care & Chaplaincy provides prayer, careful and sensitive listening, encouragement and comfort, exploration of hope, religious rituals, end of life care discussions, provision of sacred literature and devotional items, and assistance with religious/dietary observances.
Navigating Healthcare in Bologna
For students studying in Bologna, Italy, Johns Hopkins provides support in accessing medical care:
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- English-Speaking Specialists: If you are in need of medical care while in Bologna, the Director of Student Life will connect you with appropriate English-speaking specialists.
- Assistance with Medical Visits: An administrator can also accompany you to medical visits should you request this assistance.
Data Usage and Privacy
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