Health Insurance FAQs

To learn more about SHIP and SHIP enrollments or to access the plan highlight flyer and the Academic Vision Care flyer, please visit Academic HealthPlans' customer care online resource center.

To meet the University health insurance requirement, new and returning students must select one of two options on the APH Insurance Dashboardeach year:

1. Confirm the Student Health Insurance Plan (SHIP) option by clicking the ENROLL button, or
2. Provide proof of an existing US-based health insurance plan by clicking the WAIVE button

Note:

• To log into the system, students will need to enter their Pepperdine campus-wide identification (CWID) number and password. CWID numbers can be found on the front of student ID cards or in the "personal info" section on WaveNet.
• When students first log into the system, their password is their date of birth in the MMDDYYYY format (no slashes or dashes between digits).

Students who do not provide proof of US-based insurance and have an approved waiver notification* through the AHP Insurance Dashboard prior to the end of the Grace Period on September 5 in the fall or the end of the Grace Period on February 1 in the spring are automatically enrolled in SHIP to meet the University's health insurance requirement and are responsible for the charge on their student account.

*An approved waiver notification is effective for the academic year it is submitted. Students do not need to reapply for a waiver for the spring/summer terms if they have an approved waiver from the fall of the same academic year.

Students enrolled in SHIP are required to schedule an appointment at the Student Health Center during business hours for a referral, before visiting an outside doctor. The insurance plan will not cover any bills that do not have a Student Health Center referral. No referral is required for emergency room care or gynecology annual exams. Please refer to your current Student Health Insurance Plan (SHIP) highlight flyer for other exceptions to the referral requirement.

After you visit the Student Health Center and obtain a referral, you can then see the referred specialist of your choice. Keep in mind, however, that SHIP will pay a greater percentage of the cost with a doctor who is "in-network." Please review the Student Health Insurance Plan (SHIP) highlight flyer for details on in-network and out-of-network rates of coverage.

To find an "in-network" doctor, visit Anthem's website and click "find a doctor." Follow the steps to locate the doctors and hospitals that are "in-network." You can also call 855.296.0864 or utilize the Sydney app on your smartphone to find an "in-network" doctor or a hospital. Be sure to confirm with the clinician that they are still "in-network" with Anthem when calling to schedule an appointment.

Most services in the Student Health Center are free of charge. If you do have charges associated with a visit, you will be able to charge your student account, and a receipt called a walkout statement or superbill with the necessary insurance codes is available on your Patient Portal to submit to Anthem claims for reimbursement. If you visit an "in-network" doctor or a hospital, they will send the bills directly to the insurance company for payment. But, if you receive a bill from the doctor/hospital, that means they do not have your health insurance plan information to send the bills to the company. In this case, you can call the doctor's office to give your insurance information or mail the bill to the claims administrator at the address below:

Anthem Blue Cross Life and Health Insurance Company
P.O. Box 60007
Los Angeles, CA 90060

Call Anthem Customer Service at 855.296.0864. Have your insurance card in hand and be ready to give the date of service you are calling about.

SHIP now includes one vision exam with Anthem each policy year. Additionally, students on SHIP have glasses and lens benefits with Academic Vision Care during each policy period. More details about glasses and lens benefits can be found on the Academic Vision Care flyer. If you desire additional vision coverage, you can choose an optional vision plan offered on the AHP Enhanced Products Webpage. Payment for this plan is made directly through the AHP website.

SHIP dental plans are pediatric only and expire on the insured's 19th birthday. If you are 19 or over, you can choose an optional dental plan offered on the AHP Enhanced Products Webpage. Payment for this plan is made directly through the AHP website.

Students who purchase SHIP and graduate during the term of that policy period are eligible to enroll in the following term plan. To do this, they must complete a Continuation Insurance application on the AHP Enrollment Website to apply for coverage. Payment for this Continuation Plan is made directly to AHP through their website. Students who did not purchase SHIP for the term they graduate are not eligible for the Continuation Plan.

You are required to maintain comparable health insurance at all times during your approved waiver period. If your private health insurance coverage is terminated during the waiver period, you are required to enroll in the Student Health Insurance Plan (SHIP) or another plan that is comparable. To enroll in SHIP, you must complete the Qualifying Life Event application form on the AHP Enrollment Website. 

Like most insurance carriers, Anthem is moving away from physical insurance cards. Students enrolling for the first time should receive and email welcome package from Anthem with instructions on how to access care. If you do not see this email, the quickest way to access your benefits is to utilize the Sydney Mobile App After downloading the app, click on the option including "student" and begin registering by clicking "not signed up?" at the bottom of the next screen. Next, select the "student ID" option and complete the remaining fields. Once the app registration is complete, you can access your member ID card, a preferred provider search (which can help you determine in-network providers when you receive a referral from the Student Health Center), and claims status. 

SHIP covers these types of visits. When possible go to an in-network facility. The No Surprises Act (NSA) of 2022 protects insureds from surprise medical bills incurred when inadvertently receiving care from out-of-network hospitals, doctors, or other providers they did not choose. Private health plans are required to cover these out-of-network claims and apply in-network cost sharing. Further, it prohibits doctors, hospitals, and other covered providers from billing patients more than the in-network cost-sharing amount for surprise medical bills.

Whenever possible, be sure to have access to your Sydney app with your insurance ID card with you so that billing will go directly to the insurance carrier.

Students will receive an approved waiver notification if their online waiver submission is approved. This notification is sent by Academic HealthPlans (AHP) to your Pepperdine email address.

It is very important to ensure that the address, phone number, and email address on your WaveNet account are current and accurate. If not, communications about your student health insurance plan may not get to you, including reimbursement checks. If you have moved or your contact information has changed, please confirm the local address field in your WaveNet account reflects the address where you wish to receive these materials and have claims reimbursements sent. Next, please visit Academic HealthPlans' customer care online resource center to submit a request to update the appropriate information. AHP will then send the information to the insurance carrier.

Yes, you need to submit a request to Academic HealthPlans. Complete the form and in the "please add any additional information or questions" section, state you would like to update your waiver information. Your request will be addressed by an AHP representative who will reach out to you via secure email communication to update your insurance information.