Health Services

Health Services

Health Services is here for you, and we are committed to the health and wellness of our students and community.

Note: The next open enrollment term for school-sponsored insurance will begin on May 1. Select "Health Insurance" from the On This Page directory for more information.

Now offering Telehealth and Online Appointment Booking
We are now offering online appointment booking for both Health Services and Physical Therapy.
Appointments can be booked via uartshealth.youcanbook.me.

Scroll below to find out more!

Summer in Health Services

To give our staff a much-needed break while remaining available for students, Student Health Services will be working with a hybrid schedule for the summer.

Appointments are only available with an advance request via email at healthservices@uarts.edu. All summer appointments will be conducted via telehealth. 

Health Services does not have a contract with Jefferson Family Medical during the summer months and will not be able to refer students for advanced care. If you are in need of advanced care, we suggest visiting your local urgent care center. For providers close to campus, please refer to the "Local Resources" tab. 

New Students
Please refer to the "New Students" tab for information on the required paperwork, insurance requirements, and submission information. Direct any questions to our email and we will respond as soon as possible.

Summer Institute Students
Direct all questions or concerns to the Summer Institute staff and visit the page on the UArts website!

Office Visits

On-campus health services are provided Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m during the school year. Summer hours may vary, we recommend calling prior to visiting the office when classes are not in session. All current, matriculated students are welcome to use the Health Office regardless of insurance type. All medical issues are strictly confidential. 

Health Services remains open for walk-in visits, appointments are encouraged to limit wait times. However, Student Health Services staff will not be treating unvaccinated students experiencing respiratory illness in the office. If an unvaccinated student is experiencing respiratory illness, they are encouraged to email healthservices@uarts.edu to schedule a video conference with the UArts staff nurse or visit uartshealth.youcanbook.me to schedule a virtual appointment. If a vaccinated student is experiencing respiratory illness, they can attend an in-person appointment or schedule a video conference with the UArts staff nurse.

Regardless of vaccination status, all other injuries and illness (gastro, allergy, etc.) can be treated in person or by virtual appointment.

Health Insurance

2023-2024 Academic Year 

The next enrollment period for health insurance is for the 2023 Fall Semester. Students can opt into the school-sponsored insurance plan from April 3 to August 1, 2023. To receive coverage by the earliest possible date, students should opt-in by the recommended deadline of August 1, 2023. Students can opt-in by accessing the Online Insurance Form beginning April 3rd or emailing healthservices@uarts.edu.

The insurance plan is Aetna, and the cost for the 23/24 Academic year is $4,861. In order to be eligible, students must be enrolled in six or more credits. For details about the plan, visit uarts.myahpcare.com. 

All students must access the Online Insurance Form to either opt into or provide proof of personal insurance. 

Note: The school insurance cost is automatically added to each student’s bill until they provide proof of personal insurance using the Online Insurance Form. To have insurance coverage for the fall semester, this must be done no later than 08/01/2023. The cost for the academic year is $4,861.

For more information on the school-sponsored insurance plan, please visit http://uarts.myahpcare.com/ or click here.

It is a University of the Arts policy that all full-time, matriculated students taking 6 or more credits in the Fall/Spring carry health insurance with major medical coverage and submit proof of this coverage via online form.

Deadlines for the 2023/2024 Academic Year:

August 1, 2023: We strongly recommend that students complete the online insurance form by this date to ensure coverage begins on 08/15/2023.

September 22, 2023: The absolute last day to complete the Online Insurance Form (including waiving the school insurance fee) or to make changes to your preference. 

Following 09/22/23 eligible students who have not submitted proof of insurance will be enrolled in the school plan and responsible for the insurance fee: no exceptions, credits or refunds will be honored beyond this date.

Waiving the Insurance Fee:

Students submit proof of personal insurance online via this Google Form in order to remove the insurance cost from their billing statement. 

The entire process takes only a few minutes and the student will need a copy of their insurance card. Afterward, the student will receive a confirmation email in their UArts email account. Once the waiver is completed Student Financial Services (SFS) will issue an updated billing statement in 1-2 weeks. For billing questions please contact SFS at finaid@uarts.edu or 215.717.6150.

We encourage all students who enroll in a personal insurance plan to find out if their insurance is accepted in the Philadelphia area: Please refer to the website for your personal insurance company. Most will have a “Find a Provider” or “Search for a Provider” tool available which will show a list of eligible resources in a given area. The zip code for UArts is 19102.

2023/2024 Plan Information:

Please note that the school plan for the 2023/2024 year will be Aetna, the same as the previous year. Insurance cards are digital and information on accessing your digital card will be emailed to your UArts account shortly after enrolling. 

For more information on the insurance plan, click here for a benefits brochure from our insurance provider. 

Insurance Company: Aetna
Cost: $4,861 for the academic year. Note: The fee is added to the student billing statement.

Coverage Start/End Dates: Academic Year Coverage is from 08/15/23* until 8/14/24  (*students must opt-in by 08/01 to begin coverage by this date)

Coverage Details: To learn more about what is covered under the policy please visit uarts.myahpcare.com. Specifically, under the “Benefits” tab view the plan summary and brochure.

If you have questions regarding health insurance please contact Health Services at healthservices@uarts.edu or 215.717.6652. Questions regarding University billing may be directed to Student Financial Services at finaid@uarts.edu or 215.717.6170.

Finding Your Own Health Insurance

If you would like to obtain your own health insurance but don't know where to start, here are some resources to help you find coverage!

• Check out HealthCare.gov ("Obamacare") for government-sponsored health insurance. 
• State-by-state insurance
  • Google Search "Medicaid [your state]" 
    • Make sure you search Medicaid and not Medicare as Medicare is for individuals 65+
  • Google search "individual health insurance [your state]"

If you would like to find insurance through a private provider, make sure to do your research and make sure you're getting the coverage that suits you best!

Students with UArts Health Insurance 

Students who have opted into the UArts Health Insurance should do the following in order to get the most out of your insurance coverage. Use this information to learn about your benefits, keep updated on your claims, find providers, and more!

1. Access Your Digital Insurance Card
   a. Go to www.aetnastudenthealth.com
   b. Select "University of the Arts" from the drop-down menu and click on “View Your School”
   c. Select the “Get Your ID Card”link
   d. Enter your school issued student ID numbers/Date of birth and click “Submit”
   e. Select your ID card to display it on the screen
   f. Take a screenshot to save it to your phone or select "Print your ID card"

2. Register on the Aetna Member Portal
   a. Go to www.aetnastudenthealth.com and select "Aetna Member Portal"
   b. Register with the information on your new insurance card

3. Download the Aetna App
   a. Download the Aetna app from the App or Google Play store or text "STUDENT" to 90156 for a link to download
   b. Log in with username and password from previous step

For more help with accessing your information, please reach out to Health Services or the Aetna Support Team. 

Local Resources

Philadelphia is home to a wide array of resources, facilities and specialists. Part of our goal is to highlight notable wellness-related resources in the immediate area. If you are looking for a specific recommendation and do not see it on the list simply contact our office so that we may be of further assistance.

University Health Services staff may assess students in-office and decide that a referral to an outside resource is necessary. 

 Affiliated Physician's Offices 
Thomas Jefferson Family and Community Medicine Associates (JFMA) located at 833 Chestnut St., Suite 301. The office is open Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. The JFMA on-call doctor is available 24 hours a day at 215-955-7190. 

Services are offered free of charge by JFMA with a referral from the Student Health Services. Students must be seen by a nurse in Student Health Services and obtain a referral slip in order for the co-pay cost to be waived. Students should bring the referral form, a student ID, and their insurance card (in case a prescription is provided) at the time of their appointment. 

 Local Emergency Departments 
In the case of a life-threatening emergency, call 911.

 Urgent Cares/Clinics 
Urgent Care Centers treat acute (non-life threatening) illnesses and injuries.
Services may include lab work, physicals, x-rays, etc. 
Referrals to an Emergency Department or PCP are common. 

Pharmacies

There are hundreds of pharmacies around the city, these are a few locations around our campus area that might be convenient for you!

If you need to see a specialist, the Health Services can provide you with a list of practitioners near the University's campus. 

New Students

Welcome to UArts! We look forward to keeping you happy and healthy. 

Before we can welcome you on campus, there are a few requirements you must complete! 

Student Health Forms

The Student Health Form is the most important document for our office, and therefore are required for all active students. 

• All students new to UArts are required to complete and submit these documents by August 1 for fall enrollment or January 1 for spring enrollment.
• Since portions of the form require information from your physician, including a physical examination and immunization records, we encourage you to keep the deadlines in mind when scheduling your appointments. Read more about our immunization policy. 
• Students are required to complete and submit every page of the form.

Student Health Form (including immunizations) should be scanned and emailed as a single PDF to healthservices@uarts.edu. Click here for instructions on how to scan your forms. If you are experiencing an issue in completing the health form please reach out to our office. 

Plan ahead: During the summer months it can be difficult to get a timely appointment with your physician due to the increased demand of back to school check-ups but you'll need one in order to complete your required Student Health Form.

If you are being treated for any long term medical or psychological conditions that require regular provider visits and you will be away from home, we suggest that prior to the start of school, you make connections with providers near UArts who accept your health insurance. Please reach out to Health Services or Counseling for a list of recommended providers.

If you are on a monthly medication regimen and require refills and/or continual evaluations, please make prior arrangements with providers in the Philadelphia area who accept your health insurance.

Submitting Materials 
The Student Health Form can be submitted in two ways: 

1. Email your forms as a single PDF to healthservices@uarts.edu
   Forms must be scanned. No photos or .jpegs will be accepted. 
   Don't know how to scan or submit in this format? Click here for instructions!
    
2. Mail your forms to our office*
   The University of the Arts
   Attn: Health Services
   320 South Broad Street
   Philadelphia, PA 19102
    

Tip: If sending the original, we recommend making a hard copy to keep as a back-up. 

*If mailing, please only send documents intended for Health Services to the address above. Documents meant for other offices should not be included in the same envelope.

Student Health Insurance

Please reference the "Health Insurance" section above for more information on the University's Health Insurance requirements.