University Health Center

Student-Athlete Health Insurance & Medical Clearance

Morgan State University is committed to protecting the health, safety, and well-being of student-athletes while ensuring compliance with University, conference, and NCAA participation requirements.

This page serves as the central resource for student-athletes, parents, families, coaches, athletic trainers, and University personnel regarding health insurance, medical clearance, and participation requirements for intercollegiate athletics.

Before participating in practices, conditioning sessions, competitions, team travel, or any other athletically related activities, student-athletes must complete all required medical clearances and maintain active primary health insurance.

This page provides information about:

NCAA and University health insurance requirements
Pre-participation medical clearance requirements (Health Center)
Required medical forms and documentation (Athletics)
Student Health Insurance Plan (SHIP) enrollment and waiver information

Our goal is to help student-athletes understand their responsibilities, complete all required medical and insurance requirements on time, maintain eligibility for participation, and ensure access to appropriate healthcare throughout their athletic experience at Morgan State University.

Important Participation Notice

Student-athletes who fail to maintain active comprehensive primary health insurance coverage, submit required insurance documentation, or complete all required medical clearances are not eligible to participate in practices, conditioning sessions, competitions, team travel, or any other athletically related activities until all University and NCAA requirements have been satisfied and verified by the University Health Center and Athletics.

Student-athletes are also responsible for immediately notifying both the University Health Center and Athletics if their health insurance coverage changes, expires, is terminated, or if there are significant changes to their medical status during the academic year.

NCAA & University Requirements

NCAA legislation requires member institutions to certify that each student-athlete has primary comprehensive medical insurance coverage for expenses resulting from athletically related injuries within the deductible of the NCAA Catastrophic Injury Insurance Program before participating in any athletically related activities.

Morgan State University fulfills this responsibility by verifying each student-athlete's primary comprehensive health insurance coverage and required medical documentation before participation. Maintaining active primary comprehensive health insurance also helps ensure timely access to physician visits, emergency care, hospitalization, specialty care, rehabilitation services, mental and behavioral health services, diagnostic testing, prescription medications, preventive care, and follow-up treatment.

The NCAA Catastrophic Injury Insurance Program provides excess (secondary) coverage only after the applicable deductible has been satisfied. As a result, maintaining active primary health insurance is an essential requirement for participation in intercollegiate athletics. Student-athletes may receive medical care both on and off campus and may travel for intercollegiate competition, their primary comprehensive health insurance coverage must provide access to healthcare providers throughout the United States of America, including in the State of Maryland.

Complete These Steps

Student-athletes must complete both the medical clearance requirements and the health insurance requirements before participating in practices, conditioning sessions, competitions, team travel, or any other athletically related activities.

Medical Clearances

Step	Requirements	Description	More Information
1	Complete Medical Clearances with the University Health Center	Complete all required pre-participation medical requirements, including health forms, medical documentation, physical examinations, immunization requirements, and any additional medical clearances required by the University Health Center.	Click HERE for the Medical Clearance Requirements
2	Complete Medical Clearances with Athletics	Submit all required medical clearance documentation and current health insurance information to Athletics for review and participation clearance.	Click HERE for the Athletics Medical Clearance

Health Insurance

Step	Requirements	Description	More Information
3	Verify Your Primary Health Insurance	Confirm that you have active primary health insurance that provides comprehensive medical coverage while attending Morgan State University and participating in intercollegiate athletics. At a minimum, your plan should provide access to the following in all 50 states: • Primary care • Specialty care • Emergency services • Hospitalization • Outpatient services • Laboratory and diagnostic testing • Mental and behavioral health services • Prescription medications • Preventive care • Rehabilitation and physical therapy Your plan must provide access to healthcare providers in Maryland and throughout the United States, as student-athletes may receive medical care while attending Morgan State University and traveling for practices, competitions, tournaments, and other University-related athletic activities. Before arriving on campus, contact your insurance carrier to verify your provider network, covered services, and any geographic limitations. Based on the verification of coverage with your insurance carrier, it will determine if you following Step 4A or Step 4B.	Contact your private health insurance carrier.
4A	Submit a SHIP Waiver (If Eligible)	Student-athletes who have comparable comprehensive primary health insurance that provides coverage in Maryland and includes access to primary care, specialty care, emergency services, hospitalization, outpatient services, diagnostic testing, mental and behavioral health services, prescription medications, preventive care, and rehabilitation or physical therapy may submit a SHIP waiver during the published waiver period. Waiver approval is subject to review and verification.	Click HERE to submit the SHIP waiver
4B	Enroll in SHIP (If Needed)	Student-athletes who do not have comparable comprehensive primary health insurance, or whose current health plan does not provide adequate coverage in Maryland or throughout the United States, should enroll in the Morgan State University Student Health Insurance Plan during the published enrollment period. Plans with limited benefit coverage, restricted provider networks, out-of-state Medicaid, or out-of-state Kaiser plans may not satisfy the University’s health insurance requirements.	Click HERE to enroll in SHIP
5	Maintain Eligibility Throughout the Academic Year	Maintain active health insurance throughout the academic year, keep all required medical clearances current, and immediately notify both the University Health Center and Athletics if your health insurance coverage changes, expires, is terminated, or if your medical status changes.	Contact the University Health Center and Athletics immediately if your information changes.

Loss Of Coverage (Qualifying Life Event- QLE)

If your primary health insurance coverage changes after the published Student Health Insurance Plan (SHIP) enrollment or waiver period, you may be eligible to enroll in the Morgan State University Student Health Insurance Plan (SHIP) through a Qualifying Life Event (QLE).

Examples of qualifying life events may include:

Loss of employer-sponsored health insurance
Loss of coverage under a parent or guardian's health insurance plan
Loss of Medicaid eligibility or Medicaid coverage
Loss of other qualifying health insurance coverage
Marriage, divorce, or other qualifying changes affecting health insurance eligibility

Students requesting enrollment through a Qualifying Life Event must submit documentation verifying both:

The qualifying life event; and
The date the previous health insurance coverage ended.

Examples of acceptable documentation may include:

Certificate or Notice of Creditable Coverage
Notice of Coverage Termination
COBRA Election Notice
Letter from the insurance carrier or employer confirming loss of coverage
Other official documentation verifying the qualifying life event and coverage termination date

Documentation must clearly identify the student (or covered dependent, when applicable) and include the effective date of the coverage change.

QLE Enrollment Instructions

Qualifying Life Event requests must be submitted within 30 calendar days of the qualifying event. The 30-day submission period is determined by the effective date the previous health insurance coverage ended, as reflected on the supporting documentation provided. Requests received more than 30 calendar days after the documented coverage termination date will not be eligible for enrollment.

Log in to the Morgan State University Student Health Insurance Portal.
Select the Qualifying Life Event (QLE) option.
Complete the required enrollment information.
Upload all required supporting documentation verifying your qualifying life event and the date your previous health insurance coverage ended.
Submit your request for review.

Submission of a Qualifying Life Event request does not automatically result in enrollment. All requests and supporting documentation are subject to review and verification before coverage is approved.

Active primary health insurance is required for participation in intercollegiate athletics, student-athletes must immediately notify both the University Health Center and Athletics if their health insurance coverage changes, expires, or is terminated. Failure to maintain active primary health insurance will affect eligibility to participate in practices, conditioning sessions, competitions, team travel, and other athletically related activities.