UC Berkeley auto-enrolls students in health insurance plans covering transgender surgeries 

Students at the University of California, Berkeley, are automatically enrolled in a student health insurance plan covering abortions and gender transition surgeries unless they take multiple steps to opt out by a strict deadline.

The Berkeley Student Health Insurance Plan (SHIP) costs $2,429 per semester for undergraduates and $3,924 for graduate students. If students don’t opt out, the school charges students automatically even if they already have other insurance coverage, Campus Reform reports.

The deadline to waive the plan for the fall semester was July 15, over a month before classes begin. After Aug. 15, the university won’t accept waivers. Students wanting to opt out after the July deadline must also pay a $75 late fee.

To qualify for the waiver, students must prove their insurance is comparable to SHIP. They must submit a waiver request through the Student Health Portal and meet minimum coverage requirements, repeating this process each year.

“All registered students are required to have health insurance,“ the report said. “You must submit a waiver if you do not want to be enrolled in SHIP.”

Over 70% of students nationwide already have insurance through a parent, guardian or employer, according to Statista. Yet, students who miss the early deadline end up stuck with the plan for the entire semester.

SHIP covers several gender-transition procedures, the report said. These include top surgery, bottom surgery, breast augmentation, tracheal shave, vocal training and facial feminization surgery. The plan also covers laser hair removal and hormone therapy.

“Universities are quietly adding thousands to students’ bills through health insurance programs that fund ideologically driven medical services,” the report says. 

The same opt-out policy applies to the spring semester with a deadline of Jan. 1. The final cutoff is Jan. 22; after that, the school doesn’t accept waivers.

Additionally, University Health Services at the school provides transgender services on its campus.

These services include “gender-affirming hormones,” HIV prevention medications such as PrEP and “referrals for surgical care or other care outside of UHS.”

“UHS is committed to providing affirming care for all of our student communities. We encourage you to explore our resources for your holistic wellness and care. We aim to ensure transgender, nonbinary, and gender-diverse students receive the highest quality care in a supportive, respectful space.

“The UHS Transgender and Gender Diversity Care Team is continually looking for ways to improve the services, programs, and care that our students receive,” it adds.