Waiving the Otis Health Insurance Plan
Per Otis College policy, all degree seeking students enrolled in BFA and MFA programs are required to have health insurance. All currently enrolled students are automatically enrolled in Otis College's Student Health Insurance Plan, unless a waiver is completed. Students with health insurance coverage that meets the College's requirements may waive out of the plan by completing an online waiver. Please see below for online waiver instructions.
2026-2027 Academic Year Waiver Deadlines:
| Program | Deadline |
|---|---|
| (BFA/MFA) | 8/1/2026 |
| (Incoming Spring 2027 Students) | 1/16/2027 |
IMPORTANT: Unless you waive out of the Student Health Insurance Plan by the deadline, you will remain enrolled in the Student Health Insurance Plan, and the premium (cost) will be applied to your student account. Once enrolled onto the Student Health Insurance Plan, you will be enrolled on the plan for the remaining academic year.
Please note, you only need to waive ONCE per academic year.
Once you have waived, your waiver will carry through into the following semester should you continue at the college.
NEW INCOMING BFA/MFA STUDENTS FOR FALL 2026: The waiver period will open May 1, 2026. Your submitted waiver in Fall 2026 will be valid from the Fall 2026 semester through the following Spring/Summer 2027.
Waiver Information
Based on California Assembly Bill 594, which goes into effect July 1, 2026, a student can waive out of the student-sponsored health insurance plan as long as the student’s health insurance meets the criteria for Minimum Essential Coverage. Minimum Essential Coverage includes employer-sponsored coverage, individual market plans, and government plans, including Medicare, Medicaid, and Tricare. With this change, students who are not local to the Los Angeles area may be left without local providers near Otis and with unmet insurance needs. Please consider what this means as a student before deciding to waive. The Student Health Insurance Plan (SHIP) is a nationwide Anthem PPO plan with a low deductible. Students will have access to providers anywhere in the US, not just in the Los Angeles area. More information on the SHIP can be found here.
Waiver Instructions
- Have an electronic copy of your current insurance card and your Otis College student ID.
- Go to: https://otis.myahpcare.com/waiver
- Select the Domestic BFA/MFA student or International BFA/MFA student link.
- Log in to the system by using the following:
- Login – X number (Ex:X12345678)
- Password – Date of Birth in MMDDYYYY format, unless previously changed. (Ex: 01011990)
- Select the ‘Sign In” button.
- On the home page, select “WAIVE” button from the “I Already Have Insurance” section.
- Enter your insurance information and attach your required documentation.
- Select the ‘Submit Waiver’ button at the bottom of the waiver form.
You will received an email confirming your SUBMISSION of the waiver. You will then receive an email stating your waiver was APPROVED/DENIED. (Submitting a waiver does not guarantee approval until an approval email is received.)
*Please allow 7-10 business days from waiver approval for the Health Insurance Fee to be removed from your student account
Questions? Contact:
Student Health and Wellness Center
studenthealth@otis.edu
310-846-5738