This story has been updated to add new information.
Some Indiana University graduate students may briefly experience issues with their student insurance plans due to a “bureaucratic problem” within the university system, according to emails obtained by The Herald-Times.
New and returning graduate students with student academic appointments or fellowship awards in the College of Arts and Sciences may experience issues with their insurance claims being processed, or see their coverage displayed as “inactive” in August as the university finalizes documents in their system.
“Coverage began August 1, 2025, but if SAA contracts or Fellowship awards are not turned in and finalized, coverage will not show as active until that step is done,” said Elizabeth Dunn, IU’s associate dean for graduate education in the College of Arts and Sciences, in an email. “Appointments and awards must be in the IU system first. “
Sample Gates on Wednesay, May 22, 2024.
Dunn said in an email obtained by The Herald-Times that the university will “retroactively” cover the inactive period in August once insurance reactivates. Dunn and IU spokespeople did not respond to questions about when outstanding coverage plans are likely to be reactivated.
In the meantime, Dunn said students can request their claims be held until their insurance reactivates, pay for services out of pocket and seek reimbursement with the university, or reach out to the Student Health Services for “urgent medical needs.”
IU spokespeople did not respond to questions about what caused the bureaucratic error, or how many students are affected.
Reach Brian Rosenzweig at brian@heraldt.com.
This article originally appeared on The Herald-Times: IU graduate students have inactive health insurance after error
