Your selection of health insurance affects the fees that you pay to use The Student Health Service. In past years, the required coverage for outpatient care at the Student Health Service was included in the full-time general fee. After consultation in 1999 with many student groups (including the Undergraduate Assembly, the Graduate and professional Student Assembly, the Graduate Student Association Council, the Student Health Advisory Board, and the Student Health Insurance Advisory Committee), the Trustees of the University have approved the separation of the Student Health Clinical Fee from the General Fee.

The Clinical Fee will be $210.00 per semester for the academic year 2009-2010, allowing all affected students unlimited access to Student Health. This charge appears automatically on the first tuition bill of the fall and spring semesters. The Clinical Fee is mandatory for full-time students and cannot be waived, however, students may choose to either pay the Clinical Fee directly or satisfy the charge for the Health Service through selection of the Penn sponsored health plan. Students who choose to purchase the health plan will see a reversal of their clinical fee at the time the insurance premium is billed.

Clinical Fee FAQ

How much is the clinical fee?
The clinical fee is $210.00 per semester for the 2009-2010 academic year.

When will the clinical fees be posted to my bursar account?
The clinical fee will be posted on the first term bill that is mailed in July of each year.

Is this clinical fee new?
All full-time students have always paid a "clinical fee," it was, however, included in the general fee.

If I have private insurance, am I still required to pay the clinical fee?
The clinical fee must be paid by all full-time students who do not choose to participate in the Penn sponsored insurance plan (PSIP).

If I purchase the Penn insurance, how does that affect my already billed clinical fee?
Students who choose to participate in the Penn sponsored plan will see a reversal of the clinical fee on their bursar account.

How do I know if I am required to pay the clinical fee?
Students in the following schools will be automatically billed the clinical fee. The fee is subsequently reversed for those who choose the Penn insurance:

Will the clinical fee cover me outside of Student Health?
The clinical fee will only pay for services rendered at Student Health.

Does the clinical fee cover everything at SHS?
The clinical fee covers primary basic services at the Student Health Service.  There may be separate charges for other services and items provided by the Student Health Service. These may include diagnostic testing, vaccines, medications, etc.

Does my spouse/partner have to pay the clinical fee to use Student Health?
Spouses/partners who choose to use Student Health (not on Penn sponsored insurance) will be charged on a fee-for-service basis.