University Health Services

University Health Services (UHS), the campus health center, cares for University of Massachusetts Amherst students, faculty, and staff, along with their spouses, domestic partners, and dependents. For the latest news and complete information, visit www.umass.edu/uhs.

Services

UHS offers general medical care, including routine visits, care for acute minor injuries and walk-in care; eye care and optical services; pharmacy; laboratory; radiology; nutrition services; physical therapy; immunizations; allergy and travel medicine; substance abuse prevention; occupational health; and more.

Specialists in areas such as acupuncture, mind/body medicine, obstetrics/gynecology, orthopedics, and sports medicine also have office hours at UHS.

Using UHS

UHS is not a hospital and does not have an emergency department. In a life-threatening emergency, call 911 for transportation to a hospital.

UHS is located in the Central residential area; the main phone number is (413) 577-5000. General clinic hours are Monday – Thursday 8 a.m. – 6 p.m. and Friday 8 a.m. – 5 p.m.

To schedule an appointment for routine care, including checkups, minor illnesses, women’s health care, contraceptive services, well-baby visits and follow-up care, call (413) 577-5101. Same day appointments are available for your convenience. Same day appointments can be scheduled for any reason.

Walk-in Clinic serves patients needing immediate care for minor illnesses and injuries. When classes are in session, Walk-in Clinic is open from 8 a.m. – 8 p.m. weekdays and on weekends from noon – 4 p.m.

UHS has a RN Triage Service available from 8 p.m. – 8 a.m. If you are ill and not sure if you should wait until morning, the RN service can assist you. Call (413) 577-5000. The answering service will direct you to the RN on call.

Health Insurance

Massachusetts law requires college students to have primary health insurance coverage under a U.S.-based major medical plan. Students who do not already have insurance, or whose plan will not meet their needs while at school, can take advantage of the university’s Student Health  Benefits Plan (SHBP). Students taking five or more credits are automatically enrolled in the individual SHBP; charges will appear on the semester tuition bill. 

Students with comparable coverage may be eligible to waive the plan; visit www.umass.edu/uhs/insurance/ship/ for complete information. SHBP waivers must be completed online by the end of the Add/Drop period to prevent enrollment and charges.

A Student Family Plan is available which covers a student’s spouse or same-sex domestic partner and/or unmarried dependent children under age 26. Students must be enrolled in the individual plans of the Student Health Fee and SHBP to be eligible to purchase the Student Family Plan.

Those who want to enroll in the Student Family Plan, are taking fewer than five credits per semester, or who are enrolled in a degree-seeking program through Continuing & Professional Education or University Without Walls must come to UHS Patient Services to enroll. Charges will be forwarded to the Bursar’s Office for inclusion on the semester tuition bill.

Learn more at www.umass.edu/uhs/insurance or call UHS Patient Services, (413) 577-5192.

Student Health Fee

A mandatory Student Health Fee is added to the tuition bills of all students taking five or more credits per semester. The fee is not insurance, but works together with a student’s primary plan, entitling them to be seen at UHS and absorbing many costs not covered by primary health insurance.

Students taking fewer than five credits per semester and those enrolled in a degree-seeking program through Continuing and Professional Education or University Without Walls are eligible for UHS services, but must come to UHS Patient Services before the end of the Add/Drop period to register; charges will be forwarded to the Bursar’s Office for inclusion on the semester tuition bill.

Billing

Visits to UHS are first billed to a student’s primary health insurance. Students should always bring their primary insurance plan’s ID card whenever they use UHS services. Co-payments and co-insurance expenses are covered under the Student Health Fee. However, deductibles are the responsibility of the patient.

When filling prescriptions at the UHS Pharmacy, students should bring their primary insurance plan’s prescription card and be prepared to pay the plan’s co-payment; pharmacy co-payments are not absorbed by the Student Health Fee. The pharmacy accepts cash, check, UCard, Visa, MasterCard, and Discover.

Immunization Requirements

Massachusetts law requires college students to have certain immunizations and submit documentation before coming to school. UHS’ New Student Immunization Program (NSIP) oversees these requirements. Visit the NSIP website, www.umass.edu/uhs/immunizations, for complete information.

To meet immunization requirements, first download and print the Massachusetts State Required Immunization History Form, available on the NSIP web page at the link above. Follow all instructions carefully.

The form must be submitted before a student’s first semester on campus. Those who have not filed it by the end of the Add/Drop period will have a hold placed on their student record, preventing them from registering for classes. For more information, call the NSIP, (413) 577-5275.