Finance | Health Insurance for Masters Students

2025 - 2026 Health Insurance for Masters Students

Open enrollment for Fall 2025 is July 1-August 31, 2026.

Coverage and Plans

In consultation with the Student Health Insurance Committee, Rice has negotiated a student health insurance plan with Aetna Student Health for 2025-26. Due to a combination of factors, the student, spouse, and child premiums will decrease by approximately 2.2% from last year and be $3,372 annually. Please continue to choose in-network providers, use generic medications when possible, and use the emergency room for only true emergencies (fear of loss of life or limb) to keep premiums low for all.

Please note that there are significant changes to the insurance offering for 2025-26, including:

• Combining all student populations into one plan, administered by Aetna
• Reduced rates for the Aetna plan, with increased coverage levels for students

Aetna members will continue to have access to telehealth consultations through Teladoc for 2025-26. Teladoc provides 24/7/365 access to a national network of U.S. board-certified physicians who can resolve many medical issues via phone or online video consultations. Teladoc doctors can diagnose, treat, and prescribe medication for various conditions, including sinus problems, bronchitis, allergies, sore throat, stuffy nose, urinary tract infections, etc. Log into your Aetna account via www.teladoc.com/Aetna or call 1-855-TELADOC (l-855-835-2362), and a Teladoc physician is guaranteed to call back within an hour. Teladoc consultations are billed as regular office visits.

Qualifying Life Events

For information on qualifying life events, including the birth of a child, please visit Student Health Insurance-Qualifying Life Events.

To enroll in coverage due to a qualifying life event, please email studentinsurance@rice.edu.

Rice will prorate the insurance premium in the case of a qualifying life event.

Resources

To comply with the Affordable Care Act (ACA) requirements, Rice offers qualified students the opportunity to participate in the Rice Employer Accountable Care Organization (ACO) through Memorial Hermann Hospital in Houston. Open enrollment for this option is July 1st - August 1st. To be eligible, students and employees must work thirty hours or more per week as determined by applicable regulations. Please note that scholarship toward your degree does not count toward the thirty-hour week. You can find more information here if you believe you are eligible for the Rice Employer ACO Medical Insurance plan.

Aetna Student Health does not mail out physical medical ID cards. Please visit Student Health Insurance for instructions to access your medical ID card or request a physical one. You will be mailed an ID card for your Vital Savings program. Please do not confuse this with your actual medical ID card.

If you have any questions regarding insurance coverage, please contact studentinsurance@rice.edu or call 713-348-5544.

Below is a summary of the 2025-26 insurance premiums:

* Premium is per child; there is no additional cost for adding more than two children.

Updated July 2025