BYU Students
Health Insurance Options for BYU Students
BYU expects its students to carry health coverage, and the university offers its own student health plan — but that plan isn't automatically your best or cheapest option. Here's how BYU students in Provo actually compare the choices.
BYU student health insurance: the short answer
- A parent's plan
- You can stay on a parent's plan until 26, even if you're married or not a dependent. Out-of-state students should confirm the plan's network covers care in Utah County.
- The school's rules
- BYU expects eligible students to carry health coverage and offers its own student health plan. Requirements, prices and waiver rules are set by the university each year, so confirm them with BYU.
- The Marketplace
- If no one claims you as a tax dependent, your own household income decides your premium tax credit on HealthCare.gov — which is why many married students qualify for meaningful help.
- Utah Medicaid
- Utah expanded Medicaid to adults with income up to 138% of the federal poverty level, so many students and student couples on part-time income qualify.
- When you can enroll
- Open Enrollment runs November 1 to January 15. Marriage, a new baby, moving or losing other coverage can open a Special Enrollment Period at any time of year.
Official sources:HealthCare.gov: coverage under 26HealthCare.gov: options for college studentsHealthCare.gov: lower your premiumsUtah Medicaid: expansionHealthCare.gov: Special Enrollment Periods
Last reviewedThe BYU Situation
Your realistic options as a BYU student
BYU has long required eligible students to maintain health coverage, and it offers a student health plan connected to the Student Health Center on campus. Requirements, pricing, and waiver rules are set by the university and can change year to year — always confirm the current details with BYU directly.
What the school can't tell you is whether its plan is the best deal *for you*. That depends on your age, marital status, income, and tax situation — and for many BYU students, an alternative wins:
A parent's plan (until 26)
If your parents' plan has in-network care in Utah County, staying on it is often free to you and satisfies a coverage requirement. Out-of-state students should confirm the network reaches Provo before relying on it.
The BYU student health plan
Built around the on-campus Student Health Center, which is convenient if you live on or near campus. Compare its annual cost and coverage against a subsidized Marketplace plan before defaulting to it.
A subsidized Marketplace plan
If you file taxes independently, your student income is measured on its own — which often means meaningful premium tax credits on healthcare.gov, Utah's Marketplace. Married students especially should run this comparison.
Utah Medicaid
Utah expanded Medicaid: independent students with income under roughly 138% of the federal poverty level often qualify — including many married student couples living on part-time income.
Provo Specifics
What matters locally
Married students are the big exception
BYU's married-student population is large, and marriage usually ends tax dependency — which flips the subsidy math in your favor. Many married BYU couples qualify for Medicaid or strongly subsidized Marketplace plans and don't know it.
Check networks against Provo care
Whatever plan you pick, confirm it covers the providers you'd actually use in Utah County — including Utah Valley Hospital in Provo — and not just the campus clinic.
Returning missionaries start the clock on arrival
Coming home mid-year? You have a 60-day enrollment window that doesn't wait for the school year. See our returning missionary guide before it closes.
Related guides: married students · returning missionaries · student subsidies
BYU student? Compare all four options in one free conversation.
We're local, licensed, and free — the carriers pay us, so you pay the same premium either way. Fifteen minutes and you'll know whether the student plan, a parent's plan, the Marketplace, or Medicaid is your best deal.