University Health Plans

Name

University Health Plans

Legal name

University Health Plans, Inc.

Website

https://universityhealthplans.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2000

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Insurance Brokerage and Plan Administration

NAICS

Insurance Agencies and Brokerages (52421), Insurance Agencies and Brokerages (524210)

SIC

Insurance Agents, Brokers & Service (6411), Hospital & Medical Service Plans (6324), Accident & Health Insurance (6321)

akta.pro primary industry

Student Health Insurance Plans (University-Sponsored) (FSAIAFAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

Student Health Insurance & Benefits Administration (EDALAFAL), Eligibility, Enrollment & Benefits Administration (HLAEALAH)

Keywords

• Student health insurance
• Insurance brokerage services
• University health plans
• Insurance plan administration
• College student coverage

Headquarters

HQ city

Randolph

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Insurance Brokerage/Commission: University Health Plans acts as a broker and plan manager for student health insurance, earning commissions from insurance carriers (Blue Cross Blue Shield, Aetna, UnitedHealthcare, Wellfleet) for administering their student health plans through university partnerships.
2. Administrative Fees: Administrative fees are assessed on dental plans, such as the Delta Dental NJ plan which includes $48 system processing and platform management fees per student.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

University Health Plans is an insurance brokerage and plan administrator that manages Student Health Insurance Plans (SHIP) on behalf of colleges and universities, partnering with carriers such as Blue Cross Blue Shield, Aetna, UnitedHealthcare, and Wellfleet. The company provides enrollment, waiver processing, billing reconciliation, and benefits administration for more than 100 educational institutions, and also offers supplemental dental, vision, renters, and tuition insurance products to students through its online platform.

Product overview

University Health Plans is a student health insurance administration platform that provides a suite of insurance products and services for college and university students. The core offering consists of ACA-compliant Student Health Insurance Plans (SHIP) administered through partnerships with major insurance carriers including Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts, Aetna Student Health, UnitedHealthcare Student Resources, Wellfleet Student, and Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina. The platform offers enrollment and waiver management services, enabling students to either enroll in the school-sponsored plan or demonstrate comparable coverage to opt out. Supplemental products include dental insurance (through BCBS Massachusetts and Delta Dental NJ), vision insurance (VSP Vision Care), renters insurance, and tuition insurance (through GradGuard). The platform also provides provider search tools, insurance ID card management, and worldwide travel assistance coordination.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Student Health Insurance Plans (SHIP) ACA-compliant student health insurance plans administered for college and university students through partnered insurance carriers (BCBS, Aetna, UnitedHealthcare, Wellfleet), with access to national PPO networks and coverage aligned to the academic year.
• Dental Insurance Dental insurance plans for students at Massachusetts colleges and universities (via BCBS MA) and New Jersey students (via Delta Dental NJ Fixed Copay PPO Plan), with optional dependent coverage.
• Vision Insurance Voluntary vision insurance plan offered through VSP Vision Care for students at partner colleges and universities and their dependents.
• Renters Insurance Voluntary renters insurance coverage for students, distributed through GradGuard via the University Health Plans portal, with multiple coverage options.
• Tuition Insurance Voluntary tuition insurance offered through GradGuard, providing protection against unexpected withdrawal or enrollment discontinuation.

Quantifiable outcome

• State-mandated health insurance compliance for Massachusetts universities
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core, minor and flagship.

• Blue Cross Blue Shield of MassachusettscoreOthersPrimary insurance carrier for multiple university student health plans including WPI, Wellesley College, Westfield State University, and Worcester State University. BCBS MA provides national PPO network access and claims administration. UHP manages enrollment and waiver processing.
• Aetna Student HealthcoreOthersInsurance carrier for William Paterson University, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, and Illinois Institute of Technology/VanderCook student health plans. Provides national PPO network and student health insurance administration.
• UnitedHealthcare Student Resources (UHCSR)coreOthersInsurance carrier for Yeshiva University and Cardozo School of Law student health plans, replacing Aetna for 2025-2026 academic year. Provides national provider network and claims processing.
• Wellfleet StudentcoreOthersInsurance carrier for Washington College student health plans. Provides Cigna national OAP network access and student-specific plan administration.
• VSP Vision CareminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorVision insurance partner providing voluntary VSP Vision Care plans for students at partner universities. Available as optional add-on coverage.
• GradGuardminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorProvides voluntary renters insurance and tuition insurance products marketed through University Health Plans portal to college students.
• Delta Dental of NJminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorDental insurance partner providing NJ Dental Fixed Copay PPO Plan for New Jersey college and university students and their dependents through UHP enrollment platform.
• Risk StrategiesflagshipOthersParent company - University Health Plans is a division of Risk Strategies, a larger insurance brokerage firm. This provides operational backing and resources for UHP's student health insurance administration business.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• BMI Benefits LLC: Independent broker specializing in student health insurance plan administration for universities, offering multi-carrier enrollment and waiver processing services — directly competing with UHP in the same SHIP brokerage niche.
• Haylor Insurance Brokerage: Niche insurance brokerage specializing in international student health insurance, J-1/F-1 visa plans, and study abroad coverage — adjacent overlap with UHP's university-sponsored SHIP model.

Broad incumbents

• Wellfleet Student: Insurance carrier providing student health plans through Cigna/OAP networks, often administered independently of brokers. Competes with UHP's distribution model by selling directly to universities and engaging brokers only as commission-paying intermediaries.
• UnitedHealthcare Student Resources: National student health insurance carrier offering SHIP products either directly or via brokers. Comparable as UHP distributes UHCSR plans (e.g., Yeshiva) while UHCSR also markets independently — overlapping distribution channels.
• Aetna Student Health: CVS Health-owned carrier providing student health insurance plans to universities nationally. Competitor and partner — UHP administers Aetna plans at several schools while Aetna sells directly elsewhere.
• Gallagher Student Health & Special Risk: Division of Arthur J. Gallagher, the large insurance brokerage firm with dedicated higher education and student health practice. Directly competes with UHP/Risk Strategies for institutional SHIP administration mandates.
• Marsh McLennan (Education Practice): Global insurance brokerage with a higher education and student health benefits practice serving large public universities. Competes for the same institutional client base as UHP.

Emerging players

• GradGuard: Specialty insurance provider for college students offering tuition, renters, and student health plans as a private online exchange. Both a UHP partner (resold via UHP portal) and a partial competitor for the same student insurance dollar.
• Chase Insurance Solutions: Brokerage that administers student health insurance plans and waiver programs for select universities. Smaller-scale direct competitor in the same SHIP administration niche.

Others

• Risk Strategies (Parent Company): National insurance brokerage holding company that owns UHP as a division. Provides operational backing and cross-sell pathways; comparable as the parent vehicle through which UHP reaches institutional clients.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about University Health Plans