Health Insurance

Health Insurance

To ensure that all students have adequate health care coverage, including ongoing primary and specialty care, and to satisfy the mandatory health insurance requirement, Duke University automatically enrolls all registered students into the Duke Student Medical Insurance Plan (SMIP).

The Duke SMIP is a student-focused medical insurance plan with robust medical, mental health, vision, and pharmacy benefits.  It is Affordable Care Act (ACA) compliant and works in tandem with other Duke health and well-being resources that are provided as part of the Student Health Fee. In addition to the SMIP, Duke also offers a dental insurance plan for students each year.

The Importance of Insurance Coverage

There are a number of reasons insurance coverage is important for Duke students.  

• When students have access to medical and mental health care, they are better able to stay well and get necessary care to recover from illness or injuries.  This allows our students to make the most of their Duke experience.
• While many students may have insurance at home, students spend nine to twelve months of the year here in Durham.  Our medical plan ensures access to both preventative and urgent or emergency care.
• Having access to mental health care and support is incredibly important for our students’ success. The SMIP allows students to access care early and have the support they need to navigate their university experience.

Holistic Care and Support

The student medical plan is an important part of supporting Duke students’ health and well-being.  In addition to the medical plan, Duke offers a wide range of health and wellness services, many of which are already covered in your Student Health Fee.  This includes:

• Duke Student Health – our on campus medical clinic
• Counseling & Psychological Services – offering mental health and psychiatric care
• Nutrition Resources and Information, and
• A vast array of wellness promotion, education and programming, non-clinical case management support, and more.

*Enrolled students refers to those students enrolled in face-to-face or hybrid degree programs at Duke and all international students.  See the Enrolling in or Waiving SMIP page for more details.

SMIP Coverage Dates & Cost

The Duke Student Medical Plan year runs from August 1 to July 31 each year.

The annual cost of coverage for the 2025-2026 SMIP is:

• Student only: $3751.56
• Spouse: $3577.74
• Child/child(ren): $3992.15
• Spouse & children: $7625.61

Detailed information on the premium costs and coverage dates is available here.