Annual Blackout (aka registration) period
Every year, from September 1 to mid-October, the insurance plan goes into a period of blackout. Registration in the GSS insurance plan is linked to full time student status. Because there can be so many changes to members’ full-time/part-time status until the University add/drop deadline, Pacific Blue Cross does not accept claims or allow online accounts to be set up/accessed until after registration is finalized. In other words, during this period no claims can be submitted to Pacific Blue Cross and you cannot access your online account. Your insurance coverage is still active, but you will need to submit any claims from September 1 to the end of the blackout period AFTER the blackout period ends.
The GSS will inform members when the blackout has ended and when they can start submitting claims to Pacific Blue Cross through the GSS e-bulletin. You may sign up for GSS e-bulletins here.
Keep your receipts for any eligible expense normally covered under the insurance plan dated from September 1 to mid-October. These claims can be submitted at the end of the blackout period either online or by mail.
For online claims, please create your account by registering first and setting up direct deposit.
For paper claims forms, please visit our forms page to print out a paper copy.
There is no blackout in January for students enrolled in September.
For graduate students not previously on the plan in September that start their full-time academic term in January will have a blackout period from January 1 to mid-February. That means that no claims can be submitted to Pacific Blue Cross until after the blackout period ends. Insurance coverage for eligible claims is retroactive to January 1 once the blackout is over.
Keep your receipts for any eligible expense normally covered under the insurance plan dated from January 1 to mid-February. These eligible claims can be submitted at the end of the blackout period either online or by mail.
For online claims, please create your account by registering first and setting up direct deposit.
For paper claims forms, please visit our forms page to print out a paper copy.
The GSS will inform members when the blackout has ended and you can start submitting your eligible claims to Pacific Blue Cross through the GSS e-bulletin. You can sign up for the GSS e-bulletins here.