2004-05 Grad Student Health Insurance Subsidy Program

 

 

To:  Graduate Student Affairs staff and GFS users

     and the Stanford Research Administration community

 

The following information pertains to Cardinal Care insurance for the 2004-05 school year, and to the graduate health insurance subsidies that will be effective next year.

 

The cost of Cardinal Care insurance for 2004-05 is $516 per quarter.  The structure of the university-funded subsidy program will be the same as for the past two years, with the following subsidy eligibility:

 

Students with 25% assistantships or more, OR with fellowship stipends (non-tuition stipend payments) of $2000 per quarter or more, will receive a subsidy to pay 50% of their Cardinal Care premium, i.e., a subsidy of $258 per quarter.

 

 

Students with lower-level assistantships, OR with fellowship stipends between $1000 and $2000 per quarter, will receive a subsidy to pay 25% of their Cardinal Care premium, i.e., a subsidy of $129 per quarter.

 

 

Students who are enrolled in Cardinal Care, and who are enrolled in dependent insurance coverage through Stanford, will also be eligible for a dependent subsidy of $150 per month per dependent.  Depending on the student's financial support, they may be required to make a "buy-in" payment to receive this subsidy.

 

 

The fringe benefit rate to be applied to graduate student RA and TA salaries is still in negotiation with the Office of Naval Research, but we expect that the rate will be 3.4% for the 04-05 year.  The "stipend surcharge" applied to Stanford-funded stipends will remain 4.0% for the coming year.

 

As in the past, Cardinal Care subsidies will be applied to students' accounts at the end of the third week of each quarter, based on aid that has been entered and approved in GFS as of that date.  If aid is entered and approved after that date, we would expect the department supporting the student to make a payment from their departmental funds equal to the amount of the subsidy.

 

There are no other changes planned for the subsidy program for next year.  If you have additional questions about the Cardinal Care subsidy, or the way in which the benefit is funded, please contact me.  If you have questions about dependent insurance, contact Terry Haynie at the Vaden Health Center.

 

- Ann George