UPDATED: April 3, 2018 at 10:43 p.m.

For the last several weeks, the university community has heard a lot about the work being done on campus to make health care benefits for graduate assistants and fellows stronger and more affordable.

Ahead of Wednesday’s Graduate Student Organization meeting, we wanted to take this opportunity to share the facts.

After significant collaboration and outreach, careful research and a highly competitive request for proposal process, we are pleased to offer an updated and improved plan that has earned the endorsement of the GSO Executive Board. The new plan, which would begin in the 2018-19 academic year, provides strong health care coverage and uncompromising benefits, at a much lower cost for graduate assistants and fellows.

In addition to significantly lowering prices for graduate students, the new plan offers:

• A nearly $1,000 Reduction in the Price of Annual Premiums — The new plan will be highly subsidized by the university, reducing premium costs for graduate assistants by nearly $1,000 annually, to only $500. A subsidy will continue into future academic years.
• Platinum-Level Benefits for All — The new plan is a platinum-level plan, providing the highest level of benefits and broadest coverage available with the lowest out-of-pocket expenses.
• Academic Calendar-Based Plan — The new plan operates based on the academic calendar, so deductibles and out-of-pocket limit accumulations won’t start over in January, and graduate assistants won’t have to change coverage if their academic status changes.
• Access to Vision and Dental Coverage — Unlike the current student plan, the new plan will provide graduate assistants affordable access to vision and dental benefits.
• Lower Prices on Coverage for Dependents — Under the new plan, dependents can be added for a significantly lower cost.
• Lower Office Visit Copays — With the new plan, there will be a $25 copay for office visits to in-network primary care doctors or specialists for common services. That’s $10 less per visit for primary care and $25 less for specialists than under the current plan.
• New, Flexible Payment Options — While annual premiums will now be much lower, the plan will include a payment installment option.

We are grateful to the many students who made their voices heard. And we are confident this is the right plan to serve the needs of this important and diverse community.

Sincerely,

Professor Thomas Dennison, Maxwell School
Co-Chair, Graduate Assistant Health Insurance Committee

Dean Peter Vanable, Graduate School
Co-Chair, Graduate Assistant Health Insurance Committee

Published on April 3, 2018 at 10:22 pm