October 2012

MEMO: Important Updates Regarding Insurance Costs and the Family Healthcare Fund

Dear postdocs with families,
This is an important update regarding your costs for covering children and/or families under the Stanford postdoc medical insurance plans and the Family Healthcare Fund program.

• Starting in January 2013, Stanford University will contribute at a higher percentage towards the monthly premium costs of dependent coverage in the postdoc medical plans (EPO and PPO). This change affects all dependent plans (postdoc+spouse/domestic partner; postdoc+child(ren); postdoc+family). This means a lowered out-of-pocket monthly premium cost to you if you insure dependents, which you are charged monthly via the University Bill. This change cuts your monthly bill significantly; for example, the monthly medical insurance bill to a postdoc with a family will be $286/month (down from $618, or $378 after receiving the highest level of FHF subsidies in 2012). Similar savings will be realized by postdocs who insure spouses/domestic partners.

If this change will affect your decisions to enroll your dependents in 2013, please take advantage of your Open Enrollment period from November 1, 2012 to November 15, 2012 to make your benefits elections.

Open Enrollment information and the new 2013 rates are available at http://postdocs.stanford.edu/benefits/PDF%20Documents/2013_OE_Postdoc_Benefit%20Plan_Updates_Handout.pdf.

• The University’s decision to increase institutional contributions towards dependent coverage entails replacing the Family Healthcare Fund (FHF) subsidy program that was in effect in 2011 and 2012. The FHF program will end at the end of December 2012. The last FHF monthly subsidy will be applied to the December 2012 premiums for those currently in the fund and those who receive awards in the current fund application cycle (see below). No subsidy will be made starting January 2013.

• The Office of Postdoctoral Affairs is accepting the last batch of FHF applications from postdocs who are currently enrolled in the Stanford medical plans in the postdoc+child(ren) or postdoc+family levels of coverage and aren’t receiving FHF subsidies. The awards made in this cycle will offer subsidies retroactively to September 2012 if applicable, and through December 2012 (when the fund will discontinue). The deadline to apply is November 5 at 5 p.m. Please go to http://postdocs.stanford.edu/incoming_scholars/PD_emergency_fund.html to download the application form and for eligibility information.

• While the FHF program will discontinue at the end of the year, the Office of Postdoctoral Affairs will continue the Emergency Grant-in-Aid (Hardship) Fund. This smaller fund aims to help postdocs who experience a financial emergency or unanticipated expenses causing financial hardship for themselves or their dependents. Information about this financial assistance fund is at http://postdocs.stanford.edu/scholars/FinancialAssistance.html.

If you have any questions about these changes, please contact the OPA at postdocaffairs@stanford.edu.

Rania Sanford, Ed.D.
Assistant Dean for Postdoctoral Affairs

Postdoc Recruitment Fairs Fall 2012

The Office of Postdoctoral Affairs (OPA) is participating in two postdoc recruitment fairs this Fall: the annual meeting of the Society for the Advancement of Chicanos and Native Americans in Science (SACNAS) in Seattle, WA, October 11-14, and the Annual Biomedical Research Conference for Minority Students (ABRCMS) in San Jose, CA, November 7-10. The meetings are well-established national occasions to meet and recruit high-achieving under-represented students into graduate and post-graduate programs. In the last two years, they provided an opportunity to showcase training programs and other postdoc opportunities at Stanford. OPA is an ABRCMS sponsor this year.

As NIH T32 grants require diversity and recruitment activities, we hope that our participation at those events is useful to you. Like we did in previous years, OPA staff will take program information materials, recruitment brochures, or application announcements and make them available at our exhibit booth.

In addition, we would like your help in identifying one or two postdoctoral scholars to join us at either or both meetings (expenses paid). They would represent Stanford and speak about the opportunities here with prospective students and postdocs who inquire at our booth. When not staffing the booth, those who joined us in the past enjoyed meeting classmates and colleagues and built new connections. Please share this invitation with your postdoc trainees, or suggest names of those we may approach directly. Engaging your postdocs in these national activities is a simple way to highlight your commitment to diversity to the NIH.

Please send OPA (attn: Jane Jones) your program materials (eg., 20-30 brochures or flyers) no later than Tuesday, October 2. Please feel free to contact me or Jane directly at jtjones@stanford.edu with questions or for more information.

Best Regards,
Rania