2015–16 Academic Year
The annual cost for Cardinal Care for the 2015–16 academic year will be $4,680. The annual plan, which runs from September 1 through August 31, includes coverage in summer quarter (whether you are registered that quarter or not).
The 
2015-2016 Cardinal Care Cost and Coverage Table (includes graduate subsidy) provides information about the charges you will see on your university bill, as well as other important details, by quarter, based on when your enrollment begins at Stanford.
There is no option to change the coverage period or to prorate the premium. Students may contact Vaden's health insurance office at 650-723-2135 or by email for questions regarding waiving insurance coverage.
Cardinal Care Subsidy for Graduate Students—Frequently Asked Questions
Stanford subsidizes the Cardinal Care premium for graduate students who are employed in research or teaching assistantships, and for students receiving an equivalent level of fellowship support. Details regarding eligibility and amount can be found on the Stanford Financial Aid website.
How much is the subsidy?
Certain students will qualify for the full benefit of the Cardinal Care subsidy while others will qualify for the partial benefit.
The full benefit consists of a payment of 50 percent of the Cardinal Care premium*.
The partial benefit consists of a payment of 25 percent of the Cardinal Care premium*.
*For the purposes of calculating the amount of the subsidy, the Cardinal Care premium is defined as the cost of the 12 month coverage, divided by three academic quarters.
Who qualifies to receive this benefit?
The following enrolled graduate students (who do not waive Cardinal Care and do not have an outside fellowship source paying the full cost of insurance) will receive the full subsidy:
- those with a research or teaching assistantship appointment of 25% or more.
- those with a fellowship paying a non-tuition stipend at or above the minimum salary for a 25% assistantship (CA or RA).
The following enrolled graduate students (who do not waive Cardinal Care and do not have an outside fellowship source paying the full cost of insurance) will receive the partial subsidy:
- those with a research or teaching assistantship appointment of less than 25%.
- those with a fellowship paying a non-tuition stipend at or above the minimum salary for a 10% assistantship (CA or RA).
Students not meeting the above criteria are not eligible for a Cardinal Care subsidy.
Will eligibility be determined on an annual or quarterly basis?
Eligibility will be determined on a quarterly basis. Students will be eligible based on the financial assistance they receive in a quarter. Likewise, the subsidy is paid on a quarterly basis. Normally, there are no Cardinal Care charges or subsidies in summer quarter.
When will a student's subsidy appear on their account?
Students will see the subsidy payment on their account as soon as the qualifying financial aid (e.g., the fellowship or assistantship appointment) is approved. It will appear on the student's account as "anticipated aid" until the start of the quarter and until the student has enrolled in the appropriate level of units. The subsidy may be withdrawn entirely or amounts adjusted if the student's financial support is withdrawn or reduced prior to the first payroll deadline each quarter (usually the third week of the quarter).
The subsidy payment will be applied to the student's account in Axess presuming that
- the student is enrolled in Cardinal Care and has a Cardinal Care bill that quarter,
- the student is enrolled academically, and
- the qualifying financial support was approved prior to the first payroll deadline of the quarter.
Do graduate students who are employed in jobs that pay hourly wages qualify for this subsidy?
Student employees will qualify for the Cardinal Care subsidy if they have either a research or teaching assistantship (an RA or TA appointment). Other student jobs on campus will not qualify the student for the Cardinal Care subsidy.
Are co-term graduate students eligible for this subsidy?
Yes, if the co-term student has reached graduate student status (i.e., earned 180 units) and meets all other eligibility requirements.
How does Cardinal Care subsidy work during the summer?
Students who are enrolled in Cardinal Care during the academic year will automatically be enrolled in Cardinal Care for summer quarter at no additional cost (whether they are enrolled as a student in the summer or not). Since there is no charge posted for Cardinal Care during summer quarter, a corresponding Cardinal Care subsidy is not applied in summer quarter.
In those cases, where a student was charged for Cardinal Care during autumn, winter or spring but was not eligible for the subsidy during that quarter, and has subsidy-eligible support (assistantship or fellowship) during the summer, the subsidy will be given to the student "retroactively" during the summer.
Will graduate students have to apply to receive a Cardinal Care health insurance subsidy?
No. All graduate students who are enrolled in Cardinal Care and who qualify for the subsidy will automatically receive the subsidy for which they are eligible. In order for the payment to be applied, the student must by enrolled in at least 8 units (or TGR status) during each academic-year quarter (autumn, winter and spring).
For additional subsidy questions, please email grad-insurance@stanford.edu
