Students
Cardinal Care is an annual plan – students who enter Stanford in autumn and who do not opt out of Cardinal Care by September 15 are charged for the entire year and covered for the entire academic year (9/1 through 8/31). Students who enter Stanford in other quarters and who do not opt out of Cardinal Care by the applicable deadline are charged for the remainder of the academic year and covered for the remainder of the academic year (8/31). A student who ends his/her relationship with the University (such as by conferral of terminal degree) at the end of autumn or winter quarter may drop the plan at the end of the corresponding Cardinal Care coverage period. Graduating students who request to opt out following autumn or winter graduation will not be billed (or covered) for future quarters. Opt out requests should be sent to healthinsurance@stanford.edu or submitting a HELPSU ticket. Students who graduate at the end of spring do not have the option to leave the plan and remain covered through August 31.
A student who takes a leave of absence prior to attending class in the autumn base term will not be eligible to enroll in Cardinal Care for autumn, or any continuous quarters in which s/he is on leave. Upon return from leave, the student will be automatically enrolled in Cardinal Care for the remainder of the academic year unless enrollment is waived by the applicable deadline.
A student who is enrolled in Cardinal Care and takes a leave of absence after the first day of class in any given quarter will remain enrolled in Cardinal Care through the remainder of the academic year (8/31).
Please contact Vaden’s Insurance and Referral Office for more information at (650) 723-2135 or submit a HELPSU ticket.
As a potential alternative, internships typically offer a stipend that covers general living expenses, including health insurance. However, the stipend amount varies greatly by sector and internship employer. Furthermore, trainees cannot opt-out of Cardinal Care if they have already enrolled in the program for the year.
Postdocs
Though customary, faculty mentors are not required to pay for the Stanford medical insurance coverage for their postdocs while the postdocs are on an approved unpaid leave of absence. A postdoc in this instance may elect to either:
- Waive the Stanford medical plan after showing proof of other coverage to the Postdoc Benefits Coordinator in accordance
with University Policy, and where applicable, visa regulations, or
- Continue on the Stanford medical plan and arrange with the department that s/he will pay for it during the leave period.
If neither of the above options is pursued, faculty mentors/PIs are required to pay for the full cost of the University contribution to the postdoc’s medical coverage, typically from unrestricted sources. Notwithstanding the above, Faculty mentors/PIs are required to pay for life/accidental death and disability coverage for their postdocs while on an unpaid leave of absence.
More information can be found at the Stanford Benefits website.
