For Undergraduate Parents
Cardinal Care offers high value, comprehensive health care coverage. But your student may already have coverage under another health insurance plan. You may be quite satisfied with your current plan. Why consider Cardinal Care?
Cardinal Care was created specifically for student community health care needs. Cardinal Care features a unique combination of on-campus primary care with referrals to Stanford Hospital and Clinics and its faculty physicians.
Your current plan may not be as convenient — or cost-effective — anymore. If your student is covered by an HMO or another type of managed care plan — such as a Preferred Provider Organization (PPO) — he or she may be required to visit a primary care physician in your local area for all nonemergency care and referrals. For example, that means if your student needs to see a specialist while at school, you may have to pay for this service out of your own pocket.
Cardinal Care covers students anywhere in the world. This global flexibility suits the student lifestyle. Remember, students that enroll in Cardinal Care have coverage year-round, not just during the academic year. When your student travels home during a break, coverage goes along too.
For some, Cardinal Care may be the perfect solution. For others, an employer-based plan may be the most convenient solution. And for some families a combination of Cardinal Care plus your other coverage offers the best option.
We encourage you to evaluate the benefits available under Cardinal Care and your other health insurance options. Compare what's covered, what's not covered, and how each plan operates. Use the Cardinal Care benefits overview brochure (PDF format) to help you evaluate your student's options and make an informed choice about the health care coverage that's right for him or her. See also Using Your Own Health Insurance.
Once your student is enrolled in Cardinal Care, s(he) is covered on the plan through the end of that academic year, even during quarters that s/he is not registered for classes.
Cardinal Care Information
- Medical and mental health benefits
- Enrollment
- Cost and coverage dates
- For undergraduate parents
- Graduate student subsidy
- FAQs