Cardinal Care Enrollment Policy 2023-2024

All students are automatically enrolled in Cardinal Care health insurance coverage. By the applicable deadline: all students must take action to acknowledge the Cardinal Care enrollment policy. Students who wish to waive Cardinal Care coverage must submit their request to waive.

The list below will assist you in comparing your current health insurance policy, or any other plan you may be considering as an alternative to Cardinal Care, against the minimum health insurance coverage requirements set by the university and against what Cardinal Care offers. While your plan does not need to meet all of the Cardinal Care points of comparison in the table (because Cardinal Care is a very comprehensive plan), it will need to meet all of the university’s minimum requirements in order to successfully waive enrollment in Cardinal Care.

Minimum Health Insurance Coverage Requirements
(Cardinal Care Waiver Criteria)

1. Covers the entire academic year (September 1 through August 31). Gaps in coverage are not allowed.
2. Covers inpatient and outpatient medical care in the San Francisco Bay Area (with strong preference for access to Stanford University Medical Center and/or Sutter Health providers)
3. Covers inpatient and outpatient mental health care in the San Francisco Bay Area (with strong preference for access to Stanford University Medical Center and/or Sutter Health providers)
4. Has an annual deductible of $1,000 USD or less (some employer plans may be exempted from this requirement)
5. Has an annual out of pocket maximum of $9,100 USD or less (some employer plans may be exempted from this requirement)
6. Provides the Essential Minimum Benefits required by the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) with no annual or lifetime maximums
7. Covers 100% of Preventive Care as defined by the PPACA
8. Contains no exclusions for pre-existing conditions
9. Offers prescription drug coverage.
10. Offers coverage for non-emergency as well as emergency care.
11. Has a lifetime aggregate maximum benefit of at least $2,000,000 USD, OR a maximum per condition/per lifetime benefit of $500,000 USD

Other Points of Comparison

• Annual premium $7,128
• Annual out of pocket maximum of $2,000 or less
• Includes dental coverage
• Provides worldwide coverage and international assistance locating qualified medical care
• Provides international assistance for emergency medical evacuation
• Has a local office that provides customer assistance specifically for Stanford students (Vaden Health Center’s Insurance and Referral Office staff are knowledgeable about Cardinal Care and are available to help!)

Please note: Stanford University establishes Minimum Health Insurance Coverage Requirements as a
means to ensure students can get the care they may need while enrolled at Stanford. Plans that fail to
meet these minimum requirements, such as some HMOs and other limited-network plans, may not
serve students well while at Stanford. If you have any questions about an alternative plan you may be
considering, we strongly encourage you to contact Vaden Health Center’s Insurance Office prior to
making a decision to request a waiver from Cardinal Care coverage.

For ALL Students (Domestic and International)

Remember – all students are automatically enrolled in Cardinal Care health insurance coverage. By the applicable deadline: all students must take action to acknowledge the Cardinal Care enrollment policy. Students who wish to waive Cardinal Care coverage must submit their request to waive.

Once you have decided whether to remain enrolled in Cardinal Care coverage or to request a waiver, the next step is to take action in Axess. Regardless of your decision, as part of this process, ALL students will be required to acknowledge their understanding of the Cardinal Care Enrollment Policy as a Mandatory Health Insurance ‘To Do’ Item in Axess. The Mandatory Health Insurance ‘To Do’ Item typically appears several weeks prior to open course enrollment for your first quarter each academic year. Once you see this ‘To Do’ Item:

• IF YOU ARE A STUDENT WHO WISHES TO REMAIN ENROLLED in health insurance coverage through Cardinal Care, read and acknowledge your understanding of the Cardinal Care Enrollment Policy in Axess. Once you have done so, simply follow the prompts, and you will remain enrolled in Cardinal Care for the applicable plan period. The decision made at the start of the first registered quarter of each academic year (Autumn Quarter for most students), is binding, and coverage will remain in effect through the plan year end (August 31). The one exception is for students who graduate at the end of Autumn or Winter Quarter and successfully petition to end their coverage earlier.
• IF YOU ARE A STUDENT WHO WISHES TO WAIVE HEALTH INSURANCE COVERAGE THROUGH CARDINAL CARE, you will also need to read and acknowledge your understanding of the Cardinal Care Enrollment Policy in Axess. Once you have done so, follow the prompts to submit a request to waive coverage. As part of this process, you will be asked to provide proof of insurance coverage. The coverage you submit will be assessed to ensure that it is active and that it meets the Minimum Health Insurance Coverage Requirements set by the university. If the coverage you submit fails to meet the minimum requirements, your request to waive will be denied, and you will remain enrolled in Cardinal Care for the applicable plan period. If your request to waive Cardinal Care coverage is successful, you will be UN-enrolled from the coverage, and the corresponding charge will be removed from your Axess account. The decision made at the start of the first registered quarter of each academic year (Autumn Quarter for most students), is binding, and the waiver of coverage will remain in effect through the plan year end (August 31). An exception may occur for students who experience loss of health insurance through a pre-defined qualifying life event and who apply for coverage within 31 days of the event at stanford.mycare26.com/cardinalcare.

Deadlines to 1) Acknowledge the Cardinal Care Enrollment Policy (for ALL students) and 2) Submit a Request to Waive Cardinal Care Coverage (for Students who Wish to Waive)

• Autumn Quarter September 15 - This deadline is only applicable to students entering Stanford in Autumn Quarter. We are extending the waiver deadline to September 30th for this quarter.
• Winter Quarter December 15 - This deadline is only applicable to students entering Stanford in Winter Quarter.
• Spring Quarter March 15 - This deadline is only applicable to students entering Stanford in Spring Quarter.
• Summer Quarter June 15 - This deadline is only applicable to students entering Stanford in Summer Quarter.

Axess opening dates are unknown at the time of publication, but are typically several weeks prior to the date classes start.

TAKE ACTION TO 
1) Acknowledge the Cardinal Care Enrollment Policy (for ALL Students) and 
2) Submit a Request to Waive Cardinal Care Coverage (for Students Who Wish to Waive)

• Log into Axess (axess.stanford.edu). 
• Find the Mandatory Health Insurance ‘To Do’ Item. 
• Read and Acknowledge your understanding of the Cardinal Care Enrollment Policy. 
• If you wish to Waive Cardinal Care Coverage, follow the prompts to submit your request.

Additional Considerations for International Students

All international students will need to show proof medical evacuation coverage to the insured’s home country in the amount of $50,000 and proof repatriation coverage to the insured’s home country in the amount of $25,000. If your insurance plan meets all other requirements, then you can purchase medical evacuation coverage, and the waiver will be approved. J Visa holders will need to have an insurance deductible of $500 or less. (This is in line with US State Department guidelines). International students will also need to submit a copy of their Visa with the waiver request. This will be so each J Visa student’s deductible can be audited correctly. All policy documents will need to be in English and all monetary values will need to be expressed in U.S. dollars.

What To Expect after Requesting a Waiver

If you have decided to request a waiver from enrollment in Cardinal Care coverage, once you’ve acknowledged the Cardinal Care Enrollment Policy and provided proof of your alternative health insurance information, the system will perform a check to make sure the insurance is active and meets the university’s criteria. 

This process may take 7-10 business days. If your alternative health insurance plan meets the defined requirements, you will be UN-enrolled from Cardinal Care for the 2023–2024 plan year. Charges on your Axess account will be waived approximately 10 days after the process is complete (Be sure to check! This is the best way to confirm that a successful waiver has occurred.) 

If your plan doesn’t meet the university’s waiver requirements, you will be notified via email. If there is still time, you will have the choice to secure an alternative plan that meets the university’s requirements. Otherwise, you will remain enrolled in Cardinal Care. 

Waiver Review Timeline:

• After a waiver request has been submitted, it will be in “pending” status while it is reviewed.
• The review process can take 7-10 business days.
• Please respond promptly to any requests for additional information so the review process can be completed within the expected timeline.
• You will be notified by email with the results of your waiver request. If your waiver request is approved, please allow up to 5 business days for the waiver to post to your Axess account to offset the health insurance charge.
• Please note that once the waiver is processed, both the health insurance charge and the health insurance waiver will remain on your Axess account.

You Must Take Action Every Year!

A successful request to waive is only applicable for one academic year and must be repeated in any subsequent year for which you wish not to be enrolled in Cardinal Care.