Remember... it is okay to not be okay.

Mental Health Resources at Stanford

Stanford
Vaden Health Services
Dylan Faries, 6, right, urges his dad, Bill, ’95, to keep moving at Reunion Homecoming. Credit: newslibrary@stanford.edu

Dependent Enrollment

A student may enroll a spouse and/or child/children in the Stanford Student Dependent Health Insurance Plan ('Dependent Plan') only if she/he/they (the student) is enrolled in the student plan, Cardinal Care.

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Open Enrollment Period: New Students

New students will have the option to enroll their dependents in the Stanford Student Dependent Health Insurance Plan when they first matriculate at Stanford. This is the one and only time during the entire academic career at Stanford when a student can purchase the plan for his/her/their dependent(s) unless a qualifying life event occurs.

Open enrollment guidelines, based on the first quarter of matriculation for a new student, are displayed in the following table:

Quarter

Open Enrollment Period for Dependents

Dependent Coverage Effective Date

Autumn

For students whose first quarter is Autumn, the Open Enrollment period for dependents is September 1 through September 30.

The day following submission of the completed application.

Winter

For students whose first quarter is Winter, the Open Enrollment period for dependents is January 1 through January 31.

The day following submission of the completed application.

Spring

For students whose first quarter is Spring, the Open Enrollment period for dependents is April 1 through April 30.

The day following submission of the completed application.

Summer

For students whose first quarter is Summer, the Open Enrollment period for dependents is June 1 through June 30.

The day following submission of the completed application.

Note: In adherence with the university's winter closure period, Vaden’s Insurance and Referral Office is closed from mid to late December through early January each year.

A student's dependent(s) may choose to drop the Dependent Plan, but will not have the option to re-enroll unless there is a qualifying life event. To enroll in the Dependent Plan, the 2022-2023 Dependent Plan Enrollment Application must be completed and sent to the Vaden Insurance and Referral Office. Additional details are listed on the application form. 

Dependent Plan Enrollment Application Form

Qualifying Life Event Enrollments

A qualifying life event may allow you to enroll your dependent in the Dependent Plan after the open enrollment period. Examples include marriage, birth of a child, and loss of prior coverage. The enrollment form must be completed and received by the Insurance Office at Vaden Health Center within 30 days of the qualifying event.