For the services that Vaden Health Center can’t or doesn’t provide, such as emergency care, hospitalization, or care when a student is traveling away from campus, or for those services that are offered at Vaden Health Center but not covered under the Health Fee, such as specialty care, physical therapy, or prescriptions, health insurance is needed.
Stanford University Requires Every Registered Student Carry Adequate Health Insurance
Because no one can accurately predict what type of medical care might be needed in the future, and because unforeseen scenarios can crop up in the course of an academic career, Stanford University requires that every registered student carry adequate health insurance. This requirement can be met either through Cardinal Care, Stanford’s student health insurance plan, or through an alternative insurance plan that meets the university’s minimum requirements.
The key is deciphering whether coverage you may already have, or are planning to purchase, will serve you well in the Stanford vicinity and/or wherever else you may be studying or traveling.
California Insurance Code
California requires residents and their dependents to obtain, and maintain, health coverage or pay a penalty, unless they qualify for an exemption. Enrolling in student health insurance offered by the college or university you are attending is one way to meet this requirement.
You may be eligible to get free or low-cost health coverage through Medi-Cal regardless of immigration status. In addition, you may be eligible for free or low-cost health coverage through Covered California. Visit Covered California to learn about health coverage options that are available for you and your dependents, and how you might qualify to get financial assistance with the cost of coverage.
If you are under 26 years of age, you may be eligible for coverage as a dependent in a group health plan of your parent's employer or under your parents' individual market coverage. In addition, you may be eligible to buy individual health insurance directly from a health insurer or health plan, regardless of immigration status.
Please examine your options carefully to see if other options are more affordable and whether you are currently eligible to enroll in these other forms of coverage pursuant to an open or special enrollment period.
Other Options for Health Insurance
Cardinal Care has broad coverage that has worked well for our students in many diverse scenarios over time. Other ways in which the requirement for adequate health insurance coverage can be met are:
- Sponsored plan (U.S. government, foreign government, or embassy)
- U.S. employer provided group health plan
- Private / Individual plan purchased through Healthcare.gov
- Military / Tricare plan
- Medicare plan
Note: If you select a Medi-Cal plan, opt for coverage in San Mateo or Santa Clara counties so you can get care, if you need it, while in the Stanford area.
Minimum Health Insurance Coverage Requirements
The table below can 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) | Alternative Plan Being Considered | Cardinal Care |
|---|---|---|
| Covers the entire academic year (Sept.1 through Aug. 31). Gaps in coverage are not allowed. | YES | |
| Covers inpatient and outpatient medical care in the San Francisco Bay Area (ideally with coverage at Stanford Health Care and/or the Sutter Health Network) | YES | |
| Covers inpatient and outpatient mental health care in the San Francisco Bay Area | YES | |
| Has an annual deductible of $2,500 USD or less (some employer plans may be exempted from this requirement) | YES | |
| Has an annual out of pocket maximum of $9,200 USD or less (some employer plans may be exempted from this requirement) | See below* | |
| Provides the Essential Minimum Benefits required by the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) with no annual or lifetime maximums | YES | |
| Covers 100% of Preventive Care as defined by the PPACA | YES | |
| Contains no exclusions for pre-existing conditions | YES | |
| Offers prescription drug coverage | YES | |
| Offers coverage for non-emergency as well as emergency care | YES | |
| 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 | YES | |
Other Points of Comparison | ||
| Annual premium | $8,232 | |
| Includes dental coverage | YES | |
| Provides worldwide coverage and international assistance locating qualified medical care | YES | |
| Provides international assistance for emergency medical evacuation | YES | |
| 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!) | YES | |
Students are Automatically Enrolled in Cardinal Care
As part of the university’s requirement that all students have adequate health insurance coverage, every registered student, regardless of location, is automatically enrolled in Stanford’s student health insurance plan, Cardinal Care, in his/her/their first registered quarter of each academic year.
All students must acknowledge their understanding of the Cardinal Care Enrollment Policy in Axess, at which time each student can opt to remain enrolled in the Cardinal Care health insurance coverage OR can choose to submit a request to waive out of the coverage. Requests to waive Cardinal Care health insurance coverage will be granted only when the alternative health insurance coverage meets minimum requirements established by the university.
