Accounting Services Section (ACT)
POLICY 31
Effective Date: 05/16/2005
Last Modified Date: 08/31/2009
General Information
Since August 15, 1996, UNC–Chapel Hill has provided individual health insurance coverage to eligible graduate students under the UNC Student Health Plan and a Blue Cross/Blue Shield of North Carolina supplemental plan administered through Hill, Chesson and Woody.
The insurance program for graduate students is separate from insurance programs for clinical fellows, postdoctoral trainees, and postdoctoral research associates (for information about such programs, see PAY Procedure 11). The information below pertains to the Graduate Student Health Insurance Program.
The graduate student health insurance plan year begins August 15th of the academic year, and continues through August 14th of the next calendar year (example - August 15, 2009 through August 14, 2010).
For information related to the on-line enrollment process, contact your department manager or human resources representative.
Eligibility Criteria
For the plan year, graduate students must meet the following criteria to be eligible for coverage:
- Academic Standing: The student must be a registered graduate student in good standing at the University. "Registered" is here defined as "for a minimum of three credit hours."
- Appointment Type: The student's service and non-service appointments must be based on academically related endeavors within an academic department. The student must be functioning as a Teaching Assistant, Research Assistant, Fellow, or Trainee.
- Compensation: The student must receive compensation for services as a Teaching or Research Assistant, or fellowship or traineeship awards, of not less than $2,667 during the policy year from an appropriate source of University funds related to his/her academic appointment(s). If the student's only income sources are tuition remission or compensation for services as a temporary student employee (object code range 14xx), or if payments are received directly from an affiliated foundation or other outside sources, the student is not eligible for graduate student health insurance.
Other Provisions of the Health Insurance Plan
The following provisions also apply:
- Policy year: The policy year is August 15 through August 14.
- Funding sources: The same sources of funds that provide financial support to the graduate student must also pay the proportionate cost of the health insurance premiums with one exception. If the source of funds include Federal Work-Study program funds, the employing department is responsible for the proportionate share of the health insurance premiums. A graduate student who is being paid from an outside source directly and is not being paid by University funds (through UNC Payroll or through Disbursement Services) is not eligible for graduate student health insurance.
- Premium cost per month: The premium cost per student for annual coverage under the program provided through Blue Cross Blue Shield is $1,970.16 annually ($164.18 per month) for the 2009-2010 plan year.
- Policy management: The program will be managed as a supplemental policy to students currently receiving coverage through Campus Health Services.
- Required student health fee: Students must first pay the student health fee ($203.00 each semester for FY 2009-2010) at the Office of Student Accounts and University Receivables in order to be eligible for the additional coverage provided under this policy.
- Conditions of termination of coverage: If an eligible student graduates, withdraws from the University, or ceases to perform work in his or her academic program before the required compensation level of $2,667 has been earned, the insurance coverage will be terminated as authorized by the department(s). The student may continue the coverage through the end of the policy year by paying the premiums from personal funds. This provision does not apply to students who withdraw under the University's medical withdrawal process.
An eligible student who graduates must be removed from the insurance program—December graduates effective January 14, and May graduates effective June 14.- Summer coverage: An eligible student who has completed the spring semester is covered from May 15 through August 14, provided that the student will be enrolled in the next fall semester. Coverage is extended without regard to whether the student is attending summer session(s); however, the student must pay the campus health fee for the summer sessions in order to receive services at Campus Health Services.
Assistance, Questions, or Comments
Please contact the following individuals if you have questions or comments related to the Graduate Student Health Insurance Program.
ISSUE CONTACT PHONE Sponsored Research Kelly Musty 962-4675 kelly_musty@unc.edu Process Emily Coble 962-1601 emily_coble@unc.edu Process Tin Lay Nwe 843-8965 nwes@email.unc.edu Policy Elmira Mangum 962-1091 elmira_mangum@unc.edu Campus Health Services Mary Covington, M.D. 966-9176 mcovngtn@email.unc.edu Online Process (Technical) Rodney Bishop 445-9431 rodney_bishop@unc.edu Online Process (Technical) John Stanley 445-9462 john_stanley@unc.edu Hill, Chesson & Woody Dan Hill or Dax Hill 967-5900 email@hillchesson.com Additional Information
See also:
ACT Procedure 6, Enrollment Procedures for the Graduate Student Health Insurance Program
ACT Appendix 17, Verification of Student Eligibility Form
ACT Appendix 18, Enrollment and Change Form
PAY Procedure 11, Health Insurance—Temporary Full-time Postdoctoral Appointments
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