THE UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA

AT CHAPEL HILL

June 4 , 1999

        Effective August 15, 1996 the University provided individual health insurance coverage to eligible graduate students under the UNC Student Health Plan and the Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina supplemental plan administered through Hill, Chesson and Associates. The insurance program for graduate students is separate from insurance programs for Clinical Fellows, Postdoctoral Trainees, and Postdoctoral Research Associates. The purpose of this memorandum is to provide information regarding the 1999-2000 enrollment process for the Graduate Student Health Insurance Program as well as other pertinent information. The information in this memorandum pertains to the following:

• Eligibility Criteria of the Health Insurance Plan
• Other Provisions of the Health Insurance Plan
• Student Eligibility Verification
• On-Line Enrollment Process
• Methods of Payments to Graduate Students
• Insurance Payment Premium Procedures

For the 1999-2000 plan year, graduate students must meet the following criteria to be eligible for coverage:

 
 

1.	The student must be a registered graduate student in good standing at the University.
2.	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.
3.	The student must receive compensation for services as a Teaching Assistant or Research Assistant or receive a fellowship or traineeship award of not less than a total of $2,667 during a policy year from an appropriate source of University funds related to their academic appointment(s). Tuition remission, compensation for services as a temporary student employee (being paid on an object code in the 14XX range), or payments received directly from an affiliated foundation or other outside sources do not apply to this eligibility criteria.

The following other provisions of the health insurance plan also apply:

 
 

1.	The policy year is August 15 through August 14.
2.	The same sources of funds which provide financial support to the graduate student must also pay the proportionate cost of the health insurance premiums. If a graduate student is being paid from an outside source directly and is not being paid by University funds through UNC payroll or accounts payable, then they are not eligible for graduate student health insurance.
3.	The 1999-2000 premium cost per student for annual coverage under the program provided through Blue Cross Blue Shield is $832 ($69.33 per month)
4. .	The program will be managed as a supplemental policy to students currently receiving coverage through Student Health Service.
5.	Students must first pay the student health fee at the Cashiers Office in order to be eligible for the additional coverage provided under this policy.
6.	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 Medical Withdrawal Process.
7.	When the spring semester has ended, the eligible student continues to be covered under the Graduate Student Health Insurance Program from the period of May 15 through August 14 aslong as the student will be enrolled in the upcoming fall semester. The student does not have to attend summer session to be covered.

        A Verification of Student Eligibility form is provided as Attachment II. The form documents that the graduate students acknowledge responsibility for confirming their eligibility for the health insurance plan. The form should be completed by the student and retained by each department that provides enrollment information for the health insurance plan. A department should not enroll a graduate student in the Graduate Student Health Insurance Program until they have received the Verification of Student Eligibility form. Accounting Services does not need a copy of this form.

        The on-line enrollment process for the Graduate Student Health Insurance Program will again be available for the 1999-2000 enrollment as of July 6, 1999. Attachment I is the screen layout for the Enrollment and Change Form in the on-line enrollment system. The on-line enrollment function can be accessed by choosing option 3 from the Electronic Forms System main menu or by selecting Student Health Insurance from the HSL menu. If the on-line enrollment system is not accessible by your department, a photocopy of Attachment I should be used for enrollments. The departmental contact should sign the completed form and mail to Jana Spaugh in Accounting Services.

        The on-line file of active enrollments for 1998-99 will be carried forward to 1999-2000 so that the student’s name, social security number, address, telephone number, and date of birth will not have to be entered for the new year. Also, the enrollment dates will display as 08-15-99 through 08-14-2000 during the initial enrollment period. However, it will be necessary to enter the student’s rank code, the department’s number and contact person, and the annual award amount for 1999-2000.

        Attachment I is the screen layout for the Enrollment and Change Form. The data entry instructions below refer to this screen. Although eligible graduate students can be enrolled in the health insurance plan throughout the year, the initial enrollment period will be from July 6, 1999 through September 15, 1999. The effective date of coverage for students enrolled during the initial enrollment period will be August 15, 1999. For students enrolled after September 15, 1999, the effective date of coverage will be the most recent 15^th of the month unless a retroactive enrollment is approved. To request a retroactive enrollment, a written justification should be submitted to Dennis Walden in Accounting Services.

        The on-line enrollment screen is used to enter and maintain graduate student health insurance program data. It is keyed on the student’s PID. After the PID is entered, demographic information on the student is transferred from the Student Information System (SIS). Students without a valid PID and an appropriate SIS record cannot be enrolled until the SIS record is created. Also included on the enrollment screen are up to 8 lines of departmental data that are salary/award sources for that student. Field sensitive help can be accessed by placing the cursor on a data field and pressing PF12. Fields with help text are listed under each section.

 
 

1.	Enter the PID number of the student in the top right of the screen. Press enter. If the student is already in SIS, some of their demographic data will be retrieved and displayed on the screen. This data can be overwritten, but the changes will only be reflected in this system. No modifications made in this screen will be reflected in the Payroll System or SIS. If there is no SIS record for the student, enrollment cannot proceed until the SIS record is created.
2.	If the student was properly enrolled in the insurance program, the previously entered data will appear. This data can be modified if necessary. If the data does not display, begin by entering the student’s name, address phone number, e-mail address (if known), and the date of birth. Help on some of the fields (see Field Sensitive Help section below) is available. Press PF key 12 to view the help text, and then press PF key 12 or enter to return to data entry screen.
3.	Press the TAB key to move from field to field.
4.	Some fields are validated by data type. See validation rules below.
5.	All required fields (refer to list below) must be must be entered and validated before departmental data can be validated.

Validation Rules:
 
 

PID	Must be 9 digits (0-9).
State	Must be a valid 2 character state abbreviation
Zip code	Must be 5 digits (0-9).
Local Phone	Must be 7 digits (0-9).
Date of Birth	A valid date in the form MM-DD-CCYY (ex. 01-31-1974)

Field Sensitive Help:
 
 

Student Name

Zip Code

Local Phone

Date of Birth

 
 

1.	The user will also be required to enter departmental data based on the department that was entered in the electronic routing system initial menu.
2. .	The user will only be allowed to modify department detail lines that correspond to their current department. Other department lines cannot be modified
3.	Press the TAB key to move from field to field.
4.	Enter the information on the unprotected (NOT white) line. If more than 4 detail information lines are needed, press PF Key 8 to display lines 5 through 8 on the screen. The next open detail information line will display, with your department number pre-filled.
5.	Department number will be pre-filled and protected.
6.	Delete Code is to be used to mark as invalid your department’s detail line. Use one of the codes listed below or place cursor on the field and press PF key 12 to select from a list. The line will not be deleted from the display, but will be flagged as inactive.
7.	Removal code is not required initially, but is to represent the last date that the student will be funded by that department. This field is for information purposes only and is not used to modify eligibility.
8.	All required fields must be must be entered and validated before data can be saved. You will be prompted to save the data after the detail data has been entered. Enter ‘Y’ to save at that time. If a ‘Y’ is not entered to save the data, the student will not be enrolled.
9.     .	A running total of awards is displayed. It is not modifiable
10.	The enrollment dates begin on the 15th and end on the 14th. The initial enrollment date for the program year is August 15. Students graduating in December are enrolled through January 14. Students graduating in May are enrolled through June 14. The effective date of coverage for new enrollees will be the most recent 15th of the month unless a retroactive enrollment is approved by Accounting Services.

Validation Rules:
 
 

Delete Code	Enter one of the following (IF applicable)
	G - STUDENT GRADUATED
	W - STUDENT WITHDREW
	E - ERROR
	X – OTHER (Include explanation when using this delete code)
Department	Number Must be a valid, active department number and must be valid for the Electronic Forms System
Enrolled	A valid date in the form MM-DD-CCYY (ex. 08-15-1999)
Removed	A valid date in the form MM-DD-CCYY (ex. 01-14-2000)
Rank	Must be 21, 22, 23 or NS (Non-service award)  (help text/selection list available)
Annual Salary/Award	Must be positive numeric or 0

Field Sensitive Help:
 
 

Delete Code	(selection list available)
Department Number	Place cursor on department number on any line (use arrow keys) to see the name of that department
Rank	(selection list available)

 
 

The following methods of payments to graduate students continue in effect:

 

1.	Compensation through Payroll Services - An EPA Personnel Action (form PD-7) should be processed for service appointments using standard procedures. Graduate students with a teaching assignment are either paid biweekly (object code 1318) or monthly (object code 1317) The rank code for a Teaching Assistant is 21.  Graduate students with a research assignment are paid either biweekly (object code 1118) or monthly (object code 1117). The rank code for a Research Assistant is 22.  Pre-Doctoral Fellow trainees are paid on the monthly payroll and their rank code is 23.
2.	Payment through Accounts Payable - Fellowship or traineeship payments for non-service awards to graduate students will continue to be paid through Accounts Payable using the Check Request form. The current procedure for use of the Check Request is explained in Procedure 1 of the Accounts Payable section (APY) of the Business Manual. Procedure 1 indicates that fellowship payments must include specific information in section 5 (Explanation of Charges) of the Check Request form. The following information is required in section 5 of the Check Request form.
	Description of payment (e.g. fellowship) Non-service award for degree-seeking candidate and field of study Period of award, first and last months of payment, number of payments desired Student’s permanent address Indication if student is undergraduate or graduate Indication if student is or is not a US citizen (Alien Information Request Form, PR-100, must be attached for non-US citizens)

The expense object code for the payment for students enrolled in the insurance program should be one of the following:
 
 

6511 -	Appropriated Non-Service Scholarships
6512 -	Appropriated Non-Service Fellowships
6522 -	Minority Presence Graduate Grants
6551 -	Teachers Scholarship
6561 -	Minority Medical/Dental Grants
6571 -	Trainee Degree Stipends
6585 -	Incentive Scholarship Native American
6593 -	Other Non-Service Scholarships
6594 -	Other Non-Service Fellowships
6971 -	Science/Engineering Fellowships

        The University is billed on a monthly basis by Hill, Chesson and Associates for the insurance premium costs of the Graduate Student Health Insurance Program. The premium amount of $62.92 per student per month is billed. The bill is paid by the University from a central clearing account, and a journal entry is processed by Accounting Services to distribute the premium expenses among the departments. The same sources of funds that provide financial support to the graduate student must also pay the proportionate cost of the health insurance premiums. A summary of the funding sources used and the premium payment process follows.

 
 

1.	Academic Affairs Budget Code

 
 

a.	Appropriations and General Receipts Supported - Premium expenses are charged to the departmental account, object 1836 when the payment to the graduate student represents a salary and to object 6596 when the payment to the graduate student represents a fellowship. Budget is automatically transferred from central budget code pool to the departmental account to fund expenses.
b.	Receipt-Supported - Premium expenses are charged to the departmental account, object 1836.

2.	Health Affairs Budget Code

 
 

a.	Appropriations and General Receipts Supported - Premium expenses are charged to the departmental account, object 1836. Expense is automatically reimbursed from central budget pool to the departmental account to fund expenses.
b.	Receipt-Supported - Premium expenses are charged to the departmental account, object 1836.

3.

Contracts and Grants, Overhead Receipts, other Institutional Trust Funds and Special Funds - Premium expenses are charged to the contract or grant, institutional trust, or special fund account, object 1836 when the payment to the graduate student represents a salary and to object 6596 when the payment to the graduate student represents a fellowship or traineeship

        Please notify the following individuals regarding your questions or comments. Thank you for your continued efforts regarding the Graduate Student Health Insurance Program.
 
 

Issue	Contact	Phone	Email
Contracts and Grants	Kent Walker	962-1353	kent_walker@unc.edu
Process	Dennis Walden	962-5370	dvwalden@email.unc.edu
Process	Jana Spaugh	962-7793	jspaugh@email.unc.edu
Policy	Kate McGaughey	962-1091	kate_mcgaughey@unc.edu
Student Health Services
On-Line Process (technical)	Jim Bennett	966-5809	jtb@email.ais.unc.edu
On-Line Process (technical)	Gary Wolgast	962-5895	esgdw@email.ais.unc.edu
Hill, Chesson & Associates	Dan Hill,  Skip Woody	967-5900	email@hillchesson.com Skip@hillchesson.com

Please print.

Student Name: ______________________________________ Person ID (PID) Number: __________________

Student Rank: (check one) _____ TA - Teaching Assistant _____ RA - Research Assistant _____ F - Fellow or Trainee

Departments: (list departments in which you are employed or from which you are receiving a fellowship or traineeship award)

Work Hours per Week for 1999-2000: (estimate) _____ Annual Earnings for 1999-2000: (estimate) $___________

Annual Fellowship for 1999-2000: (estimate) $___________

In completing this application for enrollment in the UNC-CH Graduate Student Health Insurance Program, I am assuming full responsibility for verifying that I have reviewed the eligibility requirements below and confirm that I meet all of the requirements necessary for eligibility. Unless I have marked out this sentence, I voluntarily give permission to UNC-CH to release my Social Security Number to the insurance carrier for its use in connection with my participation in its health insurance program.

___________________________________                                                                             _____/_____/_____

Student’s Signature                                                                                                             Date
 
 

1. Eligibility Criteria - For the 1999-2000 plan year, graduate students must meet the following criteria to be eligible for coverage:
 
 

a. The student must be a registered (for a minimum of 3 credit hours) graduate student in good standing at the University.

b. 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.

c. The student must receive compensation for services as a Teaching Assistant or Research Assistant or receive a fellowship or traineeship award for a total of not less than $2,667 during a policy year from an appropriate source of University funds related to their academic appointment(s). Tuition remission, compensation for services as a temporary student employee, or payments received directly from an affiliated foundation or other external entity do not apply to these eligibility criteria.

a. The policy year is August 15 through August 14.

b. The same sources of funds, which provide financial support to the graduate student, must also pay the proportionate cost of the health insurance premiums.

c. The premium cost per student for annual coverage under the program provided through Blue Cross Blue Shield is $832 ($69.33 per month).

d. The program will be managed as a supplemental policy to students currently receiving coverage through Student Health Service.

e. Students must first pay the student health fee at the Cashiers Office in order to be eligible for the additional coverage provided under this policy.

f. 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 is 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 Medical Withdrawal Process.

g. When the spring semester has ended, the eligible student continues to be covered under the Graduate Student Health Insurance Program from the period May 15 through August 14 as long as the student will be enrolled in the upcoming fall semester. The student does not have to attend summer session to be covered.

Download form (word 7.0)