August 23, 2019
I am reaching out to you as a graduate student who has purchased family health insurance coverage for the past academic year. There have been adjustments in the cost for this insurance because the Pennsylvania Insurance Department has changed the rules for how fully insured student health insurance plans can develop family premiums in 2019. This change requires that the individual premium rate applies to each person on the family plan equally, including the student subscriber, spouse, and dependent children. Prior to this change, the University was able to rate dependent children premiums in a way that was reflective of their total health care costs and, therefore, lower than the subscribers and spouses. In order to keep coverage affordable for families with children in 2019, the University will provide additional subsidies to offset the total cost of the monthly child, children, and family premium for graduate students with an academic appointment. However, despite the University’s subsidies, the cost of these plans will increase.
The Student Health Insurance Summary Guide for Academic Year 2019-2020 includes the premiums, as well as the monthly University subsidies.
I welcome your questions and concerns. Please do not hesitate to contact me.
Nathan
Nathan Urban
Vice Provost of Graduate Studies and Strategic Initiatives