Active matriculating doctoral students at the Graduate Center who are employed as either Graduate Assistants or in one of the eligible Adjunct titles and meet specific income levels in those titles are eligible for health insurance coverage for themselves and their dependents.

To be eligible all three requirements must be met:

• First, the students must be matriculated in a doctoral program at the Graduate Center
• Second, they must be employed in one of the following Professional Staff Congress (PSC) titles: Graduate Assistant A, B, C, or D; Adjunct Instructor; Adjunct Lecturer; Adjunct College Laboratory Technician (CLT); Non-Teaching Adjunct I or II
• Third, they must earn a least $4,122 per year in one of those titles; or must earn at least $2,061 per semester if they are employed for just one semester

The health insurance is made available through the Student Employee Health Plan (SEHP), a component of the New York State Health Insurance Program (NYSHIP). Students wishing to enroll must complete an enrollment form and provide copies of their social security card, birth certificate, or passport and appointment letter. Additional documentation is required for those wishing to enroll dependents. All enrollment documentation must be presented to the GC Student Affairs office for processing. Once enrolled, participants will receive three insurance identifications cards; one for hospital, medical and prescription benefits; one for dental care; and one for vision coverage.

The program provides a medical/hospitalization benefit, pharmacy, laboratory tests, mental health/substance abuse care, dental coverage and vision care. Benefits are administered by a specified insurance provider depending upon the coverage.

• Hospital- Empire BlueCross BlueShield
• Medical/Laboratory- The Empire Plan administered by UnitedHealthcare
• Prescription Drug- Empire Plan Prescription Drug Program administered by Express Scripts/Medco
• Mental Health and Substance Abuse- UnitedHealthcare administered by OptumHealth
• Dental Care- Emblem Health/GHI
• Vision Care- Davis Vision 

To find providers participating in the program go to: The Empire Plan or
NYSHIP.

There is a new combined annual benefit maximum in 2013. The plan has an annual benefit maximum limit of $2,000,000 per calendar year. The amount is for all services combined; including network and non-network, hospital, medical, mental health and substance abuse, and prescription drug. Please refer to the Summary of Benefits for additional information about this and other components of the plan.

Further information about the various benefits, along with the ability to access and download the enrollment form, can be found at the Doctoral Student Employee Health Plan page on the CUNY University Benefits Office website.

Participants pay for the plan by having automatic bi-weekly deductions from their paychecks. For 2013, the bi-weekly premium for individual coverage is $ 10.18 and $ 69.95 for family coverage (which includes spouses, children and domestic partners). The cost for the NYSHIP program is subsidized by the Graduate Center and Chancellery.

Doctoral students appointed at one of CUNY’s community colleges who meet the eligibility criteria and who want NYSHIP coverage must contact the GC Student Affairs office so that they can be switched from city payroll to state payroll. This must be completed before being enrolled for NYSHIP coverage. Their payroll must be transferred each semester while employed at a community college. 

For specific questions about coverage please contact :
NYSHIP at 1-877-769-7447

Additional information is also available by sending an email to healthinsuranceinfo@gc.cuny.edu

Those that do not meet the eligibility criteria for NYSHIP/SEHP coverage, can obtain information on alternative student health insurance from the Student Health Insurance Resource Guide.

You may qualify for Medicaid or other public assistance. Contact Lance Scholar at the Children’s Aid Society for information about public health insurance options, if you qualify, and assistance with applying. Contact him at 212-949-4897 or lanceg@childrensaidsociety.org

A note to students without Health Insurance:
If you are uninsured, you might want to contact Student Affairs at 212-817-7400 or visit them in Room 7301 to learn about some options which may benefit you and your family. It is not advised to be uninsured. If you remain uninsured, however, you should learn which clinics and hospitals are available at a sliding fee or no cost BEFORE you need them/get sick or injured. Please see the Student Health Insurance Resource Guide for help.

Toll-Free Hotline for New York City Resources: Call 3-1-1 or visit nyc.gov

Student Health Insurance Resource Guide, Section D

The deadline to enroll in GHI for Spring 2011 has not been announced. It is usually March 31. Please download and print the enrollment form and return it to GHI. In order for GHI to accept your application, it must be stamped by the Registrar's office confirming your enrollment. Be sure to make a copy for your records before you send it to GHI.

If you are uninsured, you might want to contact Student Affairs to learn about some options which may benefit you and your family. It is not advised to be uninsured. If you remain uninsured, however, you should learn which clinics and hospitals are available at a sliding fee or no cost BEFORE you need them/get sick or injured. Please see the Student Health Insurance Resource Guide for help: Student Health Insurance Resource Guide
or contact Student Affairs