Eligibility
This health insurance plan is available to:
- Graduate Assistants--graduate students who have been appointed as research or teaching assistants. A Graduate Assistant may assist in classroom or laboratory instruction, research or other scholarly work. All Graduate Assistants receive a monthly stipend check, a tuition waiver, and have signed a “Terms of Offer Contract” with Penn State University. If you are not sure of your status, please check with your academic department.
- Graduate Fellows--graduate students who have received a fellowship award for which he/she receive a monthly stipend check from Penn State University and whose tuition is waived. If you are not sure of your status, please check with your academic department.
Dependents
As part of your assistantship or fellowship, Penn State provides insurance premium subsidies for the Graduate Assistant and Graduate Fellow medical, dental and vision plans for you and any eligible dependents you want to cover.
For the purposes of insurance coverage, eligible dependents are defined as:
- the spouse/domestic partner of the Named Insured and
- their dependent, unmarried children. Children shall cease to be dependent on the first to
occur of: 1) The end of the month in which they marry; or, 2) The end of the month
in which they attain the age of nineteen (19) years; or (23) years, if a full-time
dependent student at an accredited institution of higher learning.
If you have dependents, you must re-enroll them every Fall semester. It is not automatic. Contact Student Health Insurance at 302 Student Health Center (814.865.7467).
International Student Appointments
If you are an international Graduate Assistant or Graduate Fellow with an F visa or a J visa sponsored by Penn State and your assistantship or fellowship appointment begins in:
- September, see International Graduate Assistants and Graduate Fellows with Appointments Starting September
- January, see International Graduate Assistants and Graduate Fellows with Appointments Starting January
Domestic Student Appointments
If you are a non-international (i.e. a permanent United States resident) Graduate Assistant or Graduate Fellow and your assistantship or fellowship appointment begins in:
- September, see Non-International Graduate Assistants and Graduate Fellows with Appointments Starting September
- January, see Non-international Graduate Assistants and Graduate Fellows with Appointments Starting January
Policy Booklet
The Graduate Assistant and Graduate Fellow Health Insurance Plan booklet is available online in .pdf form for your review.
Premium Subsidies
As a Graduate Assistant or Graduate Fellow, you are eligible to receive subsidies in the amount of 80% of the annual premium cost for the Graduate Assistant and Graduate Fellow Insurance Plans. The university will pay this amount directly to the insurance companies and will deduct your 20% contribution to premium expense from your monthly paycheck.
Your insurance subsidies for your eligible dependents is 70% of the annual premium expense. As with the subsidy for your individual insurances, the university will pay 70% of the premium expense directly to the insurance companies and you will pay your 30% of the premium costs through a payroll deduction. Please refer to the:
- Medical - Monthly Payroll Deductions and Graduate Assistant/Fellow and Dependent Medical Premium Subsidy
- Dental - Monthly Payroll Deductions and Graduate Assistant/Fellow and Dependent Dental Premium Subsidy.
- Vision - Monthly Payroll Deductions and Graduate Assistant/Fellow and Dependent Vision Premium Subsidy.
Dental Insurance
As a Graduate Assistant or Graduate Fellow, you are eligible to receive a subsidy in the amount of 80% of the annual premium cost for the United Concordia Dental Insurance Plan. Your insurance subsidy for your eligible dependents is 70% of the annual premium expense.
- Graduate Assistant/Graduate Fellow Dental Rates and Monthly Payroll Deduction
- Graduate Assistant/Graduate Fellow Dental Insurance Benefit Schedule
- Centre County Dental Providers
- United Concordia Certificate of Coverage
- United Concordia Companies, Inc. Website
Vision Insurance
As a Graduate Assistant or Graduate Fellow, you are eligible to receive a subsidy in the amount of 80% of the annual premium cost for the Highmark Blue Shield (Davis Vision). Your insurance subsidy for your eligible dependents is 70% of the annual premium expense.