Health Insurance FAQs

Health insurance may seem irrelevant until you need it. The following basic questions and answers will help you consider its benefits.

Q. Why do I need health insurance?
A. Being uninsured puts you at serious personal financial risk. A single accident or illness could cost thousands of dollars. If you were hindered by a major injury or illness, your studies could be interrupted or ended due to overwhelming medical bills. That's why the University requires that every student be insured.

Q. How does Cardinal Care work?
A. Students combine their purchasing power through Cardinal Care so the plan can negotiate better prices with the insurance company, physicians and hospitals. Costs of infrequent (and expensive) hospitalizations are distributed among many healthy students. This allows Cardinal Care to achieve a balance of comprehensive benefits and choice of providers. It also gives you low premiums and co-payments (the amount you pay when you get care).

Q. How can I use Cardinal Care most effectively?
A. To get the most value, minimize out-of-pocket expenses and help keep the premium costs down, strive to do the following:

• Always carry your insurance card with you.
• Use on-campus medical care and counseling whenever possible. Start with Vaden Health Center and CAPS.  When necessary, get a referral to Stanford Medical Center or Menlo Medical Clinic for additional care. Use the Aetna Preferred Provider network for medical care when you're away from campus. Whenever possible, avoid out-of-network hospitals and clinicians.
• For immediate treatment, use Vaden Health Center. See hours.
• Use the Emergency Room for life-threatening conditions or when Vaden Health Center is closed.
• Choose a primary care practitioner (PCP) at Vaden Health Center and rely on him or her for treatment and referrals. A trusted relationship with your clinician results in more individualized care, better advice, fewer tests and greater satisfaction.
• Use the Vaden Health Center Pharmacy or other Aetna network pharmacies. Ask for generic prescriptions whenever possible. Avoid brand name and heavily advertised drugs because you’re paying for the advertising.
• Know your Cardinal Care benefits.

Q. What if my health insurance is through my parents or spouse?
A. Most Vaden Health Center services that require medical appointments are free to all registered students, regardless of their insurance carrier. Always carry your health insurance card and know your basic benefits.

Find out if your plan restricts nonemergency services while you are at school (e.g., specialist consultations, outpatient surgery or physical therapy). If it does, plan accordingly. As an alternative, consider choosing Cardinal Care.

Q. Why doesn't Stanford sponsor dental and vision insurance for students?
A. These services are so frequently used by students that comprehensive coverage costs more than students indicate they can afford. For vision care, Cardinal Care includes one vision exam per year. For dental care, we recommend seeing a discount provider yearly (see the list at Vaden Health Center).

Q. What are my options after graduation?
A. If you enroll in Cardinal Care, you can stay on it until August 31 by paying the premium until then. Contact Student Health Insurance Office at (650) 723-2135 for information. You can call the Alumni Office at (650) 723-2021 for health insurance plans available to recent Stanford graduates.

Please note: Plans accepting individual subscribers often require a medical questionnaire and may choose to exclude you to limit the insurance company risk.