Important Changes to Graduate Student Health Insurance

Dear Graduate Students:

           I hope you have had a wonderful and relaxing summer.  I want to make you aware of important changes to graduate health insurance for those studentson assistantship.  The maximum out of pocket expenditure has been increased from $2500 to $10,000.  In addition, the maximum benefit for dependents has been lowered to $50,000.  You can find these policy changes at:

http://www.hr.uga.edu/benefits/stuins/stuins_man_grad.html

I understand that these policy changes will have significant impacts on graduate students. Last year, 21 students exceeded the $2500 threshold across the University of Georgia System.  I have been in numerous meetings over the last several weeks with both the University Administration and the Human Resources regarding these changes.  There are several things that you should know.

           First, let me say that these changes came from the Board of Regents, not the University of Georgia.  The Regents made these changes in light of the economic malaise.  In order to keep the same level of coverage as last year, premiums would have increased 12 percent.  Currently, graduate students pay $432, of which the university subsidizes 40 percent.  Second, faculty and staff have seen their health care diminish as well.  It is important to keep this policy change in the context of the larger health care milieu.   Please do not take this to mean that the Graduate Student Association has not been vocal about these changes.  Allow me to detail our efforts to influence these policies.

             Robert Shostak, the VP for the Graduate Student Association and I have been studying health care at our peer and aspirational institutions.  We have been putting together the hard numbers to lobby for a competitive health insurance plan for students, including vision, dental and dependent coverage.  In addition, I have proposed a Health care Community Relations Committee, which would be comprised of students and University Administrators.  This committee will increase the transparency and communication regarding these important policy changes.  The committee will solicit student input in order to best balance service provision and costs.  This proposal has been met with support from the Administration and Human Resources.  GSA has also met with Dr. Steve Wrigley, the Director of Government Relations.  We will meet with members of the State Legislature in order to communicate the importance of graduate education to Georgia.  We will also be teaming up with the Graduate Student Associations of other institutions within the University System to meet with the Board of Regents.  Through these efforts, we hope to increase transparency and communication and gain the support of key external stakeholders to improve the quality of health care for graduate students.

               Unfortunately, there are a few additional items that one should keep in mind. University employees will likely face three days of furloughs starting next month.   We do not yet know how this will impact graduate students on assistantship.  GSA will continue to advocate on behalf of all graduate and professional students regarding this change.

               Finally, GSA's new website will be updated with updates regarding these policy changes.    For more information about these and other important changes, please come to the first GSA meeting on August 27 from 7-8 pm in room 150 of the Miller Learning Center.

                Thank you very much for your time. If you have additional questions, please do not hesitate to contact me or the Human Resources Department.  We are both here to help and answer any questions you may have.  Please share this message with your department heads to ensure that graduate students are made aware of these important changes.

Very respectfully,

William Rooks