Graduate Assistant Health Insurance Benefit Program

New Mexico State University offers health insurance to all graduate assistants including teaching assistants, research assistants and graduate assistants employed by student services and other support units on campus. The university will cover 70% of the cost of the health insurance plan.  Graduate assistants will cover the remaining 30% through payroll deductions.

The Student Fringe Benefit Rate of 2.9% (effective 07/01/09) will be used to cover the employer share of the Graduate Assistant Health Insurance Benefit Program.  In all future proposals for research and training grants, it is important or faculty and staff to include the additional fringe benefit charge for research assistants in their proposal budgets.  This student fringe benefit rate is negotiated every year with our Federal Cognizant Agency similar to all other fringe benefit rates and is subject to change each new fiscal year.

The insurance company for the Graduate Assistant Health Insurance Benefit Program is UnitedHealthcare.  A summary sheet is attached that outlines the benefit package for students.  For more information, please visit their web site, https://www.uhcsr.com/SelfServiceSupport/Students/CollegeStudents.aspx. Please enter New Mexico State University in the box next to “School/Association Name” and click on the search button. 

UnitedHealthcare also provides health insurance for all NMSU students and their spouses and children.  If graduate assistants want health care insurance for their spouses and children, they can enroll in a separate plan (see the web site above for enrollment information). 

For academic year 2009-2010, the total cost of the health insurance plan for Academic Year coverage (August 16 – August 15) is $796.00. The cost for graduate assistants through payroll deduction is $238.80.  For graduate assistants employed for one semester, the costs are less.  Please note that the student’s 30% shared payment is applied toward the costs of the health insurance plan.  Students are responsible for additional costs including deductibles, co-payments, prescriptions, etc.

Eligibility for the Graduate Assistant Health Insurance Benefit Program includes the following.  Graduate assistants must: 1) work at least 10 hours per week for an academic semester (.25 FTE) in a salary position; 2) be a full-time graduate student enrolled in at least 9 graded credits from NMSU; 3) be in good academic standing, and 4) complete the NMSU Graduate Assistant Health Insurance enrollment form.  Graduate Assistants who enroll in the Graduate Health Insurance for the first time should attend an orientation for explanation of the program benefits. All four criteria must be met to be eligible for health insurance.

For domestic students, enrollment in the health insurance program is voluntary.  We realize that some students have health care insurance through their partner’s or spouse’s health insurance plan.

International graduate assistants are required to have health insurance.  NMSU will cover 70 percent of the health care insurance costs of the program offered through UnitedHealthcare for Graduate Assistants only.  If international graduate assistants select another health insurance, the student will need to cover 100 percent of the costs of the plan.

To enroll in the Graduate Assistant Health Insurance Benefit Program, students must complete an enrollment form.  Enrollment will take place at the beginning of fall and spring semesters. 

Options for enrollment are:

Enrollment Deadlines are:

Once a graduate assistant has enrolled in the Graduate Assistant Health Insurance Benefit Program, the benefits will be cancelled at the end of the period for which the student has enrolled. Otherwise, cancellation of benefits will only be granted if a graduate assistant terminates their graduate assistant position before the end of the semester. Students who choose to enroll for the Academic Year must have a graduate assistant position for the entire academic year. If not, Benefit Services will change the enrollment option to fit the position the graduate assistant was hired into (Fall or Spring only).

All outpatient primary health care services are provided by the NMSU Student Health Center for graduate assistants enrolled in the health insurance plan.  Referrals for specialty care are required and must be approved by staff of the NMSU Student Health Center to receive payment for services by the health insurance provider.   For emergency health care, those covered by UnitedHealthcare should report to Memorial Medical Center or the closest emergency facility.   If students are not in Las Cruces they should contact United HealthCare at 866-664-6678 for instructions regarding medical care.  For more information on the health insurance plan contact the NMSU Student Health Center Insurance Office at 575-646-5706.

Please note that full-time students including graduate assistants that receive care through the NMSU Student Health Center do not have to pay the $50 deductible for the office visit.  The visits are free, paid by the NMSU Health Fee. However, students including graduate assistants will be charged for lab work, medication, testing, and procedures, subject to co-pays by the insurance plan.

Orientation workshops on the new Graduate Assistant Health Insurance Benefit Program will be offered at the beginning of each semester.  The sessions are designed to answer questions about the type of coverage, and outpatient primary health care services of the NMSU Student Health Center, to name a few. The location and dates of the orientation workshops are listed below.  Students, staff and faculty are invited to attend the workshops. 

If you have any questions about enrolling in the Health Care Insurance Benefit Program, please contact the Benefit Services department at 575-646-8000 or e-mail benefits@nmsu.edu. Registration for Graduate Health Insurance orientations can be accessed through http://hr.nmsu.edu/hrs/general-hr-.html.

• Health Insurance Orientation
• On-line Enrollment Form, Graduate Assistant Health Insurance Benefit Program (Available August 11th, 2009)
• Enrollment Form, United Health Care Enrollment Form to add Dependents
• Student Health Center
• Student Injury and Sickness Insurance Plan Brochure

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