Health Insurance:

Coverage and Enrollment.

Coverage Options & Cost

Temple publishes our plan options and plan rates on their Human Resources website. Both citizens and international students are currently offered three plan options to choose from. Each plan has pros and cons: some offer coverage limited to the greater Philadelphia area, some have higher premiums and lower copays, and others offer coverage over a larger geographic area.

Through our shared work, your colleagues in TUGSA have been able to secure full coverage for all full-time graduate workers (those contracted to work for 20 hours per week). This means that your monthly premium is $0! Disappointingly, the University does not cover dependent healthcare costs, but we are currently fighting to change that at negotiations! 

If you have questions about healthcare plans, your appointment letter has yet to be processed, or you are facing exorbitant healthcare costs and unsure what to do, talk with a TUGSA representative by emailing union@tugsa.org.

 

Happy, healthy, TUGSA folks tabling at the beginning of the semester to tell people about the enrollment timelines.

Important Dates and Procedures

The health insurance open enrollment period lasts from August 1 to September 30 in the Fall, and January 2 to February 15 in the Spring. Although you may only be working as a TA/RA for the Fall and Spring semesters, your coverage should be in effect for a full twelve months (through August 31).

If you miss the enrollment period, you are still entitled to the coverage stipulated in your contract. Be sure to contact a TUGSA representative if you need to enroll in an insurance plan late for help!

You must re-enroll in an insurance plan every year! Even if you know you’ll have funding next year, and even if you’ve already signed and returned your appointment letter, re-enrollment is always required! If you have a nine-month or twelve-month appointment and you enroll in the Fall, you do not need to re-enroll in the Spring, but you will need to do so the following Fall.

 How to Enroll in Health Insurance Coverage

The system designed by Human Resources can often be frustrating for many of us, as it requires that your appointment letter be completely processed by your college and the Graduate School before you can enroll in a healthcare plan. If you attempt to enroll before this process is complete, you may have difficulty accessing the form itself, or, if you are able to enroll, you may be sent errant and confusing bills from the health insurance provider for the next few months. First you’ll want to make sure your appointment letter has been processed by the University. Checking is easy – see step 5 below.

  1. Log into TUPortal

  2. Click on the “Student Tools” tab

  3. Scroll down to the middle panel titled “Resources” and click on “Student Health Insurance” to be taken to the “Student Health Insurance Enrollment Application” form.

  4. Enter your address and then select a health plan option and a coverage type. Remember, if you have a full time appointment (20 hours per week), you are eligible for full individual coverage (the “Student” coverage type). 

  5. An estimated monthly cost will appear. If you see “SUBSIDY APPLIED” next to this dollar amount that means your appointment letter has been processed and is in the University’s system. For example, if you have a 20 hour/week appointment and you selected the “Student” coverage type, it should say “$0 SUBSIDY APPLIED”. If you have a fractional appointment, or if you have selected a coverage type that includes dependents, you will see a dollar amount indicating your monthly out-of-pocket costs. 

    1. If the estimated monthly cost listed does not match up with your work assignment or appointment letter, email us immediately at union@tugsa.org with “Healthcare enrollment issue” in the subject line.

  6. Review and submit the form before the close of the enrollment period. Your coverage will begin on September 1 (for Fall) or January 1 (Spring). Even if you enroll after this date, your coverage will be applied retroactively.

Received a bill when you should be covered?

If you receive a bill (or bills) from the insurance company even though you’ve enrolled in a health insurance coverage and are supposed to be covered, you should do three things:

  1. Don’t panic! - Unfortunately this happens more often than it should, but don’t worry! We can help you fix the problem quickly and easily.

  2. Contact us right away! - Email union@tugsa.org with your name, TUID, and a description of the issue. If possible, you should also include an attached copy of your appointment letter. 

  3. Whatever you do, DO NOT PAY THE BILL! - If you receive a bill when you shouldn’t have, do not pay it! Your insurance will still be active even if this takes a bit of time to resolve. Even though this can be frustrating, it is much, much easier to have Human Resources fix their mistake than it is to get your money back from the insurance company.

When we won health insurance back in 2002!

Did you know?

Prior to TUGSA, graduate employees at Temple did not receive healthcare coverage at all. When our union was formed and finally signed its first collective bargaining agreement with the University, Temple administration tried to cover TA/RAs for only nine months of the year. TUGSA members continued to work together on this issue, eventually winning a crucial arbitration case that ensured graduate employees would receive a full year of health insurance coverage for each nine-month appointment. 

Administration judges our power based almost entirely on one measurement: the number of grads who have signed up to become TUGSA members. Without enough of us joining together to show that we’re committed to protecting and expanding our healthcare, our coverage could be cut at the ongoing negotiations, and our colleagues with dependent family members could continue to struggle with unaffordable costs. The best way to ensure a healthy time at Temple is to join TUGSA and support our collective efforts to protect our access to healthcare!