Health Care: Insurance Programs

• Health Insurance
• Dental Insurance
• Disability Income Insurance
• Liability Coverage

Health Insurance -- GradCare

Effective September 1, 1995, all medical students must have health care insurance coverage. You must enroll in the GradCare health insurance program or have other health insurance coverage comparable to GradCare.  It will be your responsibility to determine if your coverage is comparable to GradCare.  Neither the Medical School nor the University will assume any responsibility for your acts, errors, or omissions in determining comparable health care coverage. 

GradCare is a comprehensive health insurance program that includes coverage for office visits, emergency services, inpatient care, and other medical benefits. Premiums can be included in your Medical School Financial Aid budget through funds from external loan sources by submitting your request to the Financial Aid Office. For your convenience, premium payments will be coordinated by the Student Accounts Office.  If you need further clarification you can visit the Benefits Office website at:

http://www.benefits.umich.edu

To consult with HR/Payroll Service Center staff, call  5-2000 (Ann Arbor campus), 734 615-2000 (local or off-campus), or 866 647-7657 (toll-free for off-campus long-distance calling).

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Dental Insurance

Dental Options 1, 2, or 3
You are newly eligible to enroll in Dental Option 1, 2 or 3. Enrollment is not automatic and there is a monthly cost for this coverage. The monthly premium will be charged to your student account. Plan and cost information can be found at:

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Disability Income Insurance Program

The University of Michigan Medical School enrolls you in a disability plan that will pay you a monthly benefit in the event that you become disabled. The plan also gives you important options when you complete medical school.

You will be considered totally disabled if, as a result of injury or sickness, you are under the regular care of a physician and unable to fulfill the requirements of a full-time student.

You will be considered partially disabled if you are unable to fulfill the requirements of a full-time student, but you are performing at least one of the duties of another occupation on a part-time basis, or you are performing some, but not all, of the duties of another occupation on a full-time basis.

In either case, the disability must start while you are insured, and you must satisfy a waiting period of 180 consecutive days during which you are totally or partially disabled.

If you remain disabled after the waiting period, benefits are payable to age 65 (or the period specified in the policy, if your disability starts on or after age 60).

Monthly Benefit

 First and Second Year Students: $1,000 per month
 Third and Fourth Year Students: $1,500 per month

The monthly payment will be reduced by benefits you receive for the same disability from Social Security, Workers' Compensation or the plans required by law that are intended to replace income, government agencies such as the V.A., or other group disability plans purchased for you by the University.

If you are partially disabled, the monthly payment will be reduced by wages you receive from an employer as well as benefits from any of the plans mentioned above.

In the event of your death while you are receiving disability benefits, your surviving spouse (or dependent children) will receive a lump-sum benefit equal to three times the last monthly benefit paid to you. In calculating this benefit, there would be no reduction for earnings received while partially disabled.

If you are totally or partially disabled due to a mental, nervous or emotional disorder, alcoholism, or drug dependency, but not hospitalized, a maximum of 24 monthly payments will be paid to you while the disability continues. During a period of hospitalization, benefits will be paid as for any other disability.

Disabilities resulting from certain pre-existing conditions will not be covered until you have been actively in school as a student on a full-time basis for five consecutive days while insured.

Benefits will cease at the end of the Maximum Benefit Period, the date your disability ends, the date you die, or the date you fail to give the Insurer proof of your continuing total or partial disability, whichever occurs first.

Benefits will not be paid for a disability due to war (declared or undeclared) or any act of war, intentional self-inflicted injuries, or active participation in a riot.

When you Graduate Your group long term disability insurance is "portable"into residency and practice, and may be continued, as well as increased to a maximum monthly benefit of $2,500, without having to submit evidence of your insurability. To continue your insurance, please contact the Student Affairs Office for information about the premium payment process.

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Liability Coverage for Students Taking Part in Clinical Experiences

The Office of Student Programs (OSP) receives many questions concerning liability coverage for students doing clinical experiences. I have reviewed the wording in our liability policy with Risk Management and suggest the following guidelines for determining if an activity is covered by our policy:

1. If the student is working in a clinical setting for credit toward the M.D. degree, he or she is covered by our liability policy.

2. If the student is working with one of our faculty members (including adjunct faculty)  in an activity which enhances his or her education and that faculty member is supervising that student, he or she is covered by our liability insurance.  (Example:  A clinical student on an Educational Leave of Absence to do research, arranges to work in the clinic with an individual faculty member once a week.)
   
   Students engaging in such activities while on leave of absence status must get approval of the Associate Dean for Student Programs and must register their activity with the Office of Student Programs.  The student is responsible for completing a brief form (available at OSP) and obtaining the supervising faculty member’s signature. Completed forms will be kept on file in the OSP office.

3. If a student is involved in a mentoring or shadowing program (in which he or she spends time in a clinical setting as an observer) to enhance his or her education, outside the University of Michigan Hospital setting, and the program is an approved program through a student organization or clinical department, he or she is covered by our liability insurance.  If the student has arranged to do such an experience independently, he or she must get prior approval from the Associate Dean for Student Programs. The Associate Dean will write a letter to the supervising physician (and copy the student) granting approval in these circumstances.

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