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Health Care

Brief History of Health Care Advocacy

As early as 1996, a merger between the hospitals and clinics of UCSF and Stanford resulted in massive deficits. The dissolution of the failed merger left Stanford Hospital and Clinics financially unsound, with deficits in the ten of millions. As part of their efforts to restore stability, Stanford Hospitals & Clinic phased out providing services as part of HMO contracts.

In the Spring of 2001, a memo was issued to graduate students from Cowell Student Health Service discussing the ramifications of SHC no longer providing HMO services for student dependents. The memo was thought to portend imminent and catastrophic cutbacks, particularly for student dependent health care services, and precipitated a crisis for the newly seated GSC of 2001.

As the crisis was resolved during the Summer of 2001, the University administration provided a one-time subsidy to graduate dependents to help defray the drastically increased premiums of non-HMO health coverage. The Graduate Health Care Task Force emerged from the advocacy efforts of the GSC and other individuals. The Task Force was founded initially by GSC members Ray Rivera and Lisa Wong, who had also been appointed to the Cowell Insurance Advisory Committee earlier in the Spring.

Over the next two quarters, with the assistance of law students Gladys Limon and Michael Shapiro, Ray and Lisa established a partnership with Congresswoman Anna Eshoo's office. Ray and Lisa also authored the health care chapter of the comprehensive Graduate Life Survey. With momentum for health care advocacy increasing, the Graduate Health Care Task Force became fully formed with the addition of Mark Smith and future GSC Chair Grace Chang. The foursome affirmed a mission of non-confrontation, mutual respect, and partnership relationships with the University, and began a series of meetings with VPSA Gene Awakuni, Congresswoman Eshoo's office, and the Cowell/Vaden administration, advocating feasible and sustainable health care solutions. In Spring 2002, with Chang assuming the office of GSC Chair, the University announced an unprecedented subsidy plan. Under the plan, all graduate students receiving income for work as a teaching assistant/research assistant/community associate as well as all student dependents would receive a subsidy to help meet the severely increasing costs of health care coverage.

Amid a culture of collaboration, Ray and Lisa were reappointed to the Vaden Insurance Advisory Committee. During the Summer of 2002, Rivera and Chang assisted the University in developing a system to implement the subsidies, which was executed that Fall with virtually no faults.

During the academic year of 2002-2003, the Task Force developed and administered a campus-wide dental care survey to assess student interest, economic preferences, previous experiences and willingness to pay for dental care; 1167 graduate students responded. As a result of the survey, the University has aggressively sought vendors for dental care and, with the consultation of the Task Force, is working to develop a comprehensive health care package that includes dental coverage. In the Spring of 2003, the Task Force successfully negotiated a continuation of the subsidy program, proportional increases in subsidy amounts, and an optional dental plan. Amid these successes, Rivera and Wong were reappointed for a third term serving on the Vaden Insurance Advisory Committee. After a year of negotiations, Chang and Rivera won an additional seat for student representation on the Vaden Insurance Advisory Committee. In April, the efforts of each of the Task Force members were recognized, with Chang, Smith, and Wong each winning a James W. Lyons Award for Service, and Rivera winning a GSPB Graduate Service Recognition Award.

In the Spring of 2003 Maria Elena Gonzales was appointed to the Vaden Insurance Advisory Committee, assuming the newly established additional seat on the Committee. Gonzales' extensive experience in health insurance underwriting immediately attracted the attention of Task Force members, and subsequently Gonzales joined the Task Force.

In the Summer of 2003, the Graduate Health Care Task Force and the Vaden Insurance Advisory Committee met with representatives of Towers-Perrin, the firm consulting to and representing the University in health care contract negotiations. In this unprecedented event, the Task Force had realized one of its goals of becoming a strategic partner with the University in directing health care policy for graduate students and their families.

Recent Advocacy Efforts

Recent advocacy efforts have been very promising In June 2004, the Graduate Health Care Task Force released a report describing graduate student and student dependent experiences, perceptions, and preferences concerning Cardinal Care, the Stanford Student Dependent Insurance Plan, and proposed dental and vision coverage.

GSC Members Who Worked on This Issue in 2003-2004

Grace Chang (gracec)
Maria Elena Gonzalez (mariaelena.gonzalez)
Ray Rivera (rjrivera)
Mark Smith
Lisa Wong

Key Issues the GSC Plans to Address in 2004-2005

The GSC is engaged in ongoing negotiations for long-term subsidies and expansion of the subsidy program to students not typically recipient to TA/RA/CA income, such as medical, law, and masters students. In addition, the GSC hopes to negotiate for more comprehensive health care packages (medical, dental, vision) and more sustainable solutions for dependent care.

Key Stanford Administrators on This Issue

Provost: John Etchemendy, etch@csli.stanford.edu
Vice Provost for Student Affairs: Gene Awakuni, gawakuni@stanford.edu
Vaden Student Health Services Director: Ira Friedman, ira.friedman@stanford.edu
Vaden Student Health Services Assistant Director: Amy Baldwin, abaldwin@stanford.edu

Key Committees Related to This Issue

Graduate Health Care Task Force
Vaden Insurance Advisory Committee

Additional Information

The GSC is a member of the National Association of Graduate-Professional Students.
As a Stanford graduate or professional student, you have access to their job bank and other member services.