Information about Summer & Year-Round Health Care, GEO History Event
Table of Contents:
Announcements:
Events:
This GEO-L is a guide to navigating health care as a graduate worker! See below for information on summer healthcare coverage, as well as year-round health care information.
Summer Health Care Information
We have summer health care! That being said, there is important information about how to access this benefit. If you had a waiver generating assistantship (TA, GA, RA, PGA) in Spring 2022, then you are eligible for a summer automatic waiver if you register for classes over the summer. This summer automatic waiver includes an 87% waiver of the Health Insurance Fee, which means you would be responsible for paying the remaining 13% ($119) of the fee, and a full waiver of the Health Service Fee, which provides access to the McKinley Health Center and the Counseling Center. Other fees that are waived with the summer automatic waiver are the Service Fee, AFMFA Fee, and Library/Technology Fee. You also get the same type of tuition waiver as what you had in the spring semester. For example, if you had a base rate tuition waiver then would get a base rate tuition waiver for the summer. For more information on the different ways to access health care over the summer please look here. This is also a good resource since this page has an extensive FAQ.
Can I register for 0 credit hours and still be eligible for the summer automatic waiver?
Yes, you can register for 0 credit hours and still have access to the summer automatic waiver. If you are not sure how to do this, ask your advisor or your Director of Graduate Studies (DGS).
Can I register for 0 credit hours and still have access to McKinley?
According to UIUC administration’s website, yes. We know members who have registered for 3 credit hours or less are experiencing issues in getting access to McKinley. Whether you are registered for less than 3 hours (including 0 credit hours), or have a waiver-generating summer appointment, you should be able to access McKinley services. Check your student account to make sure that the health service fee has been assessed and waived from your account. If the fee has not been assessed or you run into issues, you can contact the McKinley business office at (217) 333-2700 to make sure you are covered for their services. We have contacted the University administration about this issue and are currently awaiting a response and resolution.
If I register for 0 credit hours will the FICA tax apply to me?
Yes, but only if you are employed. FICA tax applies if you are employed and register for less than 3 credit hours over the summer.
Besides the 13% not covered by the Health Insurance Fee waiver, are there other fees not covered by the summer automatic waiver?
Unfortunately, the answer is yes. The General Fee ($202), the Transportation Fee ($28), Student Initiated Fee ($19), and the International Students Fee ($35) are not waived by the summer automatic waiver. The UIUC administration will only charge you the Transportation Fee and the Student Initiated Fee if you register for more than 3 credit hours; and if you are an international student, unfortunately you’ll get charged the International Student Fee no matter what level you register at. Check out this link for more information on the fees and the level at which admin charges them.
Based on the contract I get a 25% subsidy towards the cost of one dependent for health insurance. Is that included in the summer automatic waiver?
Unfortunately, the 25% subsidy is not included in the summer automatic waiver. You can purchase coverage for your dependent for Summer 2022 for $902 per person.
I have a waiver generating assistantship (TA, GA, RA, PGA) over the summer. How does summer healthcare work for me?
It works the same as it does during the Spring or Fall semesters. You get 87% of the Health Insurance Fee waived and a full waiver of the Health Service Fee. You also get a 25% subsidy towards the cost of enrolling one dependent.
Information on Graduate Student and Graduate Worker Health Insurance
Graduate students at UIUC pay for two types of healthcare. The Health Service Fee covers the primary medical services at the McKinley Health Center on campus (1109 S. Lincoln Ave, U. www.mckinley.illinois.edu) and supplies funding for the University’s Counseling Center (http://www.counselingcenter.illinois.edu/ ). Graduate students also receive subsidized coverage through United Healthcare for more serious or specialized services that McKinley is unable to cover. If you are a TA/GA, the University will pay 87% per semester of the Student Health Insurance Fee as well as 100% of the Health Service Fee per the GEO contract. Here you can find the Graduate Student Plan Brochure.
You may need to opt in to United Healthcare in order to access your health insurance. If you have not done so already, you can do this by visiting https://si.illinois.edu, clicking on the “Forms” tab, selecting “Enrollment,” selecting the “Opt In” option, and then verifying your information. The enrollment deadline for Summer 2022 is June 24, 2022.
You can also purchase dependent insurance by doing the following:
Opt-in for your own insurance first, using the enrollment portal the Student Insurance Office provides.
Upload your dependent eligibility documents to the portal on the Student Insurance Office website. (The easiest way to find/access these pages is through the FAQ, under the “Adding Dependents” tab https://si.illinois.edu/faqs)
In about four business days, you will receive an email with a link to pay the balance for your dependents' insurance. This has to be paid for with a credit or debit card, or direct bank withdrawal; it cannot be charged to your student account.
Prescription Information
The formulary at McKinley is reasonably good and provides some discounted products, though they now charge a minimum for all prescriptions (some drugs were previously distributed free of charge)—many drugs continue to cost substantially more, especially drugs related to women’s health. In regards to finding the best price for your more expensive prescriptions, there are several resources available we recommend:
OptumRx has a prescription look-up and price compare function available through United Healthcare (requires insurance information, https://www.uhcsr.com/)
GoodRx provides a prescription look-up function along with coupons for various prescriptions (https://www.goodrx.com/)
Dental and Vision Plans
UIUC provides dental insurance through Delta Dental of Illinois for all graduate students. For graduate students with waiver-generating appointments, Delta Dental is available at no additional cost. Per the GEO Contract, the University Administration covers the cost of Dental and Vision insurance for TAs and GAs. To see if your appointment qualifies, check the Graduate College Handbook. For all other graduate students, Delta Dental is available with an annual premium. Graduate students may also enroll dependents for coverage during the predetermined enrollment periods.
Plan information for teaching assistants and fellows can be found in this plan brochure while plan information for graduate students who are not assistants or fellows can be found in this plan brochure. All other Delta Dental information (such as coverage details, participating dentists, and claim forms) can be found at www.deltadentalil.com. If you had an assistantship in the Spring or Fall, you have dental coverage through August 31, 2022 even if you don’t have a summer assistantship or qualify for the summer automatic waiver.
Along with dental insurance, UIUC also provides vision insurance through EyeMed Vision Care for all graduate students. For graduate students with waiver-generating appointments, EyeMed Vision Care is available at no additional cost. To see if your appointment qualifies, check the Graduate College Handbook. For all other graduate students, EyeMed Vision Care is available with an annual premium. Graduate students may also enroll dependents for coverage during the predetermined enrollment periods.
Plan information for teaching assistants and fellows can be found in this plan brochure while plan information for graduate students who are not assistants or fellows can be found in this plan brochure. Local participating providers can be found at http://www.eyemedvisioncare.com. If you had an assistantship in the Spring or Fall, you have vision insurance through August 31, 2022 even if you don’t have a summer assistantship or qualify for the summer automatic waiver.
COVID-19 Vaccine Booster Distribution
Initial COVID-19 vaccines as well as boosters are available through the Champaign-Urbana Public Health District, Carle, Promise Healthcare, and OSF Healthcare. For locations and hours of local places to get vaccinated, see the CUPHD website. For information on making an appointment for a vaccine or booster at a pharmacy, use https://www.vaccinefinder.org/.
Second booster shots are now available for people who are 50 years or older, and for some immunocompromised people. To receive a second booster, you must have had your first Pfizer or Moderna booster at least 4 months ago.
Hospital Financial Assistance Programs
Did you know that you may be eligible for financial assistance for medical care, even if you are insured? If your annual household income is less than or equal to 400% of the federal poverty line, you could be receiving care at a reduced cost. Both Carle Foundation Hospital and OSF (the two main hospitals in Champaign-Urbana) have assistance programs. If you are a household of one, you qualify if you made less than $54,360 last year. If you are a household of two, you qualify if you made less than $73,240 last year. You can get more information and apply at the Carle Financial Assistance and the OSF Financial Assistance site.
Community Resources
Champaign County Health Care Consumers is a local non-profit helping individuals and families access health care. They can help you determine what you are eligible for and walk you through the application process at no charge. To request assistance, contact cchcc@cchcc-il.org or call (217) 352-6533.
They also have compiled resources for local healthcare, including Prescription Assistance, Low Cost Dental Care, Dental Emergencies, and Affordable Mental and Behavioral Health Services. You can find these and more resource guides in English and Spanish at healthcareconsumers.org.
GEO History & 101 Event
The GEO will be hosting a presentation about the history and basics of the GEO, followed by a panel of former members and leaders, on Sunday, June 12, from 12 to 2pm. All members are invited!
Lunch will be provided at this event. If you plan to attend, please fill out this RSVP form.
The event is planned to take place in the GEO office (809 S 5th St Geneva Room, McKinley Foundation) to facilitate collaboration and planning. If you can’t attend in person but would still like to join, reach out to geo@uigeo.org for a Google Meets link.
Bargaining Session #5
Please join us for our next bargaining session on Tuesday, June 14 from 9-11am, let's pack the screen! Your presence there is powerful so please drop by for as long your schedule allows.
[Image description: Blue poster with yellow bullhorn on the top right. Big text in alternating white, white with yellow borders, and yellow says: “FULL CONTRACT BARGAINING SESSION #5 6/14/22." Underneath this says “9:00 AM - 11:00 AM” in yellow. Under this says “On Tuesday, June 14 from 9:00 AM - 11:00 AM, GEO’s Bargaining Team will be negotiating with university administration on topics of access and justice, wages and waivers, and health and safety in our contract.” To the right of this is the GEO logo in a white circle. At the bottom is green text that says “RSVP here: https://tinyurl.com/GEO-BargSess5”]
Join a GEO committee!
We are a member-run union; we depend on the commitment of our members to stay as strong as possible. You can find details about what each committee does and how to contact them on our website. No special knowledge is required. You can also follow the calendar of events on our website for the date and time of upcoming meetings: http://uiucgeo.org/calendar. Meetings are open to membership, and coming to a meeting does not commit you to joining a committee.
https://www.uiucgeo.org/committees-and-working-groups
Upcoming summer schedules:
RA/PGA Working Group (geo@uigeo.org) - Wednesday, June 8 6:30pm-7:30pm. Google Meet https://meet.google.com/zem-kbvx-eqd.
Solidarity Committee (solcomm@uigeo.org) - Email for information about summer schedule. Hybrid. Google Meet https://meet.google.com/cjv-rvbu-aym and GEO Office (809 S 5th St Geneva Room. McKinley).
Bargaining Team (barg@uigeo.org) - Friday, June 3 2:00pm-4:00pm. Contact email for link.
Grievance Committee (grievance@uigeo.org) - Wednesdays 4:30pm-5:30pm. Virtual. Contact email for link.
Stewards’ Council (sc@uigeo.org) - Contact email to get involved this summer.
People First Cancel Debt Committee (officer2@uigeo.org)- Email for information about summer schedule. Hybrid (online via Jitsi) and GEO Office (809 S 5th St Geneva Room. McKinley Foundation).
Coordinating Committee (cc@uigeo.org) - Sunday, June 5 4:00pm-5:30pm. Hybrid: Google Meet and GEO Office. Contact email for more.
Communications Committee (commcomm@uigeo.org) - Email for information about summer schedule. Virtual. Contact email for link.
Disability Caucus (GEOdisabilityUIUC@gmail.com) - Tuesday, June 14 12:00pm-1:00pm. Every other Tuesday, 12-1pm on google meet. https://meet.google.com/xyf-jcft-uid Contact GEOdisabilityUIUC@gmail.com for more information.
In Solidarity,
Graduate Employees’ Organization
809 S. 5th St., Geneva Room
Champaign, IL 61820
Email: geo@uigeo.org