Special Scenarios

Cardinal Care Coverage When You Confer Your Degree

Cardinal Care is an annual plan—that is, if you are returning to Stanford in the Autumn Quarter (and do not take steps to opt out of Cardinal Care by the applicable deadline) you’ll have coverage for the entire year and be charged accordingly. Similarly, if you enter Stanford in another quarter (and do not take steps to opt out of Cardinal Care by the applicable deadline) you’ll have coverage for the remainder of the plan year and be charged accordingly.

The one exception to this rule applies to students who graduate at the end of Autumn Quarter or Winter Quarter. Students who plan to end their relationship with the University, through conferral of a terminal degree at the end of Autumn Quarter or Winter Quarter, may request to be taken off the plan at the end of the corresponding Cardinal Care coverage period; December 31 for Autumn Quarter graduates and April 30 for Winter Quarter graduates. To initiate a request, you must complete the Petition for Early Cancellation of Cardinal Care Health Insurance form, found in the back of this brochure or on the Vaden Health Center website at vaden. stanford.edu, and submit it to Vaden Health Center’s Insurance and Referral Office by the applicable deadline; December 15 for Autumn Quarter graduates and April 15 for Winter Quarter graduates.

Students who graduate at the end of Spring Quarter do not have the option to leave the plan early, and coverage remains in effect through August 31.

2023–2024 Cardinal Care Cost and Coverage Options Based on Quarter of Graduation

If You Want Your Coverage to Continue…

Students enrolled in Cardinal Care who confer a degree at the end of Autumn Quarter or Winter Quarter and who wish to continue coverage do not need to take any action to stay in Cardinal Care through the end of the plan year (August 31).