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Department of Chemistry
Chemistry Graduate Student Handbook

Health Insurance

Student Health Insurance

Each year the current annual premium for Graduate Student Health Insurance (GSHI) under the Graduate Student Support Plan is published by The Graduate School.  If you are on an active TA/RA through GSSP you have this premium paid at no cost to you as a benefit of your TA/RA.

Student Blue RA-TA is the plan offered to GSSP students. You may add your spouse and children to the plan at varying rates. Go to the site directly for additional information about your health insurance plan.

NC State also offers a separate Mandatory Insurance for all enrolled students, not to be confused with the RA-TA Insurance Plan. It is for enrolled students who cannot show proof of having any other form of medical insurance. The GSSP Manager will send a list with the names of all students receiving the RA-TA Health Insurance who are currently on GSSP to the Cashiers Office for an automatic waiver of the University’s Mandatory Insurance. That means you do not have to waive yourself out of the University’s Mandatory plan when you receive the email from BCBS asking you to do so, however you may still do so if you desire.

Declining RA-TA Health Insurance Coverage

If you do not want the RA-TA Health Insurance because you already have an insurance plan that you would like to keep, it is very important that you waive out of the NC State RA/TA insurance plan, during the waiver period. This must be comparable coverage from another source (i.e. parent’s or spouse’s policy). Always contact the Chem Grad Office if you have questions.

Affordable Care Act

Beginning January 1, 2015, under the Affordable Care Act (ACA), students will have the option to choose the State Employee Health Insurance Plan over the GSSP plan if they are contracted to work thirty or more hours per week.. However, students should carefully examine the differences in both plans before choosing. The Graduate School has mentioned that the GSSP plan is superior and students will find it offers more economical out-of-pocket expenses than the State Employee Health Insurance Plan does.

NCSU will no longer offer COBRA for students rolling off of GSSP; you will need to use the Affordable Care Act’s Healthcare Exchange to purchase a plan. ACA mandates do not apply to international students, but due to visa regulations international students will still need to be insured. They can, however, utilize the Healthcare Exchange to purchase a plan, if they choose to decline the GSSP coverage.