President’s Community Message
July 11, 2008
Student Health Insurance

Dear Friends,

I write with an update on our ongoing efforts to secure health insurance for matriculated doctoral students who hold Grad A, B, and C titles or who teach as adjuncts at CUNY colleges. As you know, after a series of frustrating conversations with private providers, we shifted our attention to the New York State Health Insurance Program (NYSHIP) currently available to students at the four SUNY university centers. While the NYSHIP plan may not provide all that one might wish, it is more robust and comprehensive than the other options we’ve examined. It offers a range of services, including hospitalization, medical and surgical benefits, prescription, vision, and some dental coverage at a reasonable price. Further, at the SUNY university centers that premium is subsidized. Last year SUNY students paid only $125 or 10% of the total premium for individual coverage. Family plans were also available for a few hundred dollars more.

During the spring semester we attempted to persuade representatives in the State Senate and Assembly to include Graduate Center students in NYSHIP and to fund the cost of the subsidy. Our argument was predicated on parity: CUNY doctoral students should be offered the same health benefits as their peers at SUNY.  This lobbying effort involved Graduate Center students, faculty members, and administrators, the Chancellery, and the PSC.  Unfortunately, the state’s budget shortfall trumped the best efforts of all concerned. When it became clear that state funding would not be forthcoming in this budget cycle, Chancellor Goldstein agreed that CUNY would self-fund the necessary subsidy.   

That commitment was a major step forward, but it was not in itself determinant. Participation in NYSHIP required an agreement from the state to include Graduate Center students in what heretofore has been a SUNY-only plan. In the last week of June the state agreed, in principle, to honor our request.

Without question, that agreement was a major breakthrough, but we still have work to do with the agencies that oversee employee benefit programs. I’m pleased to say that two major issues are well in hand. The state requires both a resolution by CUNY’s governing body authorizing participation in NYSHIP and a corresponding agreement from the PSC. Although the CUNY Board of Trustees does not meet in the summer, the Chancellor has agreed to bring a resolution to the Executive Committee of the Board.  The PSC leadership has been strongly supportive and has agreed to expedite an appropriate agreement.

While it would be extremely foolish to declare victory before the necessary sign-offs are in place, the most difficult hurdles have been cleared and I am optimistic that the parity we seek is within our grasp. The crucial question, of course, is timing. When might we be able to enroll qualified students in the plan and when might coverage become effective? When I wrote to you in the spring, I said that it would be disingenuous to specify a timeline. That is still true. What I can say with certainty is that The Graduate Center, the Chancellery, and the PSC are deeply committed to a speedy resolution and are working with our partners in Albany to achieve that end.

I am well aware that health coverage is a crucial and time-sensitive issue. I will keep you posted on our progress and share information about a start-date as soon as possible. We are, I believe, very close.

Best wishes,

Bill Kelly