Insurance Information for SLAC Users
Released: 11/3/98
The purpose of this memo is to describe several different types of
insurance which may affect work at SLAC by a non-SLAC employee. These
include (but are not limited to) medical insurance (for yourself
and/or your family), personal liability insurance and car insurance
(for rental cars.) In the following sections, SLAC policies regarding
these types of insurance are explained, and options are presented for
acquiring insurance, when necessary. This is not meant to be an
exhaustive study of all possible insurance needs of (both US and
non-US) SLAC users. For additional information, please see Robyn Mosset in the SLAC Scientific Personnel Services office. (This may be
especially helpful for non-US users, as visa requirements for medical
coverage are subject to frequent change.)
Medical Insurance
SLAC users are entitled to visit the SLAC Medical Department, for
medical problems that result from their work at the laboratory.
However, in the case of serious illness or injury, you must have your
own medical insurance coverage. Although some US users have health
plans which provide medical coverage when outside of the user's home
area, others (especially graduate students who are usually insured
through a campus health plan) may not. Non-US users with certain visa
types are required to have health insurance coverage in the US as part
of their entry. In some cases, this is provided through your country's
health plan or by a special arrangement in place for your
country. However, non-US users who only plan a short visit and who do
not have the visa requirement, may not have any medical insurance
which is useable in the Stanford area.
Suitable health plans are offered through national companies. For
example, the NAFSA Medical Insurance plan for International Students
and Scholars, and ISIP, the International Student Insurance Plan.
SLAC visitors should contact Linda Moran, 650-723-2135,
linda.moran@forsythe.stanford.edu for information about appropriate
medical insurance available through local companies.
Liability Insurance
Limited liability insurance may be needed by yourself or others in
order to settle claims that result from an accident on the job. There
is another type of liability applying to a claim based on sexual
harassment or discrimination in the workplace. Stanford has policies
regarding these latter two issues, which have been distributed to all
SLAC users. If you are sued for sexual harassment or discrimination as
a result of activity at SLAC, it may be your own financial
responsibility. Personal (e.g., self-employed or contractor's)
liability policies are available through insurance agencies that can
protect you against this type of financial risk. These types of
policies are also needed by self-employed users to protect against
personal liability risk resulting from an accident in the workplace.
US users are typically covered by the Workmen's compensation laws from
either the state of California, or the state in which they are
employed (for accidents to yourself), and perhaps, by self-insurance
from your institution (for accidents that you cause which result in
injury or damage to another.) This coverage is effective at SLAC, but
is not in effect during your commute to/from SLAC, unless you have
driven to SLAC directly from your place of employment. Non-US users
may not have similar coverage, and should ask their home institutions
for a statement of policy regarding these types of risks.
SLAC is in the process of implementing a "Use Agreement". This
agreement, which will be signed by an authorized representative from
each user institution, and which will therefore pertain to all users
from that institution, contains language indicating that Stanford
University will be held harmless in the case of accidents involving
users, and that the users will indemnify and waive claims against
Stanford University for personal injury, property damage or loss, etc.
A copy of the latest Use Agreement is attached to this memo.
Rental Car Policies
Only members of official SLAC committees (EPAC, SLUO Executive
Committee, SPC, etc.) who are involved in official Stanford University
business are covered by Stanford's insurance for rental car use. If
this applies to you, there is no need to obtain extra insurance from
the car rental agency (such as extra collision insurance), and such
expenses will not be reimbursed. Coverage by Stanford only pertains to
areas within a 50 mile radius of SLAC (and generally includes Santa
Cruz, Berkeley and San Francisco, but not the wine country.)
Accidents should be reported to the SLAC Travel Office, and the names
of all drivers must be on the rental agreement.
Note that Stanford's insurance coverage does not extend to
experimenters who are using rental cars to drive to SLAC to do
research. These users should check with their home institutions to
determine if additional rental car insurance is needed, or is provided
by their university. Additional insurance can be purchased for
approximately $9 per day from AVCAR, for experimenters with SLAC
accounts. This insurance will cover use of the vehicle for purposes
other than official Stanford University business.
Attachment: SLAC Use Agreement [please contact SLUO office for this]