Postdoctoral Scholar Benefit Plan Portal
Due to the COVID-19 impact, our staff is working remotely. Response and processing times may be longer than usual. We appreciate your patience and understanding.
Important Dates
Period of Initial Eligibility (PIE):
Newly appointed Postdocs only have 31 days from their appointment start date to enroll for benefits. Failure to enroll on a timely basis will prevent you from receiving benefits for the current plan year.
For all members, Health Net is waiving cost sharing for medically necessary screenings and tests for COVID-19, including associated hospital, emergency department, urgent care and provider visits. They are also waiving cost sharing for telehealth visits until further notice.
If a member develops symptoms of COVID-19, including fever, cough or shortness of breath, and has reason to believe they may have been exposed, they should call their health care provider or local health department before seeking care. Contacting them in advance will help ensure that people can get the care they need without putting others at risk.
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Gallagher Benefit Services is pleased to offer the UC Postdoctoral Scholar Benefit Plan.
- Medical: Health Net HMO or PPO
- Dental: Health Net DHMO or Principal Point of Service
- Vision: Health Net PPO
- Life: The Standard Insurance (Eligible Postdocs will be automatically enrolled)
- AD&D: The Standard Insurance (Eligible Postdocs will be automatically enrolled)
- Short-Term Disability: The Standard Insurance (Eligible Postdocs will be automatically enrolled)
In addition, Eligible Postdocs will have access to the following services:
- Wellness Programs
- The Standard Travel Assist Program
- Child and Home Care Providers
- Mental Health Benefits
Important Information
Eligibility:
As a new postdoc appointed in any of the postdoc title codes of 3252, 3253, 3254, 3255 or 3256, you have 31 days from your date of appointment to enroll yourself and your eligible dependents.
Family member eligibility requirements are the same as the family member eligibility requirements for the University of California Faculty and Staff plans. The major family member eligibility categories are the following:
- Spouse
- Natural or adopted child or children to age 26 for medical plans (unless eligible to continue coverage because of disability). Adult age children are not eligible to enroll if they are eligible for their own employer-sponsored plan.
- Same-sex or Opposite-sex domestic partner, as long as the relationship meets established criteria.
Note: When two family members are employed through the UC, duplicate coverage is not allowed.
Your eligible family members must be enrolled with the same coverage start date as you, which is the date of appointment. However, you may enroll eligible family members at a later time due to a qualifying event as listed in the section below.
Failure to enroll yourself, or enroll your dependents, within this time frame could result in a significant delay in access to coverage, or the inability to enroll yourself and/or your dependents until the next Open Enrollment period.
UC's Definition of a Domestic Partnership
- Each Other's Sole Domestic Partner in a Long-Term, Committed Relationship and Intended to Remain so Indefinitely
- Neither Party Legally Married or a Partner in Another Domestic Relationship
- Not Related to Each Other by Blood
- Both Parties 18 Years Old and Capable of Consenting to the Relationship
- Parties Financially Interdependent
- Parties Share a Common Residence
CURRENTLY ENROLLED, BUT NEED TO MAKE A CHANGE TO YOUR COVERAGE?
If you are currently enrolled, you may be able to enroll a newly eligible family member(s) (and/or change your Medical and Dental plan types) if you experience one of the following qualifying life events:
Qualifying Events
- Marriage
- Domestic partnership
- Family member(s) arrival in the U.S.
- Birth
- Adoption
Information for J-1 and J-2 Visa Holders
All Postdoctoral Scholars in job codes 3252 (Postdoctoral Scholar - employee), 3253 (Postdoctoral Scholar - fellow), and 3254 (Postdoctoral Scholar - direct paid) and their dependents are automatically covered for medical evacuation and repatriation benefits necessary to satisfy the J Visa Program.
