Postdoctoral Scholar Benefit Program Portal
Continuing Coverage When Your Appointment Terminates
ELECTING COBRA AND CONTINUING YOUR MEDICAL, DENTAL AND/OR VISION COVERAGE
The Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1985 (COBRA), offers coverage when you experience a qualifying event, such as termination of employment, and you lose your insurance coverage.
When your postdoc appointment terminates and you leave the university, you may continue your insurance coverage for any of the PSBP medical, dental and/or vision plans in which you and your family members are enrolled by electing COBRA Continuation Coverage.
When you elect COBRA coverage, you will pay for each plan in which you and your family members choose to be enrolled.
Please keep in mind that even if your appointment were to terminate at any time during the month, your PSBP coverage continues until the end of the month and your COBRA elected coverage would begin on the first of the month following your termination.
Electing and Paying for COBRA Continuation Coverage
Once GPA receives a request from USC to terminate your postdoc coverage, GPA will send you a COBRA Election Notice and a packet which displays the plans that are available to you. This notice is sent to your last known address communicated to us by the USC payroll system through the file.
To elect your coverage, you will need to complete the COBRA Election Notice that was included in the packet and send it back to our office within the timeframe noted on the COBRA Election Notice. One we receive the election notice, you will be sent an electronic invoice for payment. Once payment is remitted, your COBRA enrollment will be processed.
To learn how much you will pay per month for any coverage you elect through COBRA, please click below:
COBRA General Notice – Continuation Coverage Rights
The COBRA General Notice - Continuation Coverage Rights contains language that assumes you have already enrolled in the plan, and is included as a section of the enrollment form. Please read the COBRA General Notice of COBRA Continuation Coverage Rights listed below, which provides details concerning continuing your coverage.
If you are not enrolling in any plans in the PSBP (medical, dental or vision), this document does not pertain to you.
General Notice COBRA Continuation Coverage Rights: