Doctor's hand filling life insurance form on clipboard, stethoscope and laptop nearby

Health Insurance for Postdoctoral Scholars

UC Postdoc Scholar Benefit Program 

All postdoctoral scholars with appointments of 100% for three to 12 months at UC Davis will be eligible to enroll in University-sponsored, low-cost health insurance through the University of California. The UC Postdoc Scholar Benefit Program (PSBP) includes medical, dental, and vision insurance for the Postdoc Scholar and eligible dependents – spouse and/or children.

Please Note:

  • The PSBP medical plans (HMO & PPO) satisfy the health insurance requirements of the J1 Visa program; and,
  • The PSBP provides the required Repatriation & Medical Evacuation coverage for the J1 Postdoc Scholar as well as J2 dependents at no cost to the Postdoc.

Enrolling

If scholars elect to enroll in the UC Davis PSBP plan, they can do so through the UC Davis Benefits office upon arrival in Davis, CA.  Scholars are also eligible to enroll eligible family members (spouse and children) at the time of their arrival. 

Cost

Scholars who choose to enroll in the PSBP will be personally responsible to pay the Postdoc Scholar contribution towards the monthly medical premium.  In general, this is a low payment compared to most other plans. There is no financial contribution towards the dental or vision plans, which is a great benefit to postdoctoral scholars. Enrollment and premium payment information will be provided to the Postdoc Scholar at the time of appointment at UC Davis.

Monthly payments vary depending on the medical plan choice and the number of dependents enrolled.  The Postdoc Scholar’s contribution will automatically be deducted from monthly earnings by the Payroll system. In cases where the Postdoc is not paid by the University, the Postdoc will make monthly contributions directly to the PSBP plan broker’s office.

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