Insurance and Other Benefits
All postdocs and visitors must have medical insurance.
However, dental coverage is optional. If you already have insurance through your home institute or through your spouse, please bring proof of
insurance coverage. You may then waive the obligation to enroll in Caltech's health coverage. You may not have the opportunity to enroll in such benefits again until Open Enrollment, which occurs every
October (effective the following January 1), unless there has been a family status change.
Please read the Terms & Conditions of your appointment very carefully as it relates to health insurance. If you are a J-1 visa holder, you (and your dependents) will be required to enroll
in Medical Evacuation and Repatriation (MER) insurance. The cost is $5 per person per year.
After you have signed all the required forms, you will then be instructed to read and eventually choose one of Caltech's health plans - see
the
Southern California comparison of medical and dental benefits. If you are eligible, you may also enroll in the other benefits applicable to you such as Basic Life, Dependent Life, Long-Term Disability, Personal Accident Insurance, Dependent and Health Care Spending Accounts, and Tax Deferred Annuities.
In addition to reading the Benefits Handbook and related brochures that will be given to you during the check in, we recommend consulting with your research group and colleagues to get references and information regarding the different health plans. Once you have had an opportunity to review the plans, please make an appointment to finish your check-in. This second appointment with the PDS/VS office will finalize any outstanding paperwork that still needs to be completed such as tax forms and benefits enrollment form. This second appointment should take less than 1/2 an hour. You have 30 days from your effective start date of employment to enroll in whatever benefit plans
for which you are eligible. However, the sooner you complete your check-in and enrollment, the sooner the PDS/VS staff can process your file and expedite your first paycheck. Salaried postdocs and visitors are paid at the end of every month. Postdocs who receive a stipend from a fellowship are paid
at the beginning of the month.
