Upon Arrival -- US Citizens Postdocs and visitors

Insurance and Other Benefits

All postdocs and visitors must have medical insurance, but dental coverage is optional. If you already have insurance through your home institute or through your spouse, please bring proof of coverage. You may then waive the right 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, unless there has been a family status change that changes your current coverage. 

Please read the Terms & Conditions of your appointment very carefully as it relates to health insurance.

After you have signed all the required forms, you will then be instructed to review and eventually choose one of Caltech's health plans - see the comparison of medical and dental benefits for California. 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 (all postdocs and visitors are eligible to enroll in Personal Accident Insurance), Dependent and Health Care Spending Accounts, and Tax Deferred Annuities. 

In addition to reading the Benefits information 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 your 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 in 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 and visitors who receive a stipend from a fellowship are paid in the beginning of the month.