Medical Plan Information for Postdocs and Fellows Who Are U.S. Citizens
Employees with an appointment of at least 50% time or more for five months or more are eligible for coverage under a University medical plan. You will have 30 days from your appointment start date to elect coverage for yourself and/or your eligible dependents. If you already have health insurance, you MUST waive Princeton’s plan. If you do not select a plan or waive coverage, you will default into the High Deductible Plan with employee-only coverage (no prescription plan and a $5,000 deductible).
Upon your arrival, Princeton’s Office of Human Resources will email you detailed information on benefits. Please review this information carefully. If you have any questions, you may contact the Benefits Team within the Office of Human Resources at 609-258-3302 or via email at [email protected]. You may also view their website for additional information.
Medical Plan Information for J-1 Visa holders
Federal regulations require J-1 holders to have a minimum level of health insurance coverage. More information on that requirement is published by the Davis International Center here. Princeton University offers two health plans that meet the minimum requirements: the J-1 Visa Health Insurance Plan and the AETNA HMO Health Insurance Plan. The J1 Visa plan is at no cost to employees enrolled in the plan for “Employee Only” coverage. Premiums are applicable when electing coverage for spouse and children.
Please do not miss the 30-day enrollment period, which begins on your start date. You cannot sign up for healthcare plans before your start date. The cost of health insurance will be automatically deducted from your salary.
Once your enrollment is complete, insurance cards are typically generated and mailed from the insurance company in a few weeks, but they should also be available online.
Please familiarize yourself with the health benefits information on the Office of Human Resources website. When prompted for your title at Princeton, please use “Postdoctoral Research Associate.” You may contact the Benefits Team by phone at: (609) 258-3302 or email at [email protected].
In addition to health insurance, the University offers a wide variety of benefits such as Doctors in Your Office, My Health Advocate, My Health Coach, Teladoc, etc.
Rates
Please review the published summary plan descriptions for an overview of available plans and the current year’s rates.
Retirement Plans
The Princeton University Retirement Savings Plan 403(b) is for all benefit-eligible employees (whether you are a U.S. resident or not).
Employees are auto-enrolled at a 5% pre-tax contribution. Employees are always 100% vested with any contributions they make, no matter the time the person has been at Princeton. All employees do have the option to waive the auto-enrollment which you can do in HR self-service. For more information on the retirement plan and instructions on how to waive the 5% contribution, please go to: https://hr.princeton.edu/thrive/retirement-financial#retirement.
Employees who are here for 30 months or longer, will be eligible for the 401(a) Princeton University Retirement Plan.