What is a "Postdoctoral (Postdoc) Fellow"?
Postdoc Fellows are individuals holding doctoral degrees who are affiliated with Rutgers University to continue their education.
Postdoc Fellows receive funding from individual or institutional awards and are appointed for one, two or three year periods.
Postdoc Fellows have no employee/employer relationship with Rutgers University.
What health insurance coverage is available for post-doc fellows?
Postdoc Fellows may enroll in the UMDNJ-Rutgers Postdoc Student Health Insurance Plan for the duration of their Postdoc Fellow
appointment. The Plan, underwritten by Aetna Life Insurance Company and administered by Chickering Claims Administrators, Inc.,
is a PPO plan (Preferred Provider Organization) which offers both "in-network" and "out-of-network" benefits nationwide.
Participants are not required to select a primary care physician or receive referrals prior to visiting specialists. Participants
who use Preferred Providers pay copayments ($10 office visit, $50 emergency room visit). Non-Preferred Providers require members
to pay deductibles and coinsurance. Detailed insurance plan information is available at:
http://www.universityhealthplans.com/brochures_pdf/UMDNJRUT06.pdf
Is prescription drug coverage or dental included?
Prescription drug coverage is included. Members who obtain a prescription from a Preferred Pharmacy pay a $10 copyment for each
one month supply of medication (generic or brand name). Members who utilize Non-Preferred Pharmacies are subject to deductibles
and coinsurance. Members are required to pay in full at the time of service for all prescriptions dispensed at a Non-Participating
Pharmacy. The UMDNJ-Rutgers Postdoc Student Health Insurance Plan does not provide dental insurance coverage.
Where can I find a list of participating providers and pharmacies?
For a listing of participating Aetna providers and pharmacies, go to: www.aetna.com/docfind/custom/chickering.
or
Go to www.chickering.com, click on "Find Your School" and enter 812813
as your policy number, then click on DocFind and follow prompts.
When the list of providers appears, you can click on "provider detail" to get physician background information. Enrolled members
can also access "Aetna Navigator", a secure member website, to obtain personalized benefits information, or link to DocFind.
Who pays for Postdoc Fellow health insurance coverage?
Funds are taken from the Postdoc’s individual award or institutional award to pay for coverage. Rates are available at:
http://www.universityhealthplans.com/letters/letter.cgi?school_id=70
Can Postdoc Fellows enroll dependents in health insurance?
Yes, eligible dependents include Postdoc’s spouse or same sex domestic partner and unmarried children under 19 if not attending
school; or through 23 if full-time undergraduate; or though 25 if full-time graduate student. To enroll eligible dependents
contact University Health Plans at 1-800-437-6448.
When a Postdoc Fellow’s appointment ends, can health insurance be continued through COBRA?
No, COBRA provisions do not apply since Postdoc Fellows are not employees of Rutgers University. When coverage ends, Postdoc
Fellows can contact Aetna directly at 1-800-435-8742 to request information on obtaining an individual policy (Aetna Individual
Advantage Plan).
If a Postdoc Fellow accepts a full-time position at Rutgers is there a waiting period for State Health Benefits to become effective?
Yes, the Postdoc Fellow would be considered a new employee subject to a 60 day benefits waiting period from the date of hire.
There is an exception for ten-month academic year employees appointed from September 1 to June 30. Their coverage becomes
effective September 1.
