Benefits
Benefits vary according to your employment type.
If you have further questions about your status, please contact your department administrator. For further questions, call the Benefits Office Office directly at 617 496 4001.
Eligibility
Harvard benefits-eligible Postdocs and Research Associates include the following appointments, contingent upon working at least 17.5 hours/week or having a a base annual rate of at least $15,000:
- Employee" Internal Postdocs: Funded by a faculty member (Prinicipal Investigator, PI) or a Center and on Harvard payroll (receiving a salary and a W2)
- Stipendee Postdocs, who have been awarded an individual fellowship and receive a stipend (not a salary) through Harvard.
- Research Associates, funded by a PI or on their own grants.
The benefits available to this group are summarized in this Benefits Summary Table.
-------> If you haven't yet signed up for benefits, all your options are explained in videos prepared by the benefits office (under the relevant tabs)
Benefit Options
The Benefits Office in Cambridge will send each newly appointed postdoc information on all the benefit plans, including costs, which are also available in this Brochure (HarvardKey Password protected).
Please note that all benefits-eligible individuals must sign up for benefits within the first thirty (30) days of employment. It is the responsibility of the individual postdoc to ensure that s/he is enrolled in a benefit plan before the 30-day enrollment period ends.
Contact Information
For additional information, please contact the Benefits Office directly:
114 Mt. Auburn Street, 4th floor, Cambridge, MA 02138
Email: benefits@harvard.edu
Phone: 617-496-4001; Fax: 617-496-3000
For Harvard benefits-eligible postdocs, when your medical coverage ends (on the last day of employment), you are eligible for up 18 months of COBRA continuation coverage. A COBRA packet will be mailed to your home by Sentinel Group within one to two weeks of your last day of employment.
If you wish to elect COBRA, you must do so within 60 days of the notification date. If you do not receive your COBRA packet, call Sentinel Group at 1-888-762-6088.
Please note that COBRA is not cheap, so you might want to explore alternatives on the Mass Health connector, seeing as change of employments status is a qualifying event, allowing you to enroll in a new plan.
Non Harvard-benefits-eligible postdocs are external ("Visiting") postdocs, who are primarily paid directly (not through Harvard).
If this is your case, you have 3 options:
Harvard University Health Program for Postdoc Affiliates.
This is basically the health plan available to graduate students. However attractive this option may seem, please do not assume that this plan is cheaper or provides better coverage than the alternative, especially if you have a family.
Mass Health Connector for MA residents
The Connector offers Massachusetts individuals and families a wide range of health insurance options that are available without any pre-existing condition restrictions.
Before you get started, visit the Help Center for helpful information, view frequently asked questions, and find free, in-person help near you. The Help Center will put a person in touch with Enrollment Assisters, such as Navigators and Certified Application Counselors (CACs). These are trained and certified individuals at organizations in a specific geographic area that can help a person apply for coverage and shop for plans.
Additional information on these Health Insurance plans is also available on the Harvard International Office website. Help for navigating the Mass Health Connector can also be found at the Cambridge Economic Opportunity Committee (In particular, Tina Alu, Associate Director).
Compass Student Health Insurance
Compass provides F-1, M-1, J and OPT Insurance Plan Options for International Students & Scholars. If you have any questions, you can contact Katy Krause directly at 781 519 4424 or 781 356 1999