- Employee benefits
- Understanding your benefits
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UC benefits guide
UC benefits guide
Our people make UC great, and UC works hard to be a good employer by offering work-life balance, job stability, professional growth, lifelong careers, and mobility among attractive California locations. We also offer a long list of excellent benefits — protecting your health, financial future and more.
To make the most of your valuable UC benefits, review this list of what’s available and how and when to enroll.
Note: When you join UC, you usually have a 31-day period of initial eligibility (known as your PIE) to enroll in health and welfare benefits and 90 days to enroll in primary retirement benefits.
You can enroll in many (but not all) benefits during UC’s fall Open Enrollment, and after certain life events, such as when you welcome a new family member.
Medical
UC offers a choice of medical plans and pays most of the cost of premiums. Your premium costs depend on the plan you choose, your annual salary and who you cover (see below for 2025 costs). Enroll during your PIE or open enrollment.
CORE is a high-deductible PPO plan that offers access to the Anthem Preferred network of providers, which includes UC’s world-class hospitals and physicians, and has coverage for non-network providers. CORE will have a monthly premium in 2025.
Kaiser is an HMO (Health Maintenance Organization) with a closed network of providers.
Monthly premiums for 2025
| Pay Band (full-time salary rate) | Self | Self + Child(ren) | Self + Adult | Family |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $71,000 and under | $39.77 | $71.51 | $120.26 | $149.16 |
| $71,001–$140,000 | $92.31 | $165.97 | $285.74 | $352.33 |
| $140,001–$210,000 | $148.97 | $267.84 | $442.16 | $551.37 |
| $210,001 and above | $205.85 | $370.11 | $598.70 | $750.73 |
UC Blue & Gold is an HMO (Health Maintenance Organization) with a custom network of providers created exclusively for UC. The Blue & Gold network includes all UC medical centers and medical groups, along with coverage in 30 California counties.
Monthly premiums for 2025
| Pay Band (full-time salary rate) | Self | Self + Child(ren) | Self + Adult | Family |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $71,000 and under | $108.66 | $194.38 | $305.90 | $390.91 |
| $71,001–$140,000 | $157.84 | $282.34 | $414.80 | $538.24 |
| $140,001–$210,000 | $212.20 | $379.57 | $522.00 | $687.87 |
| $210,001 and above | $265.43 | $474.80 | $625.01 | $832.44 |
UC Care is a PPO plan created just for UC to ensure the best possible access to world-class UC hospitals and physicians. For convenience and flexibility, you also have access to the Anthem Preferred network of providers and coverage for non-network providers.
Monthly premiums for 2025
| Pay Band (full-time salary rate) | Self | Self + Child(ren) | Self + Adult | Family |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $71,000 and under | $232.12 | $414.73 | $561.18 | $744.42 |
| $71,001–$140,000 | $284.54 | $508.41 | $676.92 | $901.51 |
| $140,001–$210,000 | $344.68 | $615.86 | $795.26 | $1,067.18 |
| $210,001 and above | $401.43 | $717.27 | $904.74 | $1,221.33 |
The UC Health Savings Plan (HSP), a high-deductible PPO paired with a health savings account (HSA), was designed to ensure full access to world-class UC hospitals and physicians. For convenience and flexibility, you also have access to the Anthem Preferred network of providers and coverage for non-network providers.
Monthly premiums for 2025
| Pay Band (full-time salary rate) | Self | Self + Child(ren) | Self + Adult | Family |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $71,000 and under | $86.39 | $141.43 | $197.08 | $248.43 |
| $71,001–$140,000 | $203.54 | $333.11 | $475.58 | $595.82 |
| $140,001–$210,000 | $329.80 | $539.74 | $738.73 | $936.02 |
| $210,001 and above | $456.60 | $747.28 | $1,002.16 | $1,276.89 |
Dental and vision
UC pays 100% of the premium for dental and vision coverage for you and your eligible family members.
Choose between a PPO or HMO dental plan, and UC pays 100% of the premium for you and your eligible family members.
UC pays 100% of the premium for you and your eligible family members, giving you access to savings and personalized vision care from a VSP® network doctor.
Retirement
Enroll in your choice of retirement benefits — a pension or a standalone 401(k)-style account — as soon as possible. After 90 days, you’ll be enrolled permanently in Pension Choice.
Retirement savings programs and educational and counseling resources help you plan for a secure and rewarding retirement.
Pension Choice offers a pension benefit through the UC Retirement Plan, with a supplemental 401(k)-style component for employees who are eligible. Savings Choice offers a stand-alone 401(k)-style account.
Whichever option you choose, you and UC will both contribute a percentage of your salary, and you’ll earn service credit toward UC’s retiree health benefits.
The voluntary UC Retirement Savings Program offers convenient, tax-advantaged options for building your savings.
Other benefits: From A to Z
Accident, critical illness and hospital indemnity plans pay cash benefits directly to you when you or an enrolled dependent experiences a qualifying injury, critical illness, or hospital stay.
UC’s accidental death and dismemberment (AD&D) plan helps protect you and your family from the financial hardship of a serious accident.
UC’s adoption assistance plan provides financial support for adoptive parents by reimbursing you for up to $5,000 of eligible expenses per adoption.
You set aside money for your dependent care flexible spending account (DepCare FSA) from your paycheck before taxes are taken out and use the funds for caregiving expenses for your child (up to age 13) or eligible adult dependent.
UC’s basic employer-paid disability insurance offers a benefit capped at $800 monthly for up to six months. For a modest monthly premium, UC’s Voluntary Disability Insurance replaces 60% of your eligible pay up to $15,000 per month.
UC offers Bright Horizons Enhanced Family Supports — including Sittercity, Years Ahead and Bright Horizons preferred enrollment — to provide information about pre-screened care providers and services so you can choose the solution that’s right for you.
You set aside money for your health flexible spending account (FSA) from your paycheck before taxes are taken out, and use the funds for health care expenses for you and your eligible family members.
UC provides a comprehensive identity protection program through Experian, paid for by UC, for UC employees, retirees and their dependent children up to age 18.
UC’s voluntary legal insurance through ARAG provides access to over 15,000 network attorneys nationwide to assist with legal matters like creating wills, estate planning, marriage, buying a home, and much more.
UC offers a basic level of life insurance at no cost, with the option to purchase additional coverage for yourself and your dependents.
UC offers preferred pricing on pet insurance through Nationwide. Learn more and enroll anytime (not just during Open Enrollment) on the Nationwide website at petinsurance.com/uc.
UC supports employees who want to advance their education and offers tuition and fee discounts to those who are eligible.
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- Beneficios de salud y vivienda para retirados
- Opción de Retiro de la UC (nivel 2016) si no está sujeto a PEPRA
- Plan de Jubilación de la UC, nivel 1976
- Plan de Jubilación de la UC, nivel 2013
- Programa de Ahorros para la Jubilación
- Programa de Opción de Jubilación de la UC (nivel 2016 del UCRP)
- Visión
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- Affordable Care Act
- Behavioral health benefits
- COBRA
- Coverage for COVID-19 tests
- Emergency resources from UC’s benefit plans
- Health coverage outside the U.S.
- Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) Notification for Medical Program Eligibility
- Making changes to your disability, life and AD&D insurance
- Open Enrollment for 2025 benefits: Frequently asked questions
- Premium assistance under Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP)
- Resolving disputes
- Tax savings accounts: Know your options
- Taxes and your benefits
- Telehealth
- Terms and conditions
- Transgender and nonbinary health benefits
- University of California Healthcare Plan Notice of Privacy Practices – Self-Funded Plans
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- A new employee
- Adding a family member to your insurance
- Adopting a child
- Applying for disability
- Being laid off
- Changing jobs within UC
- Changing your address
- Enrolling in Medicare
- Establishing a domestic partnership
- Getting married
- Going on military leave
- Having a baby
- Laid off temporarily
- Leaving UC employment
- Lo despiden
- Lo despiden temporalmente
- Preparing for retirement
- Removing a family member from insurance
- Taking a furlough
- Taking a leave of absence
- Taking a sabbatical
- Taking paid leave
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