Health

Health coaches walking on campus with Princeton University staff members

Benefits at Princeton

Princeton University provides benefits-eligible employees with a comprehensive, competitive suite of benefits and wellness programs designed to enable our diverse faculty and staff to thrive professionally and personally. Enrollment in most traditional benefits, such as health, retirement, and life insurance, occurs within the first 31 days of employment. Changes to benefit elections are permissible to certain benefits anytime during the year and others annually or within 31 days of a life event. 

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Healthcare Plans

Princeton University provides benefits-eligible employees with comprehensive health insurance plans that offer the flexibility to select coverage that best meets individual's medical needs. There are several plans to choose from for medical, dental, and vision care needs.

The Benefits Comparison Tool provides a side-by-side comparison of the medical and dental plans offered by Princeton University, including premium amounts and covered services. This is only an estimation of benefits; for more details about covered services, refer to the Summary Plan Descriptions.

ALEX Go, an online decision support tool, can help individuals select medical benefits for themselves and their families. After responding to a few key questions, Alex will use the answers to provide a personalized health cost prediction and ranking for each health plan based on the individual’s unique health risks and preferences. Personal information obtained by Alex is anonymous and is not stored or shared.

Benefits Plan Documents & Provider Contacts

The Benefits 2024 booklet provides a brief description of the benefits offered to benefits-eligible faculty and staff. More detailed information is provided in the Summary Plan Descriptions (SPDs) and Summary of Benefits Coverages (SBCs). 

In order to assist employees, HR's informational videos provide a high level overview of healthcare plans and other benefit topics.

Eligibility & Enrollment

Benefits provided by Princeton University are designed to meet the many needs of our diverse population. To take advantage of certain benefits such as medical, dental, and vision, employees must meet enrollment deadlines and, if covering dependents, provide documentation for coverage, as described below.

Benefits Eligibility Tool

The Benefits Eligibility tools provides information about the benefits available to employees based on their classification, duty time, and/or visa status This is only an estimation of benefits eligibility. Contact the Benefits Team for confirmation.

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Benefits Enrollment

Employees must enroll in most traditional benefits, such as health and life insurance, within the first 31 days of employment. Changes to benefit elections are permissible to certain benefits anytime during the year; others may occur annually or within 31 days of a life event.   

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Changing Your Benefits

Each year employees have the opportunity to make changes to their benefits during the Annual Open Enrollment period. Otherwise, employees may change their healthcare and flexible spending accounts only if an employee experiences a Qualifying Life Event.

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Dependents' Eligibility & Verification

Benefits eligible employees can enroll eligible dependents in medical, dental, and vision benefits. Dependent verification documentation is required within 31 days from the effective date of coverage. Unverified dependents may not have coverage.

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Retiree Eligibility & Enrollment

To be eligible for retirement benefits, employees must meet certain conditions based on their most recent date of hire, date of rehire, and/or the date they became newly eligible for benefits.

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Benefits Comparison Tool

The Benefits Comparison Tool provides a side-by-side comparison of the medical and dental plans offered by Princeton University, including premium amounts and covered services. This is only an estimation of benefits; for more details about covered services, refer to the Summary Plan Descriptions.

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Flexible Spending Accounts

Princeton University offers various avenues for faculty and staff to minimize the taxes they pay, including flexible spending accounts to set money aside pretax to pay for healthcare and dependent care related expenses.

Healthcare Flexible Spending Account

The HFSA is a program to set aside money, before taxes, from each paycheck to pay for eligible health-related expenses not covered by insurance.

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Health Savings Account

The HSA is a pretax savings account, administered by Inspira Financial, for healthcare costs incurred now and in the future for most individuals enrolled in the CDHP.

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Dependent Care Flexible Spending Account

The Dependent Care Flexible Spending Account (DFSA) allows faculty and staff to set aside money pretax to pay for childcare expenses for dependent children 12 years and under.

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Pre-Tax Commuter Benefits Program

The Pre-Tax Commuter Benefits Program allows faculty and staff to deduct monthly public transportation commuting expenses pretax from their pay.  

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Disability & Family Leave Benefits

Princeton University provides benefits-eligible employees with very competitive short term and long term disability income replacement programs that allow individuals to focus on their recuperation. Faculty and staff may elect optional additional long-term disability insurance. All eligible employees are covered by our generous Workers’ Compensation Plan. 

Princeton also provides, in addition to the disability benefit, various paid and unpaid time off for the birth or adoption of a dependent child.