Resources

Eligibility

You are eligible for employee benefits if you are a:

• Staff member regularly scheduled to work 20 or more hours per week.
• Faculty member.
• Postdoctoral scholar.

Dependent Information
If you enroll in Caltech benefits, you may also enroll your eligible dependents:

• Your spouse.
• Your Registered Domestic Partner (RDP). An RDP is:
  • An opposite-sex domestic partner – registration with the California Secretary of State is required (unless enrolled prior to January 1, 2011).
  • A same-sex domestic partner – registration with the California Secretary of State is required (unless enrolled prior to January 1, 2011).
• Your children up to age 26 (coverage ends on the last day of the month in which children reach their 26^th birthday).*
• Your children age 26 and over who are incapable of employment because of a physical or mental disability. (Eligibility is subject to review and approval by the insurance carrier.)*

*This includes natural children, stepchildren, adopted children, children of a RDP, and children who you’re a court-appointed guardian.

What to Know

• Documentation is required to confirm your dependent’s relationship to you. See chart below for additional details.
• You must submit dependent documentation within 31 days of adding your dependent in the MyBenefits enrollment system.
• If you don’t submit the required documents, your dependent will not be eligible for coverage.
• You only need to submit documentation when adding a dependent. However, you will need to certify your dependents are still eligible for coverage during Annual Open Enrollment each year.

2026 Benefits at a Glance
2026 Benefits Guide (English)
2026 Benefits Guide (Spanish)

Summary Plan Description

Base Retirement Plan Summary of Material Modifications

(for those hired on or after January 1, 2022)

2026 Health and Welfare Required Legal Notices
2025 Base Retirement Plan Fee Disclosure
2025 Voluntary Retirement Plan Fee Disclosure
2025 Qualified Default Investment Alternative (QDIA) Notice with Factsheets
HIPAA Privacy Notice and Other Important Rules
Employee Data Breach FAQ and Resources

What to Know

• COBRA is available for medical, dental, vision, and the healthcare spending account.
• Your cost for COBRA coverage is 100% of the full group rate plus an additional 2% administrative fee.
• If you notify us of a qualifying COBRA life event, a COBRA enrollment packet will be mailed to you and your covered dependent from WageWorks, Caltech’s COBRA administrator.
• To elect COBRA, complete the COBRA enrollment forms and return them to WageWorks by the due date listed on the form.
• You (and your covered dependents) are eligible for up to 18 months of COBRA coverage after one of the following life events:
  • You voluntarily leave or retire from Caltech.
  • You are no longer eligible for Caltech benefits.
  • Caltech ends your employment for any reason, unless you were terminated because of gross misconduct.
• Your covered dependents are eligible for up to 36 months of COBRA coverage after one of the following life events:
  • You are divorced or legally separated.
  • You die.
  • Your dependent no longer qualifies as a covered dependent (for example, when your dependent child reaches age 26).
• If you have questions about COBRA, please call WageWorks at (888) 678-4881. To learn more, review the COBRA General Notice.

What to Know

• The documentation could be in a 1095-B form issued by the insurance carrier or a 1095-C form issued by Caltech.
• The IRS deadline for Caltech furnishing 1095-C forms is March 2 (March 3 in a leap year) or the next business day if the due date falls on a weekend or holiday.
• While neither 1095 form is required to file your tax return, it is important to keep the form for your records.
• For more information about the ACA and the tax form, please refer to the following documents:
  • ACA Tax Form FAQ
  • Sample Form 1095-C
  • Interactive Form 1095-C Decoder
  • Sample 1095-B Form (only for Kaiser enrollees)