Adjunct Faculty Healthcare Benefits

Kaiser Permanente HMO Plan Information

Adjunct faculty are eligible to enroll in the university’s Kaiser medical plan (spring and fall semesters only) contingent upon meeting the below requirements. 

• Must have completed one year of employment at USF and have taught twelve (12) units.
• Must teach during the semester in which they are requesting healthcare coverage for fall and/or spring semesters.
• Fall coverage: effective September 1 through February 28 (continuing enrollees).  
• For new fall enrollees, coverage begins on October 1 through February 28.
• Spring coverage: effective March 1 through August 31.
• Must earn a monthly salary that is sufficient to cover the employee portion of the benefit deduction.
• Must have paychecks paid in the months of October, November, and December for the fall semester and March, April, and May for the spring semester.
• Payroll deductions will be taken out of six paychecks each semester to cover employee contributions for six months of coverage (Sept-Feb for the fall semester and March-August for the spring semester).
• Kaiser eligibility evaluations require post-census date information; therefore, the entire process is based on the census date for that semester.

• If interested in signing up for health insurance coverage, please send an email to the part-time faculty union representative and include Jenny Vuong (jvuong2@usfca.edu). NOTE: For the fall semester, send your request by Sept. 1. For the spring semester, send your request by Feb. 1.
• Once eligibility is established, enrollment instructions are sent to the eligible adjunct faculty member during the two-week enrollment period prior to the start of coverage.
• Kaiser enrollment is completed twice a year, once in the fall and once in the spring.

2024 and 2025 monthly contribution rates are as follows:

IMPORTANT: Only adjunct faculty who are already enrolled in the Kaiser plan can make changes if they experience a qualifying event. Enrollment in the Kaiser plan occurs twice a year, once in the fall and once in the spring. If you lose your health insurance coverage elsewhere, you will not be able to enroll until the next enrollment period.

Current IRS regulations require that your benefits choices remain in effect during the calendar year unless you experience a qualified change in status, also known as a qualifying event. Your qualifying event change to your benefits must be consistent with the event (e.g. if you give birth to or adopt a child, you can add your child to your medical coverage plan). You must submit your qualifying status change online and provide the benefits team with supporting documentation within 30 days of the qualifying event (see table below for required supporting documents). Qualifying events include, but are not limited to:

• Marriage, divorce, legal separation, or entry into a Registered Domestic Partnership (RDP)
• Death of a spouse/RDP or other dependents
• Dependent's eligibility status changes
• Birth or adoption of a child
• You or your spouse/RDP experience a change in work hours that affects benefit eligibility

• You must teach in the semester you are receiving health insurance coverage.
• If you are not teaching a semester you will lose your health insurance coverage and be offered COBRA.
• If you are not teaching in the fall semester your health insurance coverage ends on August 31 and COBRA will be offered on September 1.
• If you are not teaching in the spring semester your health insurance coverage ends on February 28 and COBRA will be offered on March 1.

• Full-time faculty medical coverage is determined by the faculty member's duration of their teaching assignment and tenure status. Note: Moving from full-time to adjunct status will affect benefits coverage.

  Review the Full-Time Faculty Benefits Eligibility Chart for coverage period information.

• When you come back to teaching you may request to sign up again for health insurance coverage by emailing your part-time faculty union representative and Jenny Vuong in Human Resources.

• If you accept a full-time appointment for the fall semester, you will have full-time faculty benefits (including health insurance coverage) for the fall semester. However, your benefits will terminate on December 31 when the assignment ends. You will be offered COBRA effective January 1. 
• If you accept a full-time appointment for the spring semester, you will have full-time faculty benefits (including health insurance coverage) for the spring semester. However, your benefits will terminate on May 31 when the assignment ends. You will be offered COBRA effective June 1.
• If you accept a full-time appointment for the academic year, you will have full-time faculty benefits (including health insurance coverage) for the academic year. However, your benefits will terminate on May 31 when the assignment ends. You will be offered COBRA effective June 1.

• Full-time faculty medical coverage is determined by the faculty member's duration of their teaching assignment and tenure status. Note: Moving from full-time to adjunct status will affect benefits coverage.

  Review the Full-Time Faculty Benefits Eligibility Chart for coverage period information.

• If/when you transition back to adjunct faculty after your full-time appointment ends, you may request to sign up again for health insurance coverage by emailing your part-time faculty union representative and Jenny Vuong in Human Resources.

Upon losing your health coverage due to your term appointment ending, you will be offered COBRA. You also now have the option to continue coverage under our adjunct Kaiser plan if you will be teaching in the semester immediately following your term appointment ending.

• If your term appointment ends May 31, you may continue Kaiser coverage from June 1 through September 30 provided your dean’s office can confirm your fall teaching assignment.
• If your term appointment ends December 31, you may continue Kaiser coverage from January 1 through February 28 provided your dean’s office can confirm your spring teaching assignment.
• Premiums contributions are required and will be collected for this time period.
• Review detailed information about this policy and important dates and deadlines.