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Health Care Facilitator Program

Your Health Care Facilitator Program specializes in troubleshooting the use of UC health plans—and coordinating them with Medicare

Preparing for Retirement Virtual Help Desks

If you are considering retirement from UC within the next 4-12 months, join a Preparing for Retirement Help Desk via Zoom. UC Davis representatives from the HCF Program, Benefits, Fidelity, and the Retiree Center will answer your questions on the retirement process, retiree health (including Medicare), UCRAYS, Fidelity accounts, and more.

Register below for your preferred session:

Rehired Retirees: Health insurance eligibility rules are changing for those who return to employment within 6 months

Under new guidelines effective 7/1/2025, rehired staff retirees and recalled academic appointees (referred to collectively as “rehired retirees”) who meet specific eligibility criteria will be offered the “Mid-level” faculty/staff benefits package instead of retiree medical benefits. UC retiree medical benefits will be suspended for any rehired retiree who is offered faculty/staff benefits, regardless of whether they enroll.

For more information see this article on UCnet.

For details, see the Returning to UC Employment After Retirement Fact Sheet [PDF].

2025 Medical Plans

Open Enrollment ended on 11/22/2024, but information about all the UC medical plans can be found here year-round. Learn more about the medical plans by reviewing the UC Medical Plan Overview (for employees) and UC Retiree Medical Plans (for retirees).

FAQs regarding premium increases in 2025.

How much? Medical plan premiums for 2025:

Where? Regional medical plan availability:

The 2025 UC Medical Plan Availability Tool [Excel] indicates plan availability by ZIP code and county.

Which? Compare medical plans side-by-side:

Who? Local Davis/Sacramento medical provider availability by plan:

Who else? Search for network providers across California and beyond:

  • Anthem Blue Cross PPOs:
    • CORE
    • UC Health Savings Plan
    • UC Care
      • This plan offers two levels of in-network providers: UC Select (Tier 1) and Anthem Preferred (Tier 2). Both are preferred providers, but UC Select providers are located near UC locations and cost you much less.
      • If a provider appears as both UC Select and Anthem Preferred, then the provider uses multiple tax ID numbers for billing. To determine whether your claim with that provider will be processed at the more desirable UC Select tier, be sure to call the number on your ID card to speak to an Accolade Health Care Advocate, who will check with the provider and attempt to determine which tax ID will be used for billing.
    • Preferred providers outside the U.S.A.
      • CORE/UC Health Savings Plan members use code QUC to search
      • UC Care members use code VUC to search
      • UC Medicare PPO/UC High Option members use code U5X to search
    • UC Medicare PPO, UC High Option
  • Health Net: UC Blue & Gold HMO (Urban CA only.)
  • Kaiser Permanente/Senior Advantage (HMO) (Urban CA only.)
  • UnitedHealthcare: UC Medicare Choice (Medicare Advantage PPO)

How to get more information? UCnet health plan phone numbers and web addresses

Open Enrollment booklets

UC considers changes to retiree health contributions
 

A Retiree Health Benefits Working Group has been formed to provide input regarding reductions and/or changes in strategy toward UC's contributions to retiree health coverage.

See the UC Davis Retiree Center site for updates on the Working Group.

UC simplifies retiree health benefits rules
 

To simplify administration and respond to the concerns of newer employees hired before 7/1/2013, UC changed the eligibility rules for retiree health benefits.

Did You Know?

Most of the medical plans that the university offers to employees and retirees cover 30-day supplies of prescription drugs for a flat copayment. However, if you take medications on an ongoing basis, you can save money by using University of California pharmacies. At UC pharmacies, you can get 90-day supplies of your drugs for two copayments — you pay 1/3 less!

If you are enrolled in some of the Anthem Blue Cross plans (UC Care, UC High Option, UC Medicare PPO); UC Blue & Gold HMO (Health Net) or UC Medicare Choice (UnitedHealthcare):

  • UC Davis outpatient pharmacies (in Davis and Sacramento).

  • Don't live near a UC pharmacy? You can get the same two co-payment deal for 90-day supplies through some plans at certain local retail pharmacies and/or through your plan's mail order pharmacy.

    • UC Blue & Gold HMO (Health Net): Local CVS pharmacies

    • UC Care (Anthem Blue Cross): Local Costco, CVS, Safeway/Vons, Walgreens, and Walmart pharmacies

    • UC High Option (Anthem Blue Cross): Local Costco, CVS, Safeway/Vons, Walgreens, and Walmart pharmacies

    • UC Medicare PPO (Anthem Blue Cross): Local Costco, CVS, Safeway/Vons, Walgreens, and Walmart pharmacies

    • UC Medicare Choice (UnitedHealthcare): N/A (UC pharmacies and OptumRx Home Delivery only)

Click here for medical plan contact information. Log on to your plan's website as a member to access links to their mail order pharmacy programs.