Postdoctoral Affairs

Medical Subsidy for PDF-NRSAs

The following information applies to PDF-NRSAs only.

Breadcrumb

When you complete the benefits enrollment section in Workday (the system of record for HR, finance, learning, payroll, recruiting, and post-award grant accounting information at Brown University), you will see both the monthly full premium amount and a monthly medical subsidy.

Please refer to the 2024 Rate Sheet for Faculty and Staff to see your full premium amount. While this amount is correct, please note you also receive a monthly medical subsidy to offset the cost of the full premium. Please review the section below for guidance on how to calculate your medical subsidy.

Please review the following important points:

  • The medical subsidy is labeled as "Health Supplement Postdoc" in your paycheck.
  • Be sure to inform your department manager once you have enrolled in health and/or dental insurance in Workday so that they can apply the medical subsidy as soon as possible.
  • Be sure to carefully review your paycheck each month to make sure the medical subsidy has been included correctly.
  • Please note, the waiting period for dental coverage to become effective is the first day of the month coinciding with or following three months of employment. For that reason, your dental subsidy will begin after the waiting period concludes.
  • Please note, medical insurance subsidies from Brown may be taxed and will be reported via a 1099-MISC form. Consult your personal tax advisor with any questions.

If you have any questions related to your medical subsidy, please contact your department manager.

Calculations

Your actual premium contribution as a PDF-NRSA is determined using two components:

  • The monthly full premium deduction. As a PDF-NRSA, your status with Brown University is non-employee, but you are eligible to participate in certain health and dental insurance plans provided by Brown at the full premium cost. Please note, the full premium is deducted post-tax.
  • The medical subsidy, which is paid to you via your paycheck each month. This amount is calculated using your annual salary and the salary sliding scale rate on the 2024 Rate Sheet for Faculty and Staff.

Last updated: March 27, 2024.

Below is a step-by-step example to help you calculate what you should see in your paycheck for your medical subsidy amount. 

  • For example, suppose the annual salary on your appointment letter from the Office of the Dean of the Faculty or the Office of Graduate & Postdoctoral Studies in BioMed is $56,484. Go to the 2024 Rate Sheet for Faculty and Staff and look for the Salary section in the Monthly Health Insurance Contributions for Faculty & Staff Working 1300+ hrs/yr.
  • You will see that with an annual salary of $56,484, your employee-only health premium contribution for single plan coverage would be $114.87 per month.
  • You also will see that the full premium amount for single plan coverage is $802.27 per month. This amount is what you will see when you elect your coverage in Workday and what will be deducted from your paycheck post-tax.
  • Next, take the employee-only contribution ($114.87) and subtract that from the monthly full premium amount ($802.27) to arrive at the medical subsidy amount paid to you in your paycheck by Brown. The amount you should see in your paycheck to offset the cost of the full premium is $687.40.
  • To summarize, your actual monthly health premium contribution for single plan coverage is $114.87 after the monthly medical subsidy of $687.40 is applied against the monthly full premium amount ($802.27).
  • Finally, OUPA applies an additional 13% subsidy to offset the taxes you may owe on your medical subsidy. In the scenario described above, you will see an additional $89.36 (or 13% x $687.40) in your paycheck. Thus, the total medical subsidy with the tax offset subsidy included would be $776.46.
  • If you elect to enroll in dental insurance, you will receive an additional amount as part of the medical subsidy to offset a portion of your premium.

Last updated: March 27, 2024.