2026 UPTE Healthcare Rates & Savings

UPTE is the first union to defeat UC’s attempt to claw back union protections on premium rates for Blue & Gold and Kaiser plans, which historically have had $25 annual caps on monthly premium increases. Below are UPTE’s 2026 healthcare rates, with savings of up to $230/month over non-union rates, based on our Tentative Agreement reached with UC on November 8, 2025.

UPTE 2026 Monthly Healthcare Premiums Self Self + Child(ren) Self + Adult Family
Pay Band 1
(Full-time salary rate of $73,000 or less)
Blue & Gold $67 $119 $183 $228
Kaiser $45 $79 $107 $134
Pay Band 2
(Full-time salary rate of $73,001 - $145,000)
Blue & Gold $138 $241 $317 $410
Kaiser $103 $176 $212 $277
Pay Band 3
(Full-time salary rate of $145,0001 - $217,000)
Blue & Gold $205 $343 $439 $572
Kaiser $156 $255 $307 $400
Pay Band 4
(Full-time salary rate of $217,001 or more)
Blue & Gold $251 $423 $548 $690
Kaiser $189 $311 $389 $480

(UC Davis has a pilot program where Blue & Gold rates are reduced to the same rates as Kaiser for all staff. At UC Davis, UPTE Blue & Gold rates will match UPTE Kaiser rates, as they have in the past.)

UPTE 2027 Maximum* Monthly Healthcare Premiums Self Self + Child(ren) Self + Adult Family
Pay Band 1 Blue & Gold $75 $134 $215 $267
Kaiser $53 $95 $141 $176
Pay Band 2 Blue & Gold $148 $258 $354 $456
Kaiser $113 $196 $252 $328
Pay Band 3 Blue & Gold $216 $367 $482 $627
Kaiser $169 $282 $355 $462
Pay Band 4
Blue & Gold $267 $454 $598 $759
Kaiser $207 $346 $445 $556
UPTE 2028 Maximum* Monthly Healthcare Premiums Self Self + Child(ren) Self + Adult Family
Pay Band 1 Blue & Gold $83 $148 $247 $307
Kaiser $63 $112 $177 $221
Pay Band 2 Blue & Gold $158 $277 $392 $504
Kaiser $125 $218 $295 $381
Pay Band 3 Blue & Gold $229 $391 $526 $684
Kaiser $183 $310 $405 $526
Pay Band 4
Blue & Gold $283 $487 $650 $830
Kaiser $226 $384 $504 $637

*Increases to premiums in 2027 and 2028 are limited by actual increases to each non-union rate (e.g. Pay Band 1 Family or Pay Band 3 Employee) in each year.

These maximums would only be the actual rates for 2027 and 2028 in the case that each of the 16 respective Blue & Gold rates increased by more than 5% and each of the respective 16 Kaiser rates increased by more than 7.5% in both 2027 and 2028.