If you're retiring
Retirement often means taking vacations, spending more time with the grandchildren, and enjoying activities you weren’t able to while working. It’s also a time when you have to make some important decisions, especially when it comes to your health insurance.
Trust health plan members have several options, depending on their age at retirement, for continuing health insurance.
If you retire before age 55
Federal and state laws allow you and your covered family members to continue insurance coverage under your school district’s group health plan for a period of 18 months.
You can remain in the group plan beyond the 18-month time period only if:
- The District makes a nondiscriminatory contribution toward payment of health insurance premiums for retirees under age 55. This contribution must be the same as made to active employees in the same job classification, and it must be part of the collective bargaining agreement.
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If you retire between ages 55-65
If you're 55 or older when you retire, you and covered members of your family may continue Trust group health coverage under the same conditions as before your retirement. This option is available to you, in addition to the legal rights you have to continue insurance coverage.
Your group health coverage with the Trust continues, providing:
- The Trust continues to cover the employee group to which you belonged before your retirement.
- Premiums are paid on time.
Also, if you retire after age 55 and marry, you may change from single to family coverage and obtain coverage for any new dependents. To obtain coverage for new dependents, you must submit an enrollment form to the Trust within 30 days of your marriage.
If your spouse is 65 or older when you retire, but you’re not, he or she would be covered under Medicare Part A. When you retire, your spouse must also enroll in Medicare Part B. His or her Trust plan then becomes a Medicare-coordinated plan. This means Medicare is the primary insurer — it looks over your spouse’s claim first and determines its payment. After that, the Trust (the secondary insurer) will examine the claim and determine its payment, if any.
For more information on Medicare, please visit www.medicare.gov
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If you retire after age 65
When you reach age 65, you qualify for Medicare. However, Medicare doesn’t cover everything. So, most people also choose a second insurance plan to pay the balance of what Medicare approves but does not pay completely.
If you were covered by a Trust plan before you retired, you may choose to continue coverage with that plan as your secondary plan under one of two options:
Option 1: You continue coverage under your school district’s plan. However, you and/or your spouse must be enrolled in Medicare Parts A and B. This option also allows you to continue insurance coverage for any dependent children.
Option 2: Enroll in WEA-MedPlus, a Trust health plan designed for Medicare-eligible retirees. WEA-MedPlus is a good option for people who want the Trust’s quality group coverage and the possibility of lower monthly premiums. WEA-MedPlus does not offer coverage for dependent children.
If you choose this plan, you cannot go back to the district’s plan at a later date.
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If you’re not covered by a Trust health plan, please click here.
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