Retiree Health Care

The State of Rhode Island offers health care coverage to retired state workers who, immediately prior to retirement ,were employees of the state.We also extend coverage to retired public school teachers who are members of the Employees Retirement System.

Retired municipal employees receive health care benefits through their former municipal employer.

Covering Your Spouse - When you retire, your spouse is also eligible for State-sponsored healthcare. You will be responsible for the full cost of your spouse's health care plan, regardless of whether or not your health coverage is paid for by the state. You and your spouse may choose different health care plans. The cost of both of your health care premiums will be deducted from your pension check. Your spouse is only eligible to purchase State-sponsored health coverage as long as the retiree receives a pension or the spouse receives a survivorship pension.

Health Care Plans & Rates Offered by the State of Rhode Island The State of Rhode Island offers one health plan for retirees and their spouses who are not Medicare eligible (typically under age 65), and two plans for those over 65 with Medicare Parts A & B. New retirees may sign up for these plans upon retirement. Current retirees may enroll in or change plans only during Open Enrollment (typically held each November for coverage effective January 1), or if they have a “qualifying event” such as turning age 65 or involuntarily losing coverage that they had elsewhere. Notification of Open Enrollment each year generally is made via newsletter to eligible retirees. However, if time does not allow publishing of a newsletter, every effort will be made to notify eligible membership via the local media, with direct notification sent to out-of-state retirees.

Please see the 10/01/08 Questions and Answers with Rate Charts if your retirement date will be after 09/03/08.

United "Early Retirees" Plan (for those retirees not eligible for Medicare Part A)

Rates for those State employees who retire before October 1,2008,effective 7/1/08 - 6/30/09:

Individual: $497.51 per month

Family:      $1,394.69 per month

Summary of Coverage

• For additional details on this coverage, please contact United HealthCare at 1-866-202-0434. Please be sure to tell the customer service representative that you are a Rhode Island state employee or public school teacher retiree.

Plans for Medicare-Eligible Retirees

You must have Medicare Parts A & B to enroll in these plans.

Medicare is a federal program that assists senior citizens with health care. It is available to you once you turn 65 or if you have been disabled for two years and are under age 65. If you contributed to Social Security for 40 quarters, you will be eligible to receive Medicare upon turning 65. If you did not contribute to Social Security, you may purchase Medical coverage. Please contact the Social Security Information at (401) 528-4501 or (800) 772-1213 for more information. You may also want to visit the Social Security Administration's Web Site at http://www.ssa.gov/

United Plan 65 - $201.16 per month, individual only. (Rate effective 7/1/08 – 6/30/09)

United Plan 65 Summary

• For details on the coverage provided by this plan, please contact United HealthCare at 1-866-202-0434. Please be sure to tell the customer service representative that you are a Rhode Island state employee or public school teacher retiree.

United Medicare Complete/Secure Horizons HMO - $107.00 per month, individual only.(Rate effective 1/1/08 – 12/31/08)

United Medicare Complete/Secure Horizons HMO Summary

• For details on the coverage provided by this plan, please contact United HealthCare at 1-888-867-5548. Please be sure to tell the customer service representative that you are a Rhode Island state employee or public school teacher retiree.

State Retirees - Do You Have a Portion of Your Health Care Paid for by the State?

If you are a state retiree (not a public school teacher), some or all of your health care cost may be subsidized by the State of Rhode Island. Certain early retirement incentives offered 100% state paid health care coverage. Otherwise, it is based on your years of creditable service. If you have any questions regarding your years of creditable service, please contact ERSRI at (401) 457-3900 .

For Employees who retire after July 1,1989, and before 10/01/08,the State and Retiree shares for the Early Retiree plan are as follows:

At age 65, retirees eligible for Medicare are required to enroll with a Medicare Supplemental Plan, and enroll with Part A and B of Medicare from Social Security. If you are eligible for Medicare Part A and do not enroll in Medicare Part B,you may not enroll in a state retirement health plan

The State and retiree shares for these plans for employees who retire after july 1,1989 and before October 1,2008 are as follows:

COBRA Benefits

COBRA - The "Consolidated Omnibus Budget Resolution Act," or COBRA, is a federal law that allows employees who are losing their medical coverage to purchase health insurance, at full cost, from their former employer for 18 months.  This allows retiring teachers, state and municipal employees to keep the health care coverage they received as active employees for 18 months, but they must pay the full cost.

Retiring state employees may pay the full cost of the plan plus a 2% administrative fee to extend the health care coverage they enjoyed as active employees for up to 18 months by enrolling in COBRA.  If you are a retiring state employee and would like to receive COBRA coverage instead of the subsidized retiree health coverage, you may print the COBRA form off our forms link on this web site.

COBRA is offered to retiring teachers and municipal employees through their school district or municipality, not the Employees' Retirement System of Rhode Island.  If you are a retired teacher or municipal employee, please contact your former employer's personnel officer for COBRA health care information.

Effective Date of Retiree Health Coverage for State Employees

All retiree medical plan elections become effective the first of the month following the retirement date. Medical insurance for state employees terminates at the end of the payroll period in which they retire.

To cover the time period from the end of the payroll period in which active employee coverage ends until the first month that retire coverage begins,retirees may purchase COBRA medical coverage at the full cost of the medical plan,prorated to include only the days between the employee plan coverage and the retiree plan coverage.

Under federal regulations,COBRA medical coverage can be elected retroactively up to 60 days following the last day of active employee coverage.A retiree may either elect and pay for COBRA before retirement,or retroactively elect COBRA coverage within that 60-day period if he/she has unexpected medical claims during the period between employee coverage and retiree coverage.