The medical, dental, and life insurances you had as an employee may be continued indefinitely if you apply for them at the time you retire from active UW service under the rules of your retirement plan. You may choose from the plans that are available to employees, or you may instead elect a Medicare Supplement Plan at the time you become eligible for Medicare.
You and your eligible dependents may apply for the retiree insurances if:
Medicare Part B Requirement: You must enroll in Medicare Part B at retirement if eligible, to continue to participate in the PEBB Retiree Medical plans. Part B enrollment can be deferred until retirement for those electing to work past age 65.
* PERS 1, PERS 2 and LEOFF 2 retirees must be receiving their retirement income to be eligible to enroll in the retiree health insurance. PERS 3 and UWRP retirees are not required to access their retirement funds to enroll in the retiree health insurance.
If you are covered by other employer-provided medical/dental coverage, or you are covered as a dependent under your spouse's or qualified qualified domestic partner's employer-provided coverage, you can temporarily waive your Public Employee Benefits Board (PEBB) coverage.
When your other employer-provided coverage terminates, you must apply within 60 days (and provide proof of loss of other continuous health care coverage) to enroll in your own UW retiree medical/dental coverage. This does not include retiree life insurance, which must begin upon your retirement. If you meet these conditions and want to waive your retiree coverage, you must complete the retiree medical/dental enrollment form, indicating your desire to waive medical coverage. This will ensure your opportunity to enroll in PEBB coverage at a later date.
Complete the retiree medical/dental enrollment form at the time of your retirement. Even if you are waiving coverage at the time, this will ensure your opportunity to enroll in PEBB coverage at a later date.
View Retiree Medical and Dental Premiums.
You may choose a medical and dental plan:
You may choose one of the Premera Blue Cross Medicare supplement plans within six months of becoming eligible for Parts A & B of Medicare.
You must be in a medical plan to enroll in dental. Dental must be maintained for a minimum of 2 years.
There is a small amount of life insurance available to retirees:
| Age at Time of Death | Amount of Insurance in Force At Time of Death |
|---|---|
| under 65 | $3,000 |
| 65 through 69 | $2,100 |
| 70 and Over | $1,800 |
For those contract-classified, professional staff and librarians who accrue sick leave, a VEBA (for Voluntary Employee Beneficiary Association) is an important part of your financial planning at retirement. VEBA is used in conjunction with your medical and dental plans. A VEBA is a tax-free medical expense account funded by the 25% sick leave cash-out at retirement. As a retiree, you and your eligible dependents can use this to pay medical expenses after retirement, according to rules established in the Internal Revenue Code. For more details see VEBA.
PEBB Retiree Enrollment Guide for 2008 The Retiree Guide is too large to download as one document. However the parts are available online at the PEBB website either to be viewed online or downloaded individually. Or view the new 2009 Guide.
Retiree Insurance Topics
Copyright © 2007 University of Washington
