ELIGIBILITY AND PROCEDURES

Ensure that the employee has confirmed his/her retirement eligibility with his/her retirement board and applies for retirement benefits. To continue GIC health or retiree dental benefits as a retiree, the retiree must be eligible for and receiving a monthly pension.  If the retiree becomes no longer eligible to receive a retirement or pension allowance from a GIC participating retirement system, he/she will no longer be eligible for any GIC benefits.

To process a retirement:

  1. Give the retiring employee a GIC Benefit Decision Guide.  Instruct the retiring employee to read the frequently asked questions for retirement on our website:  www.mass.gov/gic/faqs.
  2. On the Municipal Insurance Enrollment and Change Form pdf format of Form1muni.pdf (Form-1MUN) check box 6 (Retirement).  Indicate the date of retirement and instruct the employee to review his or her health and life benefits.
  3. Review Municipal Insurance Enrollment and Change Form (Form-1MUN) for completeness and sign it.
  4. Photocopy Municipal Insurance Enrollment and Change Form (Form-1MUN) and file in the employee’s personnel file.
  5. Send the original Municipal Insurance Enrollment and Change Form (Form-1MUN) to the GIC.
  6. Stop the GIC deductions in your payroll system. 
  7. If the retiree and/or his/her spouse is age 65 or over, instruct the retiree and/or his/her spouse to go to Social Security to find out about their Medicare eligibility.  If eligible for Part A for free, the retiree and/or spouse must enroll in Medicare Part A and Part B.  Be sure the retiree indicates their Medicare plan choice in the Retirement Section of the Form-1MUN with the date of retirement.

Advise the employee that the GIC will direct bill him/her for the premium until the GIC can arrange to have premiums deducted from their pension, usually in three or four months.

CHANGING HEALTH PLANS AT RETIREMENT

At retirement, an employee with GIC health coverage may change his/her health plans.

  1. Instruct employee/retiree to indicate changes on Municipal Insurance Enrollment and Change Form pdf format of Form1muni.pdf (Form-1MUN) and sign it. 
  2. Review the forms for completeness and sign.
  3. Photocopy the forms and file them in the employee’s personnel file.
  4. Send the original forms to the GIC
  5. The GIC will determine the effective date of the change and notify the retiree.

ENROLLING IN A HEALTH PLAN AT RETIREMENT

If an employee is retiring and does not have GIC coverage, he/she may enroll in GIC coverage.  However, he/she cannot enroll until he/she is actually receiving a retirement allowance or pension.  You, the Coordinator, can assist the retiree with enrollment, or can direct the retiree to the GIC.  To process:

  1. The employee/retiree completes and signs the following forms:
    • Municipal Insurance Enrollment and Change Form pdf format of Form1muni.pdf (Form-1MUN).
    • Insurance Data Form pdf format of IDFform.pdf (IDF) for family coverage.  Must also provide:
        • For spousal coverage – copy of marriage certificate.
        • For dependent coverage under age 19 – copy of birth certificate(s). The birth certificate(s) must show the parent-child relationship to the insured or his/her spouse.
        • For dependent coverage age 19 to 26 – Dependent Age 19 to 26 Form and a copy of birth certificate. The birth certificate must show the parent-child relationship to the insured or his/her spouse.
        • For former spouse – provide following sections of the legal separation or divorce decree: page with absolute date, health insurance language, signature pages, and former spouse’s address.
  2. Obtain from the retiring employee a letter from their retirement board indicating that the retirement has been approved and the effective date of retirement.
  3. Verify that the forms above are completed accurately and completely.  Ensure that both you and the employee/retiree have signed and dated all forms.
  4. Photocopy completed GIC forms and the letter from the retirement board and file them in the employee/retiree’s personnel file.
  5. Send original signed forms and a copy of the letter from the retirement board to the GIC.  The GIC will determine the effective date of coverage and will notify the retiree.

GIC RETIREE DENTAL

If your municipality offers the GIC Retiree Dental Plan, let the retiree know the following:

  • If electing GIC Retiree Dental, the retiring employee completes and returns to you the GIC Retiree Dental Application, located on our website.
  • Advise the retiree that once enrolled, if he/she drops coverage, he/she may never re-enroll. 
  • If the retiring employee does not enroll in the plan at retirement, he/she may only enroll during the GIC’s spring annual enrollment period or with proof of involuntary loss of other dental coverage.

This information provided by the Group Insurance Commission.