Age 65 and Older

Coverage Under a State Health Plan
If you are enrolled in any state-sponsored group health plan, that group health plan will be the primary carrier and will pay first. Medicare will be the secondary carrier and will pay toward any remaining balance.

If you choose to delay enrollment in Medicare until your group health plan terminates, there is a seven-month enrollment period available beginning with the first day of the first month in which you are no longer enrolled in a group plan. You may enroll any time during that period. There is no premium penalty for this delay in enrollment.

Employees age 65 and older with at least 40 quarters of work credits under Social Security pay no premium for Medicare Part A. Employees pay the premiums for Part B.

No Coverage Under a State Health Care Plan
If you elect not to participate in a state-sponsored health plan, you will remain eligible for Medicare coverage. Medicare will provide your primary coverage.

Other Retirement Health Care Coverage
If you have coverage under a retirement health insurance plan and are enrolled in a state-sponsored health plan, the state’s health plan will provide primary coverage.

Health Care Coverage for PERS Retirants
Employees who meet all of the following conditions must enroll in a health care plan offered by the state:

Enrollment must occur within 31 days of the date of hire for employees who meet the above criteria and are hired on or after February 9, 1994. Coverage will become effective on the first day of the month following the month in which the employee enrolls. As an example, retirants who enroll in February will have March coverage. Retirants who fail to enroll within the 31-day time frame must wait until the next open enrollment period to choose a health plan. Employees who fail to enroll in a health plan offered by the state and who have no other insurance will have their claims reduced by PERS by those amounts provided or available under the state’s health plans.

A retirant may waive health care coverage only if that employee has coverage from another health plan other than through the state or PERS. The state health care coverage will be primary. PERS health care coverage will be secondary.