Helping Retirees Plan for Health Insurance at Retirement
What You Can Do
- Become familiar with the requirements of ORS 243.303 pertaining to early retirees and the responsibility of public employers to make retiree health insurance available at retirement.
- Be aware of all health benefit options available to potential retiree's such as: employer retiree plan, COBRA, Portability and the PERS Health Insurance Program.
- If the retiree is married, remind them to look into their spouse's employer health benefits. They may be eligible to continue benefits under the spouse's employer plan and then subsequently be eligible for future enrollment under the PERS Health Insurance Program.
- If the retiree and/or the spouse are within 3 months of Medicare eligibility or are already Medicare eligible, advise the retiree to contact the PERS Health Insurance Program immediately to ensure their enrollment opportunity into that program is not missed.
- Provide information to retirees regarding pre-retirement classes through PERS or contract direct with Retirement Planning, Inc.
Communicate Tips
- Develop packets for retirees that include information regarding all benefit
continuation options as noted above. Include a copy of the "Guide For
Health Insurance Options At Retirement" contained in your resource kit.
- Make packets or letters available to the retiree within 90 days of
retirement.
- Prepare internal newsletter articles or internal website page targeted to
future retirees.
- Develop a link between your public employer website and the PERS Health
Insurance Program website at www.pershealth.com
Directory of Important Resources
