Retirement Benefits - Eligibility

You may participate in an MCHCP plan as long as your Public Entity participates. If your entity discontinues coverage through MCHCP, you are no longer eligible to participate.

As a retiree of a Public Entity, you may participate in an MCHCP health plan provided, at the time of termination of your employment, you were:

• Eligible to receive a retirement benefit from your employer-sponsored retirement plan OR meet the retirement qualifications of the Public Entity;

AND you have met one of the following requirements, you:

• Have had coverage through MCHCP since the effective date of the last Open Enrollment period.
• Have had other health insurance for the six months immediately prior to termination of employment (proof of insurance including effective dates of coverage and termination date is required).

Have had coverage since first eligible.

If you participate in an MCHCP plan as a retiree, your dependents may also participate if they meet one of the previously listed requirements.

If your dependent’s employer sponsored group coverage has ended due to:

• Termination of employment or
• Termination of group coverage by the employer,

you can add the dependent(s) to your coverage within 60 days of the loss and provide proof that the coverage was in effect for at least 12 months immediately prior to the loss. You must attach proof of the other coverage including effective dates of coverage and termination date.

If you die as a covered retired subscriber, your dependents covered at that time are eligible to continue coverage. Refer to the Coverage Changes Due to Death section.

If you and/or your dependents are not eligible to participate in MCHCP under these rules, coverage may be extended for a period of time under COBRA provisions.

Transferring Coverage
If you are a retiree of a Public Entity, and your spouse is either an active or retired State employee or an employee of a different Public Entity covered under MCHCP, you may transfer coverage to your spouse’s or back to your own. This may be done at any time during the year that is financially advantageous for you. Coverage must be continuous. If you terminate coverage, you cannot enroll at a later date.