Human Resources
Continuing Insurance Benefits at Retirement
Eligibility to Continue Insurance Benefits at Retirement
To be eligible for continuing retiree health and dental coverage, you must:
- Be at least age 55 by your retirement date
- Applied for and receive a State of Iowa monthly pension benefits (IPERS) and
- Inform your PA that you are retiring and complete/sign the appropriate retirement paperwork, and leave the payroll system as a retiree
If you rescind your retirement and do not receive a pension benefit, you will not be considered to have taken retirement and will not be eligible for this program.
Overview of Continuing Benefits at Retirement
If you meet the eligibility criteria above, you can continue to participate in health and dental coverage as a retiree.
- If your spouse is covered under your State of Iowa's health and/or dental plans at the time of your death, he or she can continue health and dental coverage as a surviving spouse.
- If you drop the state of Iowa health and/or dental coverage, there is no provision for rejoining the group at a later date. (Adding SilverScript is not considered leaving the state's group.)
As a retiree, you can elect:
- Health insurance only
- Dental Insurance only
- Health and dental insurance
You can have different coverage levels such as family coverage for health insurance and single coverage for dental insurance.
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Health Plans Available to Retirees
You have the same health and dental plans available as a retiree as active employees. Retirees have the following Wellmark Blue Cross Blue Shield health plans available.
- Blue Access
- Blue Advantage
- Gold Preferred
- Iowa Select
- Program 3 Plus
- Deductible 3 Plus
- Group N Plan (for Medicare-eligible retirees, only)
The same health plan provisions that govern active employees’ coverage also apply to retirees’ coverage. If a new health plan is offered to active employees, retirees have the same opportunity to elect the new plan. If a health plan is no longer offered to active employees, retirees must select a new health plan.
Health Plans Comparison
The health plans enable you to select a health plan that best meets your individual and family needs. To assist you in making a decision, a side-by-side comparison of the different health plans can be viewed by clicking on the link below. (This is only a summary of plan benefits, all the health insurance benefits are not included in the summary. Please view the health insurance certificates for all plan benefits.)
The chart compares coverage of each plan in areas such as:
| Deductible | The amount you pay each year toward your initial covered expenses before the plan begins to pay. |
| Coinsurance | The percentage of the covered expenses you must pay. |
| Copayment | The amount you must pay at the time a service is rendered. |
2013 Health Plans Side-by-Side Comparison
For general information about the State of Iowa's health insurance plans, go the DAS Health Insurance website.
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Managed Care Organization (MCO) Health Plans
The State offers two MCO plans in 2012. They are:
- Blue Access
- Blue Advantage
The only difference between these plans is that with Blue Advantage, you have to list a primary care physician as your personal doctor who would then refer you to other health care providers or services if needed. The following map and table links indicate the counties that have adequate participating providers to offer services as noted. Please check the provider directories for any plans that interest you to ensure that there are participating doctors, specialists, labs, hospitals, clinics, etc. in your area.
IMPORTANT: Services will not be paid by the carrier if you do not go to participating providers for all your health care needs.
Managed Care (MCO) Service Area Map
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MCO Health Plans and Out-of-Network Services
If you are enrolled in either the Blue Access or Blue Advantage health insurance plans and permanently relocate outside the health plan's service area, only emergency services will be covered in your new location. At the time of relocation, you can change to a different health plan. Electing another health plan, due to moving out of the MCO service area, needs to be done as soon as possible when you change your permanent residence.
Note: The Blue Access and Blue Advantage plans have a guest membership provision that allows you to become a guest member of other Blue Cross and Blue Shield plans when you are outside the Wellmark health plan network area for at least 90 days. For more information about guest membership provision of Blue Access or Blue Advantage, contact Wellmark's customer service.
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Disease Management Program
A disease management program provides individualized care plans for you or your family members with treatable chronic diseases to improve their health outcomes. The program provides personalized contact with a nurse, educational materials, and other services to educate individuals while supporting their physician’s plan of care. A disease management program is offered to State of Iowa employees and retirees enrolled in a Wellmark Blue Cross Blue Shield health plan. Participation in the disease management program is voluntary and there are no additional costs to participate in the disease management program. Review the frequently asked questions for more information about the disease management program.
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Effective Date of Retiree Coverage
Coverage in the active employee group will cease at the end of the month in which you retire. Your coverage as a retiree will begin the first of the month following retirement.
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Enrollment and Change Period
Retirees have an annual enrollment and change period similar to active employees. As a retiree, you can change your health plan or coverage level during the enrollment and change period.
Prior to the annual enrollment and change period, DAS-HRE sends correspondence explaining health plan changes or options to retirees enrolled in health insurance. If you do not receive any information from DAS-HRE by early November, please call 515-281-6124 and DAS-HRE will mail you another letter.
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Health and Dental Insurance Coverage for Dependents
Health and dental insurance offers two levels of coverage:
- Single
- Family
Dependents eligible for coverage in a Family plan are:
- Your spouse (A husband or wife as the result of a marriage that is legally recognized in Iowa. This does not include a spouse from whom you are legally separated or divorced.)
- Your domestic partner (same sex or opposite sex are eligible for domestic partner coverage)
- Your dependent child (children)
Eligible Dependent Child (Children)
An eligible dependent child is:
- Your natural child
- A child placed with you for adoption or a legally adopted child
- A child for whom you have legal guardianship
- A stepchild
- A foster child
You may be required to provide documentation that a dependent is eligible as defined above.
- Your dependent child may be covered for health insurance through the end of the year in which they turn age 26.
- Your dependent child who is an unmarried, full-time student in an accredited institution of postsecondary education may be covered regardless of age.
- Your unmarried dependent child who is totally and permanently disabled, physically or mentally, may be covered regardless of age. (The disability must have existed before the dependent child turned age 27 or while a full-time student.
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Retiree Health Premiums
2013 Retiree Health Premiums (Before Medicare-eligibility)
2013 Retiree Health Premiums (Sick Leave Insurance Program (SLIP))
2013 Retiree Health Premiums (Medicare-eligible without Medicare Part D)
2013 Retiree Health Premiums (Medicare-eligible with Medicare Part D through SilverScript) 2013 Group N Plan Premiums
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How To Apply for Retiree Health and/or Dental Insurance
Complete the Application for Continuation in the Retired/Disabled State Group Health or Dental Insurance Program form and any other forms applicable. Submit the completed agreement and other forms to your department's personnel assistant prior to your retirement date.
Retiree Health Insurance (Before Medicare-eligibility)
If you retire before you are eligible for Medicare (in most cases, before age 65), you could be eligible for the Sick Leave Insurance Program (SLIP). SLIP is an opportunity for eligible state employees to use all or part of their unused sick leave balance to pay the state’s share of their health care premiums after they retire until the time when they are eligible for Medicare.
State employees eligible for the SLIP program are:
- Executive branch AFSCME represented employees
- Executive branch IUP represented employees
- Executive branch Non-Contract employees
- Community Based Corrections employees (not administered by centralized payroll)
This program does not include:
- Board of Regents employees
- Elected officials
- Executive branch SPOC-covered employees
- Judicial branch employees
- Legislative branch employees
These groups may be covered by similar programs designed just for them.
Additional information is located at the Sick Leave Insurance Program (SLIP) website.
Contact your personnel assistant for specifics and the required paperwork at the time of retirement.
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Retiree Medical and Medicare
You can continue your health coverage with the State of Iowa when you become eligible for Medicare. You are eligible for Medicare when you are:
- Age 65
- Under age 65 with certain disabilities
- Any age with End-Stage Renal Disease (permanent kidney failure requiring dialysis or a kidney transplant)
Medicare Supplemental Plan
Once you become Medicare-eligible, you may elect to drop the State of Iowa group coverage and purchase a private Medicare supplement plan. A Medicare supplement plan differs from the State of Iowa group in that the benefits provided vary by supplement option. If you drop your State of Iowa health plan and purchase a Medicare supplemental plan, coverage for your spouse and dependents are also cancelled.
Continue with State of Iowa Plan
You can continue with the State of Iowa group plan after you become eligible for Medicare, your benefits do not change. Benefits offered to Medicare-eligible retirees are the same as the benefit plan offered prior to becoming Medicare-eligible. You submit proof that you have Medicare Parts A and B to Wellmark. Medicare will become the primary payer on your claims and the State of Iowa group will pay as secondary. A premium rate reduction will occur at that time.
Additional information, including premiums, is located at the Health Insurance for Medicare-Eligible Retirees website.
Contact Wellmark's customer service when you become Medicare-eligible.
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Retiree Dental Insurance
You can continue to participate in the State of Iowa’s group dental plans when you retire. If your spouse is covered by our group insurance at the time of your death, he or she can continue dental coverage as a surviving spouse.
If you drop State of Iowa dental coverage, there is no provision for rejoining the group at a later date.
The same dental plan provisions that govern active employees’ coverage also apply to retirees’ coverage.
The cost of retiree dental coverage is the total cost of the insurance. Dental premiums are either single or family. Dental coverage for you and your spouse is considered family coverage. Dental premiums are not reduced when you become eligible for Medicare.
For general information about the State of Iowa's dental insurance plan, go to the DAS Dental Insurance website.
Contact your personnel assistant for specifics and the required paperwork at the time of retirement.
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Vision Care Discount Program
Delta Dental subscribers have access to a vision care discount program at no additional cost to them through an association with EyeMed Vision Care. For more information on the EyeMed Discount Program through Delta Dental of Iowa, go to www.eyemedvisioncare.com/deltadental or call 1-866-246-9041.
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Continuation of Life Insurance
Portability
When you leave state employment prior to social security normal retirement age or you are no longer eligible for life insurance because of a reduction in your hours, you may be able to continue your life insurance through a portability provision. This provision is not available if you are applying for long term disability benefits and are eligible to have your group life coverage continued through the Waiver of Premium provision.
Conversion
If you are at or above Social Security Normal Retirement Age (SSNRA), or you are applying for long term disability benefits when you leave state employment, you can continue your life insurance coverage by converting your group term life insurance to an individual whole life policy.
Your personnel assistant will complete the employer section of the Notice of Conversion Privilege; you are then responsible for contacting The Hartford and submitting any required information directly to them. You can contact The Hartford at 1-877-320-0484 for more information or to obtain a rate quote.
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Long Term Disability Conversion
The State of Iowa long term disability coverage will cease on your last day of active employment. You cannot convert long term disability insurance.
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Last updated 12/06/2013