Benefits Enrollment & Reference Guide - Harford County Public ...

Savings & Retirement Benefits
Retiree Insurance Benefits
Your retiree insurance benefits are provided by Harford
County Public Schools regardless of the retirement plan
from which you are receiving your pension. Please note
that the insurance benefits and the Board’s contribution
percentages as shown on the following page are subject
to change in the future depending upon the Board and
its funding authorities.
While you may be vested in your pension plan, your
ability to participate in the retirement insurance plans of
HCPS may be limited. In order to be eligible to participate
in retiree benefits now or in the future, you must begin
to receive a monthly pension directly following active
employment with Harford County Public Schools and have
completed 10 years of consecutive service immediately
preceding retirement. An employee who does not qualify
to receive a pension currently or who elects to defer
pension benefits or has not completed the last 10 years
of continuous service with HCPS is ineligible for future
participation in the Board’s benefit plans.
Enrolling in Your Retiree Insurance
Prior to retirement, you must submit a letter of
retirement to the Superintendent with a copy to your
supervisor. Human Resources/Benefits will be notified
of your retirement from the Superintendent and will
send you a letter and the appropriate retirement forms
with instructions to contact a retirement coordinator to
schedule your retirement conference.
You must be enrolled in benefits at the time of your
retirement to elect retiree benefits. Harford County
Public Schools’ retirees may not enroll in a health,
dental or life insurance plan following their retirement
date. Employees who elect to discontinue coverage at
retirement cannot elect coverage at a later date as there
is no open enrollment for retirees.
Health Insurance
The cost of your health insurance is paid by you and
Harford County Public Schools. For employees hired prior
to July 1, 2006, the Board contributes 85 or 90 percent
of the total cost of your health, dental or life insurance.
Employees hired after July 1, 2006 receive benefits
based on a tiered structure. Service of thirty years or
more receive the full benefit, retirees with 20-29 years
receive two-thirds and 10-19 years of service receive
one-third. (Only time served in the Harford County Public
Schools applies.)
Health insurance premiums are deducted from a retiree’s
monthly pension check. Normally, retirements occur at
the end of a school year and ten-month employees have
already paid premiums for coverage through August 31.
Therefore, if a ten-month employee retires on July 1, the
first health insurance premium deduction will be taken
from the September retirement check. Special handling
is required for retiring individuals and/or their spouses
who are Medicare eligible.
The same plans available to active employees are
available to retiree’s who are ineligible for Medicare.
Upon reaching eligibility for Medicare (usually at age
65 or earlier if eligible due to disability) retiree’s and/
or their spouses must enroll in Medicare Parts A & B
in order to continue participation in the Board’s health
insurance plans, and will be enrolled in a Medicare
Supplemental health plan which coordinates with
Medicare. Please note that each of the medical plans
offered by Harford County Public Schools includes
coverage for prescription drugs.
Dental Coverage
Dental coverage may be continued into retirement. The
cost of the plan, if elected, will be deducted from your
pension check.
Life Insurance
Life Insurance may be continued into retirement. Premiums
are deducted from your pension check. Upon retirement,
a retiree’s life insurance coverage starts at $20,000. The
amount of insurance reduces by $2,000 July 1 each year
until it is at $10,000, which is where it remains.
62 Harford County Public Schools – Benefits Enrollment & Reference Guide