Teacher Contract - Coventry Public Schools

E5. Health Coverage for Retirees (See Addendum B)
E5-1. The School Committee shall provide and furnish medical benefits for retiree and spouse,
as delineated in Appendix E1 and as further stipulated herein.
For consideration and clarification herein, a retiree shall be defined as any teacher
officially drawing retirement pay from the R.I. Teachers Retirement System and whose last 15
years of teaching service have been in the Coventry School District.
Upon retirement the retiree and spouse shall be entitled to individual benefits as defined in
Appendix E1 of this Agreement, beginning at age 60 and going through age 64, with the District
paying the premium, not to exceed $1,200 each. Any teacher hired beginning with the 2003-2004
school year, whose spouse is a member of the bargaining unit shall not be eligible for double
benefits.
Beginning in the 2003-2004 school year, (including those who retired during or after the 1990-91
school year), any retiree and spouse at age 65 shall receive either Plan 65 for the lifetime of said
retiree and spouse with the District paying the premium, not to exceed $1,000, each, or if said
retiree and spouse are not eligible for Medicare, then the School Committee shall contribute
$1,000, for the individual benefits as defined in Appendix E1 of this Agreement for the lifetime
of said retiree and spouse.
The School Committee’s obligation herein shall cease if the retiree or his/her spouse
receives health care coverage from another source. However, if such health care coverage
provides a lesser level of benefits than provided herein, the School Committee shall pay to the
health care provider the additional premium required to provide benefits comparable to those
provided herein, not to exceed the twelve hundred dollar ($1,200)/one thousand dollars ($1,000)
limit cost of the plan provided by the District. If the health care program otherwise available to
the retiree or his/her spouse ceases to be provided at any time, then the School Committee’s
obligation to pay for health care coverage as provided herein shall resume. If the retiree
previously had Blue Cross, this will be immediate; if coverage was from another plan then
transfer will occur during the next open enrollment.
Each year, retirees who are receiving benefits herein shall be required to sign an affidavit
as to any other medical coverage they or their spouse may have. Such affidavit shall be sent to
each retiree, no later than January 1 of each contract year and shall be submitted to the School
Committee no later than March 1 of each contract year. Should the retiree fail to file the affidavit
with the School Committee in a timely fashion, the School Committee shall be relieved of its
obligation to provide continued health care coverage herein.
A 2% surcharge shall be added to the cost of retirees’ health coverage for a period of
three years beginning at retirement.
E5-2. Teachers retiring from teaching service who are officially drawing retirement pay from
the R.I. Teachers Retirement System shall be eligible to remain on the District’s health plans,
from their effective date of retirement, subject to their payment in advance of the quarterly
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