FAQs for Health Insurance

Health Coverage with my Local School District

Where do I obtain my health insurance coverage as a retired member?
If you and/or your spouse are not participating in Medicare Part A and Part B, you may elect to continue your health insurance coverage through the local school district in which you were employed at the time of retirement. The cost of health insurance varies from district to district. Your former employer must charge you the same premium that is assessed by the insurance company for the type of coverage you are receiving. For self-insured plans, your former employer must charge you the budgetary premium rate for your form of coverage. To offset this cost, CTRB will issue a subsidy payment on your behalf to your former employer. The current subsidy payment is up to $110.00 monthly for individual coverage and up to $220.00 monthly for member/spouse coverage. Once you and/or your spouse become eligible for Medicare Part A and Part B, you may join the CTRB sponsored plan. For additional information on this topic, obtain the Health Insurance FAQs from the Health Insurance Publications page.

Can my spouse also participate in this plan?
Yes. If your spouse is not participating in Medicare Part A and Part B, he/she may also participate in coverage through your former employer’s plan.

Is my former employer required to offer health insurance coverage to me and/or my spouse if we do not have Medicare Part A and Part B?
Yes. As long as either you and/or your spouse are not participating in Medicare Part A and Part B, state law requires that they make coverage available to you and/or your spouse.

Is there a cost to me and/or my spouse if I remain with my former school district’s health insurance plan?
Your former school district is not obligated to pay for the cost of your health insurance unless required to do so by a collective bargaining agreement or other arrangement. Unless this is the case, you and/or your spouse must pay for the cost of health insurance.

What amount must I pay for my health insurance coverage through my former employer?
An amount no greater than the premium that is assessed by the insurance company for the type of coverage you are receiving. For self-insured plans, your employer can charge you an amount up to the budgetary premium rate for the form of coverage you are receiving. The cost for health insurance varies from district to district depending on the type of coverage offered. You should contact your payroll or personnel department to find out the cost of health insurance coverage that you are eligible to receive.

If my spouse and/or myself decide not to stay with my former employer’s health insurance plan when I retire, can I join again at some later date?
Yes. As long as you and/or your spouse are not participating in Medicare Part A and Part B, you and/or your spouse may re-enroll in the plan.

If my former employer offers dental coverage, prescription drugs, or eyeglass coverage am I entitled to these benefits?
Yes. If these types of coverage are available to active members, you have the same rights to these benefits.

If I remain with my former employer for my health insurance, will the Retirement System pay a subsidy payment to my former employer?
Yes. CTRB will issue a subsidy payment on your behalf to your former employer to offset the cost of your health insurance coverage with them. The current subsidy payment is up to $110.00 monthly for individual coverage and up to $220.00 monthly for member and spouse coverage; or $220 for you and/or your spouse if you are 65 years, ineligible for Medicare A premium free and contribute at least $220 per month towards your individual cost of insurance.

My former employer pays for part of my health insurance cost and I pay the remaining portion. How will the subsidy payment work in this situation?
The subsidy must first be used toward the cost of your health insurance coverage. If any balance remains from the subsidy payment, it may be used by the board of education to offset their cost, unless there is a contractual provision stating otherwise.

My former employer pays all or part of my health insurance cost but none of the cost for my spouse’s insurance coverage. How will the subsidy payment be distributed?
The subsidy payment received for your coverage must be used by the school district to offset the cost of your coverage. The subsidy payment payable for your spouse may not exceed $110.00 and should be applied towards his/her health insurance.

My spouse is still working and I have my regular health insurance through her health insurance plan. I wish to obtain dental coverage (only) with my former employer. Am I eligible to join their dental plan and will CTRB issue a subsidy payment for this form of coverage?
Yes. Unless otherwise provided in your local school district’s plan, you are eligible for dental coverage from your former employer and entitled to a subsidy for the dental coverage not to exceed the cost of the dental coverage or the subsidy amount, whichever is less.

I'm retired but my spouse is still working as a teacher for a local school district. I am covered under his plan by the local school district. Is my coverage or his coverage eligible for the subsidy payment?
No. If you are covered under a plan that originates from an active teacher member's coverage, neither you, your spouse, nor the school district are eligible for the subsidy payment.

My spouse and I are both retired teachers. Can we get a "double subsidy" both as a retired teacher and as the spouse of a retired teacher?
No. If you each have your own plan or are covered under a single plan, the maximum subsidy payable per individual is $110.00 monthly.

Am I eligible for a subsidy payment if I am not participating in my former employer’s health insurance plan?
No. If you have coverage from a private source or from another group plan other than a Connecticut public school district, a subsidy is not payable on your behalf.

When I die, is my spouse still eligible for health insurance coverage through my former employer?
Yes. As a surviving spouse not participating in Medicare Part A and Part B, he/she may continue coverage and continue to receive the subsidy as long as he/she does not remarry. This is applicable regardless of whether or not your spouse is receiving a monthly beneficiary payment from this system.

I am not eligible for Social Security Benefits or Medicare Part A and Part B. What do I do for health insurance when I reach age 65?
If you will not have Medicare Part A and Part B, you may continue your health insurance with your last employer.