Health Insurance

Who is eligible to enroll in health insurance coverage through DERP?

• Members receiving a DERP Pension Benefit and their eligible dependents may enroll in medical, dental and/or vision insurance with DERP.
• Members must be in enrolled in health insurance for any dependents to be enrolled. Eligible dependents include:
  • Your spouse
  • Your children to age 26
  • Your dependent children of any age who are physically or mentally unable to care for themselves

You can enroll or make changes to your health insurance at retirement, during Open Enrollment, or when you experience a qualifying life event.

Retirement

When you retire, you can elect to enroll in health insurance within 30 days of receiving your first monthly lifetime DERP Pension Benefit payment. In most cases, your health insurance is effective when your DERP Pension Benefit becomes effective.

Health insurance enrollment is part of the retirement application process. If you’re completing the Retirement Application online, you’ll enroll using your MyDERP.org account.

As an alternative, you can complete and return the hard copy Health Insurance Election Form to DERP within 30 days from when your DERP Pension Benefit becomes effective. Navigate to the Forms page and expand the Health Insurance section for the enrollment forms.

Open Enrollment

Open Enrollment is the month of October and it’s your opportunity to reflect on your needs and fine-tune your benefits package to match. Take this opportunity to think about the changes you have experienced in the past year or anticipate in the coming year and determine what plan(s) will best meet your needs. Any changes you make during Open Enrollment will be effective January 1 of the following year.

To update your health insurance, log in to your MyDERP.org account and click the Insurance Enrollment button.

Qualifying Life Events

A qualifying life event is a change in your situation that makes you eligible to update your health insurance outside of the annual Open Enrollment period. A qualifying life event includes:

• Becoming eligible for Medicare
• Change in marital status
• Involuntary loss of previous health insurance
• Change in residence and becoming ineligible for your current health insurance

Changes to your health insurance must be within 30 days of a qualifying event.

Email Help@DERP.org as soon as possible so we can work with you to get the proper paperwork and supporting documentation related to your qualifying life event.

The Insurance Premium Reduction (IPR) Benefit is a benefit in which we contribute towards your monthly health insurance premiums. The amount we contribute is a based on your years of service and Medicare status. To be eligible for the IPR Benefit, you must be enrolled in health insurance offered by DERP. In addition, the IPR benefit is only available to members and spouses receiving a joint and survivor benefit.

Payment of Insurance Premiums

Insurance premiums are deducted from your monthly pension benefit on a post-tax basis.

Any premiums not covered by your pension benefit will be debited from your checking or savings account on the 6th calendar day of each month. If the 6th calendar day falls on a Saturday, Sunday, or federal holiday, premiums are deducted from your account the next business day.

You can cancel your health insurance for yourself and/or any dependent at any time. Cancellations are effective the first of the month following receipt of the written request for cancellation. When you cancel coverage for you and/or your dependents during the year, you can re-enroll during Open Enrollment in October with a January 1 effective date.

Complete and email the Health Insurance Disenrollment Form to disenroll from your non-Medicare health, dental, and/or vision coverage.

Email Help@DERP.org to request disenrollment paperwork for your Medicare coverage.