Tom Curtis to Sandy Knoesel re: Spousal eligibility

From Tom Curtis, March 10, 2009
Subj: 031009 Curtis To Knoesel, Re OPERS spousal eligibility beginning 2011...they Grandfathered/STRS didnt!

Hello Sandra,

Below you will find some information in support of my recent email to you. This was regarding information found on the STRS website about comparisons between OSTRS & OPERS benefits.

I hope to have a response from you this week.

Thank you,
Thomas Curtis
STRS Stakeholder

From John Curry, March 9, 2009
Subject: OPERS spousal eligibility beginning 2011...they Grandfathered/STRS didn't!

The item below was taken from the OPERS site. Unlike STRS, OPERS gave two years notice and will allow retirees' spouses to get back the subsidy after the spouse turns 55.

John

https://www.opers.org/healthcare/traditional-combined/elig-change..shtml

New Eligibility Rule for Spouses Effective 2011

OPERS has an on-going strategy in place to preserve our ability to subsidize retiree health care premiums amid rising costs and a rapidly growing retiree population. As part of this strategy, the OPERS Board of Trustees has adopted a modification to our health care plan eligibility rules affecting covered spouses.

Effective Jan. 1, 2011, OPERS will no longer subsidize the monthly health care premium cost for spouses of retirees who are under the age of 55. This change will affect spouses of retirees who are currently retired and those who will retire in the future. Retirees may continue to cover their spouse under the OPERS health care plan, but they will be responsible for the full health care premium. Once their spouse reaches age 55, OPERS will again subsidize their health care coverage premium.

To clarify, below is a detailed list of those spouses who are and are not affected by the new policy:

Who is affected:

• Spouses of age and service retirees who are under the age of 55 as of Jan. 1, 2011
• Spouses, under the age of 55 as of Jan. 1, 2011, of retirees who converted from a disability benefit to an age and service benefit and,
• Spouses, under the age of 55 as of Jan. 1, 2011, of survivor benefit recipients whose health care coverage subsidy has been grand-fathered

Who is NOT affected:

• Spouses of disability benefit recipients
• Any spouse who is receiving a benefit as the surviving spouse of an age and service retiree (joint and survivor annuity) or as the surviving spouse of a deceased active member (receiving a survivor benefit)
• Spouses with early Medicare
• Dependent children