Bookmark & ShareGeneral Information and Requirements
Updated 4/6/2009
Applicable to:
- Legislators from the Senate and House of Representatives
- Elected and full-time Appointed Officials of the Senate and House of Representatives
- Statewide Elected Officials
- Governor-Appointed Executives
Relevant Rule:
- Legislators, full-time elected and appointed officials of the legislative and executive branches of state government who voluntarily or involuntarily leave state office are eligible to continue insurance coverage as a retiree. (WAC 182-12-171 (1)(3))
- PEBB offers retirees and eligible dependents of retirees medical, dental, and a retiree term life insurance plan for those who had previous PEBB life coverage as a subscriber, and are not on a life insurance disability premium waiver. (WAC 182-12-209)
- PEBB medical, dental, and life insurance will cease at midnight, the last day of the month in which employment ends. (WAC 182-12-131)
- Basic long-term disability insurance ceases at midnight on the date employment ends. Optional coverage ceases at midnight, the last day of the month in which employment ends or the last day in which a required premium payment was made. (WAC 182-12-131)
| Employer must... | ...within... | ...or this will happen |
|---|---|---|
| Terminate official’s PEBB benefits in PAY1 | 30 days from the date employment ends, or as soon as the official’s end date is known | The official’s Continuation of Coverage packet which contains the Retiree Enrollment form will be delayed, resulting in benefit enrollment delays, and possible payment hardships |
- HCA will send the official the Continuation of Coverage Election Notice packet in the mail after the official’s coverage has been terminated in PAY1. (This can take up to 14 days after benefits have been terminated in PAY1).
| Official must... | ...within... | ...or this will happen |
|---|---|---|
| Complete the PEBB Retiree Coverage Election form to enroll or defer coverage | 60 days from the postmark date of the Continuation of Coverage Election Notice | Lose future right to enroll in PEBB retiree coverage |
| Mail, hand-deliver, or fax the Retiree Coverage Election form to the PEBB program (deliver to the address provided in their packet or fax to 360 923-2608) | 60 days from the postmark date of the Continuation of Coverage Election Notice | Lose future right to enroll in PEBB retiree coverage |
| Make the first full payment to HCA for continuation of coverage (if not electing pension deduction from Department of Retirement Systems) | 45 days after the date coverage is elected | Lose future right to enroll in PEBB retiree coverage |
Additional Information:
| Officials who have... | ...may... | ...within |
|---|---|---|
| A spouse or qualified domestic partner also covered by PEBB benefits For additional deferral options, refer to the  Retiree Enrollment Guide (1.8 MB) |
Defer retiree coverage and enroll as a dependent | 60 days from the date the employees employer provided coverage ends |
| PEBB life insurance | Convert coverage to an individual term policy (if covered for 5 years or more) | 31 days from the date the employees employer provided coverage ends or, 60 days from the date the employees employer coverage ended if retiring |
| A spouse or qualified domestic partner also covered by PEBB benefits | Transfer a portion of their optional life insurance to the spouse’s or qualified domestic partner’s PEBB coverage up to the eligible limits (see bullet below) | 31 days from the date the employees employer provided coverage ends |
| A Flexible Spending Account (FSA) through ASI | Apply for Continuation of Coverage through ASI to extend their period of coverage, so that they may claim expenses incurred after their employment ends (see FSA/DCAP FAQ bullet below) | 60 days from the date the employees employer provided coverage ends |
| A spouse or qualified 152 domestic partner also covered by PEBB benefits | Enroll in or change their election through ASI for a Flexible Spending Account (see FSA/DCAP FAQ bullet below) | 60 days from the date the employees employer provided coverage ends |
Guidance Resources
- Officials must contact the Department of Retirement Systems if applying for retirement benefits. Information can be found on their website at www.drs.wa.gov or by calling their toll-free number 1-800-647-6657. Elected and Appointed Officials do not have to receive a retirement plan payment from a state-sponsored retirement system to be eligible for PEBB retiree benefits.
- The Official may contact HCA at 1-800-200-1004 to request a Retiree Insurance Packet, or the staff may order a packet to distribute to the official at: www.perspay.hca.wa.gov, (select Forms and Publications, Order Materials).
- If the official chooses not to use pension deduction to pay retiree premiums, they must submit the first full month’s premium to HCA before PEBB can enroll the official and eligible dependents in coverage.
- "Qualify Reasons" Guide (28.4 KB)
FSA/DCAP FAQ
Washington State Government Organizational Chart (breakdown of agencies led by elected and appointed officials)- Continuation of Coverage (71.9 KB) (explains options for ongoing insurance)
- Transfer Life Insurance (12.6 KB) (explains when employees can transfer life insurance)
- Enrollment after Waiving (20.5 KB) (if enrolling on spouse or qualified domestic partner’s coverage)
- Special Open Enrollment Chart May 2009 (186.4 KB) (explains qualifying events for changing medical and dental plans)
- Layoffs and Terminations Presentation (125.2 KB)
Forms
- Termination and LWOP Checklist (52.6 KB)
- 2009 PEBB-Sponsored Retiree Coverage Election Form (499.6 KB)
- Order Retiree Packet (select Forms and Publications, Order Materials)
- Employee Enrollment/Change form (435.8 KB)
- Spouse or Qualified Domestic Partner Certification (447.9 KB) (if enrolling on spouse or qualified domestic partner’s coverage)
- Life Insurance Change Form (179.6 KB) (for life insurance transfer only)
Rates
- Retiree (240.4 KB)
- Life Insurance – Retiree Rates
- Active Medical (178.4 KB)
- Life Insurance – Employee Rates (applicable after transferring coverage)
System Keying PAY1
- Termination of Employer Coverage (38.5 KB)
- Transfer Life Insurance (57 KB)
- Add Dependents after Initial Enrollment (57.6 KB) (if continuing on spouse or qualified domestic partner’s PEBB coverage)
Common Questions and Issues:
PEBB Knowledge Base – You may direct Officials to the PEBB website (www.pebb.hca.wa.gov) search to view these and other commonly asked questions.
- What are my options for continuing coverage after my health coverage ends?
- Medicare: Top 12 Questions
- Enrollment/Change forms: Which ones do I use? Where do I submit?
- What should I do if my spouse or qualified domestic partner is also eligible for PEBB coverage as an employee or retiree?
- Deferring or Postponing PEBB Retiree coverage
- What do I need to do if I’m a PEBB member thinking about retirement?
- Retiree Payments: Issues and Questions
- Life Insurance: Retiring or leaving state employment
- When does my life insurance end?
Pers/Pay Knowledge Base
- If a retiree’s spouse/domestic partner is enrolled as an employee in an employer-sponsored health plan, and enrolls the retiree under his or her coverage, can the retiree waive PEBB retiree coverage?
- If a retiree returns to work and is eligible for other employer sponsored health coverage, can he or she defer PEBB coverage and re-enroll at a later date when employer coverage terminates?
- I have an employee whose spouse/qualified domestic partner is also a state employee. When the spouse’s coverage terminates, can the spouse transfer any life insurance in force to my employee’s coverage?
WAC References and their general subject matter:
- 182-08-198 - Changing health plans
- 182-08-199 - When may an employee enroll or change their FSA or DCAP?
- 182-12-121 - Change in position
- 182-12-131 - When does employer paid insurance coverage end?
- 182-12-133 - Options for continuing coverage when no longer eligible for employer coverage
- 182-12-171 - When are retiring employees eligible to enroll in retiree insurance?
- 182-08-200 - Defer enrollment in a PEBB retiree health plan
- 182-12-205 - May a retiree defer enrollment in a PEBB health plan at or after retirement?
- 182-12-207 - When can a retiree or dependent’s insurance coverage be canceled by HCA?
- 182-12-208 - May a retiree enroll only in dental?
- 182-12-209 - Who is eligible for retiree life insurance?
