Answering your retirement questions

By SHERRY HALBROOK
The following questions were submitted by members to the PEF Retirement Reform Committee. If you would like to submit a retirement-related question, send it to the committee at PO Box 12414, Albany, NY 12212-2414.

Q: How can I enroll in a dental and vision care program when I retire?

A: Dental and vision benefits are not part of the NYS Health Insurance Program, and sick-leave credits cannot be used to reduce premiums for dental and vision benefits. Furthermore, the NYS Retirement System does not administer health benefits and they are not part of your retirement package.

However, you can find information on the PEF Retirees page of the PEF Web site about your options.

A PEF PS&T member’s dental and vision benefits will continue for 28 days after the last day of the final payroll period worked. You may have up to three options for continuing dental coverage when you retire – COBRA, a direct payment GHI dental plan, or the PEF Retirees dental/vision program.

• COBRA – If you are age 64 or younger, you can continue your dental and vision benefits for yourself and any covered dependents for up to 18 months under provisions of COBRA (the federal Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act.) However, you must act promptly to make this selection.

If you are 65 or older and enrolled in Medicare at the time of retirement you are also eligible for COBRA. The COBRA dental plan offers identical benefits to the dental plan enjoyed by active members. After COBRA ends, a retiree who wants to continue dental coverage can either start the GHI direct payment plan, or join the PEF Retirees Dental/Vision Program.

Coverage for COBRA is effective on the first day of the month following your retirement date. The current monthly rates for continuing your dental coverage under COBRA are $28.89 for an individual and $75.72 for the family plan. Vision coverage costs $3.66 per month for individuals and $9.81 for families. You pay the NYS Department of Civil Service.
You should receive an enrollment form and summary of benefits when you retire. If not, you may call GHI at 800-947-0101 to request one. When COBRA eligibility expires after 18 months, you can use the PEF Retiree plan or find another source.

• GHI Direct Pay Plan – You may join the plan when you retire, or switch to it when COBRA coverage ends. Those are your only opportunities to enroll. You can’t let your coverage lapse and then decide to enroll in the GHI Direct Pay Plan.
The monthly rates are $37.15 for yourself; $69.93 for you and your spouse; or $103.68 for the family plan. GHI would bill you quarterly.

• PEF Retirees Plan – If you join PEF Retirees, you can get dental and/or vision coverage through a plan administered by USI Affinity. You can enroll in this plan at any time. The dental plan is the GHI Preferred Dental Plan. If you enroll in it through PEF Retirees, you automatically receive the EyeMed discount vision program at no extra cost. Or you can enroll in the vision plan separately for $21.85 per year. It does not provide “free” eyeglasses, but it does offer discounts on glasses, contacts and laser vision correction.

For details on coverage provided under these options or for other dental and vision information, go online to www.pef.org
 and select Retirees, then Dental/vision, or call PEF Retirees at 800-342-4306, ext. 289.