§ 635 - Coverage; beneficiaries of deceased retirees
§ 635. Coverage; beneficiaries of deceased retirees
(a) The surviving spouse of a retired employee who elected option 3 or option 4 under 3 V.S.A. § 468 shall be eligible to participate in the group health insurance program provided in this chapter. Premiums shall be paid at the full actuarial rate by the eligible spouse with no contribution from the state, except as specified in subsection (b) of this section, and shall be deducted from the eligible spouse's retirement check.
(b) Premiums paid by the surviving spouse of a retired employee who retired due to disability after January 1, 1998 and died prior to age 65, and the surviving dependents of an employee who died in service after January 1, 1998 who are eligible for continued medical benefits pursuant to sections 464 and 465 of this title and subsection (a) of this section, shall be prorated on the same basis as is provided for active employees by the current collective bargaining agreement for the nonmanagement unit. The covered survivors may continue coverage subject to the rules of the medical plan, by paying this prorated share, until the survivor becomes eligible for coverage under another group medical plan, or another plan offered by the state or federal government becomes eligible for Medicare or adds a spouse to the coverage. If the survivor becomes eligible for coverage under another group medical plan, coverage shall terminate. If the surviving spouse becomes eligible for Medicare or adds a spouse to the coverage, he or she may continue coverage by paying the full actuarial rate with no contribution from the state, in the same manner as surviving spouses of nondisability retirees pursuant to subsection (a) of this section. (Added 1981, No. 91, § 23, eff. July 5, 1981; 1997, No. 89 (Adj. Sess.), § 12, eff. April 13, 1998.)