§ 38-783 — Retired members; dependents; health insurance; premium payment; separate account; definitions

A. Subject to subsections G, H and I of this section, the board shall pay from ASRS assets part of the single coverage premium of any health and accident insurance for each retired member, contingent annuitant or member with a disability of ASRS if the member elects to participate in the coverage provided by ASRS or section 38-651.01 or elects to participate in a health and accident insurance program provided or administered by an employer or paid for, in whole or in part, by an employer to an insurer. A contingent annuitant must be receiving a monthly retirement benefit from ASRS in order to obtain any premium payment provided by this section. The board shall pay:

1. Up to $150 per month for a member of ASRS who is not eligible for medicare if the retired member or member with a disability has ten or more years of credited service.

2. Up to $100 per month for each member of ASRS who is eligible for medicare if the retired member or member with a disability has ten or more years of credited service.

B. Subject to subsections G, H and I of this section, the board shall pay from ASRS assets part of the family coverage premium of any health and accident insurance for a retired member, contingent annuitant or member with a disability of ASRS who elects family coverage and who otherwise qualifies for payment pursuant to subsection A of this section. If a member of ASRS and the member's spouse are both either retired or have disabilities under ASRS and apply for family coverage, the member who elects family coverage is entitled to receive the payments under this section as if they were both applying under a single coverage premium unless the payment under this section for family coverage is greater. Payment under this subsection is in the following amounts:

1. Up to $260 per month if the member of ASRS and one or more dependents are not eligible for medicare.

2. Up to $170 per month if the member of ASRS and one or more dependents are eligible for medicare.

3. Up to $215 per month if either:

(a) The member of ASRS is not eligible for medicare and one or more dependents are eligible for medicare.

(b) The member of ASRS is eligible for medicare and one or more dependents are not eligible for medicare.

C. In addition each retired member, contingent annuitant or member with a disability of ASRS with less than ten years of credited service and a dependent of such a retired member, contingent annuitant or member with a disability who elects to participate in the coverage provided by ASRS or section 38-651.01 or who elects to participate in a health and accident insurance program provided or administered by an employer or paid for, in whole or in part, by an employer to an insurer is entitled to receive a proportion of the full benefit prescribed by subsection A or B of this section according to the following schedule:

1. 9.0 to 9.9 years of credited service, ninety percent.

2. 8.0 to 8.9 years of credited service, eighty percent.

3. 7.0 to 7.9 years of credited service, seventy percent.

4. 6.0 to 6.9 years of credited service, sixty percent.

5. 5.0 to 5.9 years of credited service, fifty percent.

6. Those with less than five years of credited service do not qualify for the benefit.

D. The board shall not pay more than the amount prescribed in this section for a member of ASRS.

E. Notwithstanding subsections A, B and C of this section, for a member who retires on or after August 2, 2012, the board shall not make a payment under this section to a retired member, contingent annuitant or member with a disability who is enrolled in an employer's active employee group health and accident insurance program either as the insured or as a dependent, except that if the retired member, contingent annuitant or member with a disability is enrolled as a dependent and the premium paid to the employer's active employee group health and accident insurance program is not subsidized by the employer, the retired member, contingent annuitant or member with a disability is entitled to receive the amount provided in subsection A of this section.

F. The board shall establish a separate account that consists of the benefits provided by this section. The board shall not use or divert any part of the corpus or income of the account for any purpose other than the provision of and the cost of administering the benefits under this section or the self-insurance program pursuant to section 38-782 unless the liabilities of ASRS to provide the benefits are satisfied. If the liabilities of ASRS to provide the benefits described in this section and section 38-782 are satisfied, the board shall return any amount remaining in the account to the employer.

G. Payment of the benefits provided by this section is subject to the following conditions:

1. The payment of the benefits is subordinate to the payment of retirement benefits payable by ASRS.

2. The total of contributions for the benefits and actual contributions for life insurance protection, if any, shall not exceed twenty-five percent of the total actual employer and employee contributions to ASRS, less contributions to fund past service credits, after the day the account is established.

3. The board shall deposit the benefits provided by this section in the account.

4. The contributions by the employer to the account shall be reasonable and ascertainable.

H. A member who elects to receive a retirement benefit pursuant to section 38-760, subsection B, paragraph 1 may elect at the time of retirement an optional form of health and accident insurance premium benefit payment pursuant to this subsection as follows:

1. The optional premium benefit payment shall be an amount prescribed by subsection A, B or C of this section that is actuarially reduced to the retiring member for life. The amount of the optional premium benefit payment shall be the actuarial equivalent of the premium benefit payment to which the retired member would otherwise be entitled. The election in a manner prescribed by the board shall name the contingent annuitant and may be revoked at any time before the retiring member's effective date of retirement. At any time after benefits have commenced, the member may name a different contingent annuitant or rescind the election by written notice to the board as follows:

(a) If the retired member names a different contingent annuitant, the optional premium benefit payment shall be adjusted to the actuarial equivalent of the original premium benefit payment based on the age of the new contingent annuitant. The adjustment shall include all postretirement increases or decreases in amounts prescribed by subsection A, B or C of this section that are authorized by law after the retired member's date of retirement. Payment of this adjusted premium benefit payment shall continue under the provisions of the optional premium benefit payment previously elected by the retired member. A retired member cannot name a different contingent annuitant if the retired member has at any time rescinded the optional form of health and accident insurance premium benefit payment.

(b) If the retired member rescinds the election, the retired member shall thereafter receive the premium benefit payment that the retired member would otherwise be entitled to receive if the retired member had not elected the optional premium benefit payment, including all postretirement increases or decreases in amounts prescribed by subsection A, B or C of this section that are authorized by law after the member's date of retirement. The increased benefit payment shall continue during the remainder of the retired member's lifetime. The decision to rescind shall be irrevocable.

2. If, at the time of the retired member's death:

(a) The retired member was receiving a reduced premium benefit payment based on an amount prescribed in subsection B or C of this section and the contingent annuitant is eligible for family health and accident insurance coverage, the contingent annuitant is entitled to receive a premium benefit payment based on an amount prescribed in subsection B or C of this section times the reduction factor applied to the retired member's premium benefit payment times the joint and survivor option reduction factor elected by the retired member at the time of retirement pursuant to section 38-760, subsection B, paragraph 1.

(b) The retired member was receiving a reduced premium benefit payment based on an amount prescribed in subsection A or C of this section and the contingent annuitant is eligible for single health and accident insurance coverage, the contingent annuitant is entitled to receive a premium benefit payment based on an amount prescribed in subsection A or C of this section times the reduction factor applied to the retired member's premium benefit payment times the joint and survivor option reduction factor elected by the retired member at the time of retirement pursuant to section 38-760, subsection B, paragraph 1.

(c) The retired member was receiving a reduced premium benefit payment based on an amount prescribed in subsection B or C of this section and the contingent annuitant is not eligible for family health and accident insurance coverage, the contingent annuitant is entitled to receive a premium benefit payment based on an amount prescribed in subsection A or C of this section times the reduction factor applied to the retired member's premium benefit payment times the joint and survivor option reduction factor elected by the retired member at the time of retirement pursuant to section 38-760, subsection B, paragraph 1.

I. A member who elects to receive a retirement benefit pursuant to section 38-760, subsection B, paragraph 2 may elect at the time of retirement an optional form of health and accident insurance premium benefit payment pursuant to this subsection as follows:

1. The optional premium benefit payment shall be an amount prescribed by subsection A, B or C of this section that is actuarially reduced with payments for five, ten or fifteen years that are not dependent on the continued lifetime of the retired member but whose payments continue for the retired member's lifetime beyond the five, ten or fifteen year period. The election in a manner prescribed by the board shall name one contingent annuitant to receive the optional premium benefit payment and may be revoked at any time before the retiring member's effective date of retirement. At any time after benefits have commenced, the member may name a different contingent annuitant or rescind the election by written notice to the board. If the retired member rescinds the election, the retired member shall thereafter receive the premium benefit payment that the retired member would otherwise be entitled to receive if the retired member had not elected the optional premium benefit payment, including all postretirement increases or decreases in amounts prescribed by subsection A, B or C of this section that are authorized by law after the member's date of retirement. The increased benefit payment shall continue during the remainder of the retired member's lifetime. The decision to rescind shall be irrevocable.

2. If, at the time of the retired member's death:

(a) The retired member was receiving a reduced premium benefit payment based on an amount prescribed in subsection B or C of this section and the contingent annuitant is eligible for family health and accident insurance coverage, the contingent annuitant is entitled to receive a premium benefit payment based on an amount prescribed in subsection B or C of this section times the period certain and life option reduction factor elected by the retired member at the time of retirement pursuant to section 38-760, subsection B, paragraph 2.

(b) The retired member was receiving a reduced premium benefit payment based on an amount prescribed in subsection A or C of this section and the contingent annuitant is eligible for single health and accident insurance coverage, the contingent annuitant is entitled to receive a premium benefit payment based on an amount prescribed in subsection A or C of this section times the period certain and life option reduction factor elected by the retired member at the time of retirement pursuant to section 38-760, subsection B, paragraph 2.

(c) The retired member was receiving a reduced premium benefit payment based on an amount prescribed in subsection B or C of this section and the contingent annuitant is not eligible for family health and accident insurance coverage, the contingent annuitant is entitled to receive a premium benefit payment based on an amount prescribed in subsection A or C of this section times the period certain and life option reduction factor elected by the retired member at the time of retirement pursuant to section 38-760, subsection B, paragraph 2.

J. If, at the time of retirement, a retiring member does not elect to receive a reduced premium benefit payment pursuant to subsection H or I of this section, the retired member's contingent annuitant is not eligible at any time for the optional premium benefit payment.

K. If a member who is eligible for benefits pursuant to this section forfeits the member's interest in the account before the termination of ASRS, an amount equal to the amount of the forfeiture shall be applied as soon as possible to reduce employer contributions to fund the benefits provided by this section.

L. A contingent annuitant is not eligible for any premium benefit payment if the contingent annuitant was not enrolled in an eligible health and accident insurance plan at the time of the retired member's death or if the contingent annuitant is not the dependent beneficiary or insured surviving dependent as provided in section 38-782.

M. For the purposes of this section:

1. "Account" means the separate account established pursuant to subsection F of this section.

2. "Credited service" includes prior service.

3. "Prior service" means service for this state or a political subdivision of this state before membership in the defined contribution program administered by ASRS.

4. "Subsidized" means a portion of the total premium is paid by the employer, but does not necessarily mean a plan in which the employer uses blended rates to determine the total premium.