The Early Retiree Medical & Dental Benefit allows SEIU employees the opportunity to continue medical and/or dental coverage after retirement from Emerson, with the same rates as active SEIU employees, until they turn age 65.
Who is Eligible:
- Staff who are between the ages of 62 and 65 on the date of their retirement from Emerson
- Staff who have worked in benefits-eligible positions at Emerson for at least 12 continuous years at the time of their retirement*
- Staff who are enrolled in medical and/or dental coverage at Emerson on the date of their retirement
This benefit will be effective for employees retiring on or after February 1, 2023.
Additional Information Regarding This Benefit:
- Retiring Staff must Contact Human Resources prior to their retirement/termination date requesting enrollment in this benefit.
- Only dependents (children and spouses) who are covered under the Emerson medical/dental plans on the date of the employee's termination of employment can be covered under the Early Retiree benefit. No dependents can be added to coverage (throughout the Early Retiree coverage), but dependents can be dropped from coverage at any time. (Also - a reminder that coverage for dependent children ends on the last day of the month of their 26th birthday.)
- Note that this benefit does not include vision coverage. (Vision, as well as Healthcare FSA coverage can be continued via COBRA).
- Health Equity is the administrator of this benefit (Health Equity also administers our COBRA benefits).
- As long as the (former) employee continues their (timely) monthly payments for this direct bill coverage; the coverage can continue until the employee reaches age 65 (will end last day of month they turn 65).
- Coverage for children and spouses will also end when the employee turns age 65; they will be eligible for COBRA continuation when the Early Retiree Direct Bill coverage ends.
* Benefits-eligible service is considered continuous if there is less than a three-month break in service at any time during the required service period.