Enrolling, Deferring and Making Changes
If you decide to retire, you must elect or defer retiree medical coverage
within the 90-day period prior to your last day of service.
Electing Coverage
To elect coverage under Penn’s retiree health benefits, you must list yourself and the eligible dependents you’d like to cover on Penn’s Retiree Health Enrollment Form. If you (and your eligible dependents) do not enroll in the medical/prescription drug program and do not
defer within 90 days prior to your last day of service, you/they will be deemed to have permanently waived coverage and will not be able to enroll at a future date.
Deferring Coverage
You may choose to defer medical/prescription drug coverage for yourself and your existing dependents (those who meet the eligibility requirements on your last day of service). This means that you can postpone enrolling in Penn’s medical/prescription drug coverage now and then elect it at a future date. If you or your eligible dependents do not wish to enroll at the time of your retirement, because you/they have coverage under another plan, you must list yourself and your eligible dependents on Penn’s Retiree Health Enrollment Form and check the deferral box. Note that in order for your dependents to enroll at some future date, you must also be enrolled at that same time. You and/or your dependents will need to provide proof of coverage prior to enrolling in Penn’s plan. Remember that if you don’t enroll or defer within 90 days prior to your last day of service, you and your dependents will be deemed to have permanently waived coverage under the University’s retiree medical/prescription plans.
Changing Your Elections
Each year, retirees will have an Annual Selection Period, during which election changes may be made. Otherwise, you can only make changes if you have a qualifying event, which includes moving to a residence outside a covered service area, divorce, termination of a domestic partnership or the death of a spouse/same-sex domestic partner. You have 30 days from the date of a qualifying event to make a change to your coverage.