Current Retirees

Things you need to do on a monthly basis:

• Pay your monthly premiums. If you don’t pay your premiums your coverages will be canceled. Once you leave the State of MN retiree group you can’t get back in. 

If you continued your life insurances, those coverages will end 18 months after you retire. Watch for paperwork mailed to your house that will explain your conversion options. 

If you retired before turning 65 and you opted to continue the Optional Life insurance for yourself or your spouse, you should monitor your premiums yearly to see if you will gain the 15% paid up benefit.

Open Enrollment happens every year. Even though you are retired, you can still participate.

• You will receive a booklet in the mail in the fall of each year with all of the details you need to have a successful Open Enrollment.
• Retiree-only Open Enrollment meetings are offered each year, the schedule for these meetings is in the booklet mailed to your home.
• Dental insurance is only available every other year.
• If you are shopping for alternative medical coverage, remember to account for a drug plan. Also remember that if you leave the state’s group you cannot rejoin later.

There are many things you can do at any time to keep your benefits running smoothly while you are retired:

• Contact MSRS to learn more about using your Health Care Savings Plan to reimburse your premiums and other health care expenses.
• Consider joining the Minnesota Retired State Employees Association (MRSEA).
• Visit the Life Benefits website to review travel insurance benefit, legacy planning, will preparation, and information about financial consultations following a claim.
• Update your life insurance beneficiary on the Life Benefits website. 

There are things you need to do and changes you can make when you experience a life event that effects your retirement benefits.

When you move

• Contact your plan administrator to maintain your address.
• It is important that your plan administrator has your most up to date address so that you receive your invoices on time. If your coverage is cancelled for nonpayment because your plan administrator had the incorrect address, you will not be able to re-enroll in the state group medical insurance. 

When you make a permanent move outside of Minnesota or the service area

• If you are 64 and younger, you must get care through providers in your Blue Cross or HealthPartners national network. That care is covered through the out-of-area schedule of benefits.
• If you are over 65, you may need to complete a Continuation of Health Insurance Change Form to switch to the Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota Coordinated Plan or HealthPartners Medicare Group Solutions. The Coordinated Plan and HealthPartners Medicare Group Solutions are the senior plans available to people whose permanent residence is outside the state of Minnesota and the surrounding Wisconsin counties.
  

When you are re-employed by the state

• Contact SEGIP to discuss the impact your rehire has on your retiree insurance.

Contact SEGIP if you have to add a dependent based on one of the following events:

• Marriage
• Loss of other employer group insurance coverage

There are things you need to do and changes you can make when you experience a life event that effects your retirement benefits.

One year before turning 65

• Prepare for the year in which you will turn 65 or your spouse will turn 65 by reviewing the senior plan information.
• This information is included in the Open Enrollment retiree booklet that is mailed to your home each fall. 
• Visit the Retirement Contacts page to learn how to contact the senior plan administrators to learn more about what the plans offer.
  

Three months before turning 65

• Now is the time to enroll in Medicare parts A and B. Contact Medicare or your local Social Security office to begin.
• If you will enroll in one of the state sponsored senior plans your Medicare part D is included in your enrollment. 
• CAUTION: Members enrolling in state sponsored senior plans should not apply for or purchase Medicare Part D from another Part D insurance company for prescription drug coverage. 
• Enrolling in Part D with an insurance company that is different from your SEGIP group plan administrator will terminate participation in the state’s senior plans. If you purchase that coverage, you will permanently lose medical insurance coverage in the state’s retiree group!

Two months before turning 65

• Watch for your senior plan enrollment packet to be mailed to your home address. 
• You should fill out and submit your enrollment packet as soon as possible. 
• You may receive information about other plans offered by some of the same insurance companies or plan administrators that offer the plans that the state sponsors. If you enroll in a plan that is not sponsored by the state you forfeit your membership in SEGIP and will never be able to re-enroll in the state group medical insurance. 
• You must notify SEGIP within 60 days if you are choosing to leave the state group medical insurance and your dependents wish to continue their coverage through COBRA.