Rules to Know for Employees and Retirees

Long term disability
If you were hired after September 1985 and are an active municipal employee or classified firefighter, you are covered under the Compensable Sick Leave Plan. After two years of employment, you are usually covered under the Long Term Disability Plan. If you become disabled, you must apply for your disability benefit within 12 months after the disability caused you to stop working. You may qualify to receive the benefit until age 65.

Life insurance
Review your life insurance beneficiary NOW. If you have had a “life event” like marriage, divorce, birth, adoption, or death, you may want to change your beneficiary. If your minor child is the beneficiary of your life insurance, the life-insurance company will keep that money until your child reaches age 18, or until the insurance company receives legal documentation showing a financial guardian for your child. An employee is the beneficiary of his/her dependents’ life insurance.

If your spouse and you work for the city, you each may be covered only once under the life-insurance plan, as either an employee or a dependent. Only one of you may cover dependent children. As an employee, you may buy coverage of up to four times your base salary. As a dependent spouse, your maximum coverage is $50,000. A child’s maximum is $10,000.

Medical/Dental coverage
If you die while you are an active employee, your covered surviving spouse and covered dependent children may keep medical and/or dental coverage until your spouse remarries or becomes covered under another group medical or dental plan. The children may be covered until age 25. Your spouse will same premiums based on “employee rates.”

COBRA
If you are covered under the benefits plans when you terminate employment, you may keep your medical and dental coverage for 18 months through the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act. You will pay the total premium. If you become disabled during that period, you may keep COBRA benefits for 29 months, when you should qualify for Medicare.

No paycheck? Keep your benefits If you are an active employee or retiree and you do not receive a paycheck from the city but want to retain your benefits, you must pay your premiums directly to the benefits division at 611 Walker, 4th floor. Premiums are not deducted for your benefits from the check that you receive from the workers’ compensation carrier.

What’s in your benefits file?
You may review your benefits file at 611 Walker, 4th floor, weekdays, 8 a.m. – 5 p.m. Because your records are confidential and protected, a written request, a written release with your notarized signature, or your physical presence is required. Present your city ID card. Information will not be released over the telephone.

Change of address
When you change your mailing address, you need to also update your address with the city’s central payroll division or your pension office, and complete a benefits change form for the medical/dental plans. To receive important information about your medical and dental plans, your address must be current at all times.

Small pension check? Pay your premiums by check or money order
If you are a retiree and find that you need to pay your health care premiums by check or money order, you may do so. Contact the Benefits Division at (713) 837-9400 or (888) 205-9266.

 
   

 

 
City of Houston
Health Fair

Thursday
April 21, 2005
9 a.m. to 2 p.m.

 
 

 

 

Important note:
If you are enrolled in the medical, dental or supplemental insurance plans and don’t want to make any changes - don’t do anything. Your coverage will remain in effect through April 30, 2006.

Important note: For medical and dental plans, only new enrollees will receive new ID cards for May 1, 2005. Your current ID card has no expiration date. If you need additional or replacement ID cards, order them through the provider, as usual.

 
   

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

   
     

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Medicare Advantage Plans >> Plan Highlights ll Rates ll Things to Consider ll Rules to Know ll Contacts