Who's Eligible for Retiree Medical Benefits
County-paid coverage ends the last day of the month you retire. You may pay to continue county medical and vision coverage and elect a different retiree dental plan offered through Washington Dental Service if you:
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have county benefits on your last day of employment;
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have worked for King County for at least five consecutive years before you retire;
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aren't eligible for Medicare (if you're Medicare-eligible, you may not continue medical and vision coverage, but you may purchase a retiree dental plan when you retire);
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aren't covered under another medical group plan; and
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meet the requirements for formal service or disability retirement under a Washington State Department of Retirement Systems pension plan or the City of Seattle Retirement Plan (which applies only if you elected to remain under the City of Seattle system according to a formal agreement between King County and the City of Seattle).
However, there is an exception. You're not eligible to participate in retiree medical benefits if:
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you've opted out of your own coverage in order to be covered under your spouse/domestic partner's county coverage; and
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you retire before your spouse/domestic partner does.
Your county health care coverage must be in your name at the time you retire for you to be eligible for retiree medical benefits. However, you may continue coverage under your spouse/domestic partner's county health care benefits. If you choose to continue coverage under your spouse/domestic partner's county health care benefits, at the time of your retirement, you must notify Fringe Benefits Management Company (FBMC), the county's COBRA and retiree medical benefit administrator, that you're deferring your enrollment in retiree medical benefits until your spouse/domestic partner is no longer covered under the county plan. (See Contact Information.)
Covered dependents are eligible for continued coverage under your retiree medical benefits if they're not eligible for Medicare and meet the same eligibility requirements in effect when you were an active employee. Retiree medical benefits don't include life, AD&D and LTD coverage.
If you're participating in a health care flexible spending account (FSA) when you become eligible for retiree medical benefits or COBRA, you may continue participating through the end of the calendar year. (For more information, see Flexible Spending Accounts.)
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