N.J.S.A. 52:14-17.32f — Retired teachers' eligibility, limitation.

52:14-17.32f Retired teachers' eligibility, limitation. 3. A qualified retiree from the Teachers' Pension and Annuity Fund (N.J.S.18A:66-1 et seq.) and dependents of a qualified retiree, but not including survivors, are eligible to participate in the State Health Benefits Program until June 30, 2008, and beginning July 1, 2008, in the School Employees' Health Benefits Program, regardless of whether the retiree's employer participated in the program. A qualified retiree is a retiree who: a. Retired on a benefit based on 25 or more years of service credit; b. Retired on a disability pension based on fewer years of service credit; or c. Elected deferred retirement based on 25 or more years of service credit and who receives a retirement allowance. The program shall reimburse a qualified retiree who participates in the program for the premium charges under Part B of the federal Medicare program for the retiree and the retiree's spouse. A qualified retiree who retired under subsections a. and b. of this section prior to the effective date of this 1987 amendatory and supplementary act is eligible for the coverage if the retiree applies to the program for it within one year after the effective date, and a qualified retiree as defined under subsection c. of this section whose retirement allowance commenced prior to the effective date of this 1992 amendatory act is eligible for the coverage if the retiree applies to the program for it within one year after the effective date. The premium or periodic charges for benefits provided to a qualified retiree and the dependents of the retiree, and the cost for reimbursement of Medicare premiums shall be paid by the State. An employee who becomes a member of the Teachers' Pension and Annuity Fund on or after the effective date of P.L.2010, c.2 shall pay as a qualified retiree 1.5 percent of the retiree's monthly retirement allowance, including any future cost-of-living adjustments, through the withholding of the contribution, for health benefits coverage provided under P.L.2007, c.103 (C.52:14-17.46.1 et seq.) and the State shall pay the remainder of the premium or periodic charges for benefits provided to a qualified retiree and the dependents of the retiree, and the cost for reimbursement of Medicare premiums. L.1987, c.384, s.3; amended 1992, c.126, s.1; 1994, c.62, s.12; 2007, c.103, s.42; 2010, c.2, s.2. 52:14-17.32f1 Applicability of C.52:14-17.32f. 2. The provisions of section 3 of P.L.1987, c.384 (C.52:14-17.32f) shall apply to: a. any employee of a board of education who retires on a benefit or benefits based in the aggregate upon 25 or more years of nonconcurrent service credit in one or more State or locally-administered retirement systems, or retires on a disability pension based upon fewer years of service credit in that system or systems, or elected deferred retirement based in the aggregate upon 25 or more years of nonconcurrent service credit in one or more State or locally-administered retirement systems and receives a retirement allowance from that system or systems; b. any employee of a county college who retires on a benefit or benefits based in the aggregate upon 25 or more years of nonconcurrent service credit in one or more State or locally-administered retirement systems, or retires on a disability pension based upon fewer years of service credit in that system or systems, or elected deferred retirement based in the aggregate upon 25 or more years of nonconcurrent service credit in one or more State or locally-administered retirement systems and receives a retirement allowance from that system or systems; or who receives a disability benefit pursuant to section 18 of P.L.1969, c.242 (C.18A:66-184); and c. any employee of a county college who retires on a benefit based upon 10 or more years of service credit in the alternate benefit program P.L.1969, c.242 (C.18A:66-167 et seq.) and who has additional years of service credited in another defined contribution retirement program as an employee of a private institution of higher education which, under contract with a county government, provided services as a county college and subsequently merged with a county technical institute to become a county college, which additional years of service when added to the service credited in the alternate benefit program totals 25 or more years and any such employee who retired prior to the effective date of P.L.1999, c.382 if the employee applies to the program for coverage within one year after the effective date of P.L.1999, c.382. The costs of the premium or periodic charges for the benefits and reimbursement of medicare premiums provided to a retiree and the dependents of the retiree under this section shall be paid by the State. An employee who becomes a member of a State or locally-administered retirement system on or after the effective date of P.L.2010, c.2 shall pay as a qualified retiree 1.5 percent of the retiree's monthly retirement allowance, including any future cost-of-living adjustments, through the withholding of the contribution, for health benefits coverage provided under P.L.2007, c.103 (C.52:14-17.46.1 et seq.) and the State shall pay the remainder of the premium or periodic charges for benefits provided to a qualified retiree and the dependents of the retiree, and the cost for reimbursement of Medicare premiums. L.1992, c.126, s.2; amended 1999, c.382; 2001, c.209, s.3; 2010, c.2, s.3. 52:14-17.32f2 Applicability of C.52:14-17.32f; coverage. 1. The provisions of section 3 of P.L.1987, c.384 (C.52:14-17.32f) shall apply to any employee of a board of education who is a member of a pension fund created prior to January 5, 1996 under the provisions of article 2 of chapter 66 of Title 18A of the New Jersey Statutes (N.J.S.18A:66-94 et seq.) and who retires on a benefit based upon 25 or more years of service credit in the pension fund, or retires on a disability pension based upon fewer years of service credit in that pension fund, or elected deferred retirement based upon 25 or more years of service credit and receives a retirement allowance from that pension fund, except that the costs of the premium or periodic charges for the benefits and reimbursement of medicare premiums provided to a retiree and the dependents of the retiree under this section shall be paid by the State. An employee who becomes a member of the pension fund on or after the effective date of P.L.2010, c.2 shall pay in retirement 1.5 percent of the retiree's monthly retirement allowance, including any future cost-of-living adjustments, through the withholding of the contribution, for health benefits coverage provided under P.L.2007, c.103 (C.52:14-17.46.1 et seq.) and the State shall pay the remainder of the premium or periodic charges for benefits provided to a qualified retiree and the dependents of the retiree, and the cost for reimbursement of Medicare premiums. An employee who retired prior to the effective date of this act is eligible for the coverage if the employee applies to the program for it within one year after the effective date. L.1995, c.357, s.1; amended 2010, c.2, s.4. 52:14-17.32g Benefits program continued. 1. Notwithstanding any other provisions of P.L.1961, c.49 (C.52:14-17.25 et seq.) to the contrary, the health care benefits of any employee of an employer with at least three years of service under a permanent appointment with that employer and any dependent of the employee may be continued and the premiums for the coverage may be paid by the employer during any approved leave of absence of the employee with or without pay, for a period of up to two years. For the purposes of this section "employer" means a local board of education, regional board of education, county college, educational services commission, jointure commission, county special services school district, county vocational-technical school district, or any board or commission under the authority of the Commissioner of Education, or State Board of Education, as the case may be. L.1989, c.127, s.1; 2007, c.103, s.47. 52:14-17.32h. Enrollment in State Health Benefits Program by former employee of local board of education 4. On or after July 1, 1993, a former employee of a local board of education who: a. retires from employment with the board, b. is receiving a retirement benefit from a State- or locally-administered retirement system, c. is eligible for the federal Medicare program, and d. is participating in the health benefits plan of the board may enroll in the State Health Benefits Program upon enrollment in the federal Medicare program. The laws and regulations governing the program, except as provided in this section, are applicable to enrollments in the program under this section. A former employee of a local board of education who shall have retired from employment with the board prior to July 1, 1993 and who meets the requirements for enrollment in the State Health Benefits Program prescribed in this section may enroll in the program on or after July 1, 1993 and on or before June 30, 1994. L.1993,c.8,s.4.

This is the verbatim text of N.J.S.A. 52:14-17.32f, retrieved from the New Jersey Legislature's public statute corpus. Statutes are amended periodically — for the most current version, check the external source link above. Kyzer is not a law firm and this page is not legal advice.