Wash. Admin. Code § 182-12-200 – May a retiring employee, a retiring school employee, or a retiree enrolled as a dependent in a health plan sponsored by public employees benefits board (PEBB) or school employees benefits board (SEBB) defer enrollment under PEBB retiree insurance coverage?

(1) A retiring employee or a retiring school employee may defer enrollment in public employees benefits board (PEBB) retiree insurance coverage at retirement if they meet substantive eligibility requirements as described in WAC 182-12-171(2) or as described in WAC 182-12-180(1). An enrolled retiree may defer enrollment after enrolling in PEBB retiree insurance coverage. Enrollment in PEBB retiree insurance coverage may be deferred when they are enrolled as a dependent in a health plan sponsored by PEBB or school employees benefits board (SEBB), including such coverage under the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act (COBRA) or continuation coverage.
(2) A retiring employee, a retiring school employee, or a retiree who defers enrollment in PEBB retiree insurance coverage defers enrollment in PEBB medical, PEBB dental, and PEBB vision. A retiree must be enrolled in PEBB medical to enroll in PEBB dental except for a nonmedicare retiree must enroll in PEBB medical to be able to enroll in PEBB dental, in PEBB vision, or in both PEBB dental and PEBB vision. A retiree who defers enrollment also defers enrollment for all eligible dependents. A retiree may only defer enrollment in PEBB retiree term life insurance as described in WAC 182-12-209 (3)(b).

(3) A retiring employee, a retiring school employee, or a retiree who defers enrollment as described in this section may later enroll themselves and their dependents in a PEBB health plan by submitting the required forms as described below and evidence of continuous enrollment in a health plan sponsored by PEBB or SEBB. Evidence of continuous enrollment in a health plan sponsored by a Washington state educational service district may be required if a retiring employee, a retiring school employee, or a retiree deferred enrollment under this section prior to January 1, 2024. A gap of 31 days or less is allowed between the date PEBB retiree insurance coverage is deferred and the start date of enrollment in a health plan sponsored by PEBB, a Washington state educational service district, or SEBB, and between each period of enrollment in qualifying coverages as described in WAC 182-12-205 (3)(a) through (e) during the deferral period:

(a) During the PEBB annual open enrollment period. The required form must be received by the PEBB program no later than the last day of the open enrollment period. PEBB health plan coverage begins January 1st of the following year; or

(b) When enrollment in a health plan sponsored by PEBB, or SEBB ends, or such coverage under COBRA or continuation coverage ends. The required forms to enroll must be received by the PEBB program no later than 60 days after coverage ends. PEBB health plan coverage begins the first day of the month following the date the other coverage ends. To continue in a deferred status, the retiree must defer enrollment as described in WAC 182-12-205.

Note:

Enrollment in the PEBB program's medicare advantage (MA) plan, medicare advantage-prescription drug (MA-PD) plan, or the Uniform Medical Plan (UMP) Classic medicare plan may not be retroactive.(1) If a subscriber elects to enroll in a MA plan, and the required forms are received by the PEBB program after the date the PEBB retiree insurance coverage is to begin, the subscriber and their enrolled dependents will be enrolled in a plan with the same contracted vendor during the gap month(s) prior to when the MA coverage begins.(2) If a subscriber elects to enroll in a MA-PD plan, and the required forms are received by the PEBB program after the date the PEBB retiree insurance coverage is to begin, the subscriber and their enrolled dependents will be enrolled in transitional coverage as designated by the director or designee during the gap month(s) prior to when the MA-PD coverage begins.(3) If a subscriber elects to enroll in the UMP Classic medicare plan, and the required forms are received by the PEBB program after the date the PEBB retiree insurance coverage is to begin, the subscriber and their enrolled dependents will be enrolled in transitional UMP coverage during the gap month(s) prior to when the UMP Classic medicare plan begins.

(c) If a retiree elects to enroll a dependent in PEBB health plan coverage as described in this subsection, the dependent must be enrolled in the same PEBB medical or PEBB dental plan as the retiree.

Exceptions:

(1) If a retiree selects a medicare supplement plan, a MA-PD plan, or the UMP Classic medicare plan, nonmedicare enrollees will be enrolled in the UMP Classic. If a retiree selects any other medicare plan, they must also select a nonmedicare plan with the same contracted vendor available to nonmedicare enrollees.(2) If a retiree selects a medicare supplement plan, MA-PD plan, or any other medicare plan, they may elect a PEBB vision plan available for any nonmedicare enrollees.

(d) A nonmedicare retiree must enroll in PEBB medical to be able to enroll in PEBB dental, in PEBB vision, or in both PEBB dental and PEBB vision. Any nonmedicare dependents they elect to enroll must be enrolled in the same PEBB medical, PEBB dental, and PEBB vision plan.

[Statutory Authority: RCW 41.05.021, 41.06.065 [ 41.05.065], and 41.05.160. WSR 24-18-083 (Admin #2024-02), § 182-12-200, filed 8/29/24, effective 1/1/25. Statutory Authority: RCW 41.05.021 and 41.05.160. WSR 23-14-015 (Admin #2023-01), § 182-12-200, filed 6/23/23, effective 1/1/24. Statutory Authority: RCW 41.05.021, 41.05.160, and Policy Resolution PEBB 2022-03. WSR 22-13-160 (Admin #2022-02.03), § 182-12-200, filed 6/21/22, effective 1/1/23. Statutory Authority: RCW 41.05.021, 41.05.160 and Policy resolution PEBB 2021-14. WSR 21-13-104 (Admin #2021-01.04), § 182-12-200, filed 6/18/21, effective 1/1/22. Statutory Authority: RCW 41.05.021, 41.05.160, 42 C.F.R. § 422.62(b) and § 423.38(c) and PEBB policy resolution 2020-05. WSR 20-16-063 (Admin #2020-02), § 182-12-200, filed 7/28/20, effective 1/1/21. Statutory Authority: RCW 41.05.021, 41.05.160, and PEBB policy resolutions. WSR 19-17-073 (Admin #2019-01), § 182-12-200, filed 8/20/19, effective 1/1/20; WSR 18-20-117 (Admin #2018-02), § 182-12-200, filed 10/3/18, effective 1/1/19. Statutory Authority: RCW 41.05.021, 41.05.160, 2016 c 67, and PEBB policy resolutions. WSR 16-20-080, § 182-12-200, filed 10/4/16, effective 1/1/17. Statutory Authority: RCW 41.05.160, 2015 c 116, and PEBB policy resolutions. WSR 15-22-099 (PEBB Admin # 2015-01 Rev 1), § 182-12-200, filed 11/4/15, effective 1/1/16. Statutory Authority: RCW 41.05.160 and 2013 2nd sp.s. c 4. WSR 14-20-058 (PEBB Admin 2014-02), § 182-12-200, filed 9/25/14, effective 1/1/15. Statutory Authority: RCW 41.05.160. WSR 09-23-102 (Order 09-02), § 182-12-200, filed 11/17/09, effective 1/1/10; WSR 08-20-128 (Order 08-03), § 182-12-200, filed 10/1/08, effective 1/1/09; WSR 07-20-129 (Order 07-01), § 182-12-200, filed 10/3/07, effective 11/3/07. Statutory Authority: RCW 41.05.160 and 41.05.165. WSR 04-18-039, § 182-12-200, filed 8/26/04, effective 1/1/05. Statutory Authority: RCW 41.05.160. WSR 01-17-041 (Order 01-00), § 182-12-200, filed 8/9/01, effective 9/9/01; WSR 97-21-127, § 182-12-200, filed 10/21/97, effective 11/21/97. Statutory Authority: Chapter 41.05 RCW. WSR 96-08-043, § 182-12-200, filed 3/29/96, effective 4/29/96; Order 4-77, § 182-12-200, filed 11/17/77.]