Proposed additions to the
Charlton Personnel By-Law
a. The terminology “retiree” means an eligible employee separating from the Town of Charlton and eligible to receive a pension/annuity from the Worcester Regional Retirement System. An eligible employee is one scheduled to work a minimum of twenty hours per week. An employee customarily working less than twenty hours per week regardless of age at separation is not considered a retiree.
b. The Town of Charlton provides a 50% contribution (MGL chapter 32B, section 9A, adopted May 7, 1988) to retiree’s group health insurance plan(s). The Town of Charlton provides 50% (chapter 32B, section 9B, adopted December 6, 1994) contribution towards the spouse’s participation and a surviving spouse (chapter 32B, section 9D, adopted June 6, 1996). The retiree may participate in the currently offered HMO or PPO plan until reaching the age of 65. At age 65 the retiree (and spouse at age 65) must sign up for MEDICARE PART A & B and enroll in the available senior.
c. To be eligible to participate in the group health plan the retiree must have been employed by the Town of Charlton for five years (5) or more as an eligible employee. The employment need not be contiguous but clearly exceed five years of service in total. The length of service may be altered by contract or other employment agreement by the appointing authority. This requirement does not apply to disability retirement.
d. The retiree need not be enrolled at time of retirement to be eligible but may only enroll based on a qualifying event or at annual open enrollment (currently July 1st).
e. A qualifying event is one of the following circumstances that causes the loss of coverage:
- Termination of employment.
- Death of the employee.
- Divorce or legal separation.
- Loss of eligibility for a dependent child.
- Employee becomes eligible to Medicare.
- Retiree loses coverage due to formers employer’s bankruptcy.