(A) Except as provided in § 34.68(C) and (D), an employee is eligible for this benefit, without regard to the percentage of vesting, only when the employee qualifies for early retirement or normal retirement while still in service under the applicable retirement plan, or prior to the employee’s Normal Retirement Date if the employee is not a member of a plan and has completed ten years of continuous service to the city and attained age 55, the employee may elect to participate in this program, even if he/she separates from continuous service to the city prior to the normal retirement date, provided the employee:
(1) Notifies the city in writing prior to his/her separation from the city or his/her desire and intent to participate in the program upon attainment of the normal retirement date.
(2) Agrees to and actually pays to the city, on a monthly basis, the premiums for the Group Health/Life Insurance Policy the employee was covered by prior to his/her separation from the city from the date of separation to his/her normal retirement date. If for any reasons the employee fails to make timely payments at any time prior to the employee’s normal retirement date the employee shall not be entitled to participate in this program hereafter.
(B) Following the employee’s attainment of the normal retirement date and actual separation from continuous service to the city or the date an employee is declared to have suffered a service incurred death or total disability, the city shall provide, and pay for:
(1) For employees hired after the effective date the city shall provide and pay for Group Health/Life Insurance, for employee (single) coverage only. The above mentioned insurance, provided by the city, shall be substantially the same as that which was enjoyed by the employee prior to his/her retirement.
(2) For employees hired prior to the effective date the city shall provide, and pay for, Health/Life Insurance for the employee and dependents (Dependent Coverage). If a member of this program expires, the spouse will be given the option of continuing coverage provided by this program but would have to assume responsibility for payment premium. The above mentioned insurance, provided by the city, shall be substantially the same as that which was enjoyed by the employee prior to his/her retirement.
(3) Notwithstanding the foregoing, the city shall provide and pay for group health/life insurance equitable to that provided to active employees for employee and dependents (dependent coverage) for any employee who suffers a service incurred death or total disability regardless of hire date, or, for an active DROP employee who, based on available medical information received by the city from an authorized treating physician, cannot perform his or her essential job duties, with or without an accommodation, due to a service connected injury. Ability to perform essential job duties shall be determined by the employee’s department head in consultation with the Human Resource Director. Provided, however, no employee shall be considered to have suffered a service incurred total disability until examined by a duly qualified physician or surgeon selected by the applicable pension board of trustees or the city if the employee is not a member of a city pension plan with a duly constituted board of trustees. Any employee determined to have suffered a service incurred total disability shall be periodically examined, at the expense of the pension fund or the city (if the employee is not a member of a city pension) by a duly qualified physician or surgeon, selected by the applicable Board of Trustees or the city, to determine if such disability has ceased to exist. The last payment of group health insurance benefits under this subchapter shall be on the date that: the employee recovers from the total disability; the employee is entitled to medicare coverage (at which time the city health plan coverage will become secondary); the employee’s spouse is entitled to similar or equal coverage from his or her employer at no cost; or the employee is hired or self employed in a similar or equal pay capacity as that enjoyed prior to the service incurred total disability.
(C) If a member of this program is subsequently employed and is eligible to receive health insurance from the new employer, at no cost to the member, said insurance shall be primary and the insurance provided by this program shall be secondary for so long as the employee remains covered by the insurance provided by the new employer.
(D) The city agrees to provide the above mentioned insurance until the member is entitled to receive Medicare benefits, at which point the insurance provided by the city shall be in the form of Medicare Supplement so that the total coverage available to employee under Medicare and the supplement is substantially equal to the benefits provided to active employees at that time.
(E) Firefighter employees hired on or after October 1, 1991 but before April 1, 2006 may elect to participate in this program as provided above, and the city will pay for the coverage for the employee. However, the costs of any dependant coverage must be paid for by the employee. Firefighter employees hired after April 1, 2006, may elect to continue in the program as set forth above, but the expense of both employee and dependant coverage shall be at the employee's sole expense. A retiree premium shall be established by the city equal to the fully insured rate or the equivalent self-funded rate paid by active employees. Coverage shall be available only upon the employee complying with all procedural and coverage requirements as otherwise provided in this section, including but not limited to timely payment of premiums.
(F) Police officer employees hired on or after October 1, 1991 but before October 1, 2006 may elect to participate in this program as provided above, and the city will pay for the coverage for the employee. However, the costs of any dependant coverage must be paid for by the employee. Police officer employees hired after October 1, 2006, may elect to continue in the program as set forth above, but the expense of both employee and dependant coverage shall be at the employee's sole expense. A retiree premium shall be established by the city equal to the fully insured rate or the equivalent self-funded rate paid by active employees. Coverage shall be available only upon the employee complying with all procedural and coverage requirements as otherwise provided in this section, including but not limited to timely payment of premiums.
(G) Effective July 1, 2010 any general or utility employee who is eligible for membership in the Federation of Public Employees Union (FPE) collective bargaining unit, as defined by the Florida Public Employees Relations Commission (PERC), on July 1, 2007, or as subsequently modified by PERC, may elect to continue in the program upon their Normal Retirement Date, and such coverage may include dependant coverage. Both employee and dependant coverage shall be at the employee's sole expense. A retiree premium shall be established by the city equal to the fully insured rate or the equivalent self-funded rate paid by active employees. Coverage shall be available only upon the employee complying with all procedural and coverage requirements as otherwise provided in this section, including but not limited to timely payment of premiums.
(H) General and utility employees hired after February 1, 2010 and police officer hired after May 1, 2010 shall no longer be eligible to participate in the retiree life insurance program and their life insurance policy shall terminate upon the date of their separation from active employment with the city.
(Ord. 990, passed 4-15-92; Am. Ord. 1024, passed 2-17-93; Am. Ord. 1144, passed 12-6-95; Am. Ord. 1371, passed 4-4-01; Am. Ord. 1554, passed 8-16-06; Am. Ord. 1670, passed 8-4-10)