2013 Kentucky Revised Statutes CHAPTER 21 - JUDICIAL RETIREMENT 21.427 Health insurance and benefits for recipients -- Premium reimbursement plan -- Coordination with all state-administered retirement systems or plans.
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21.427 Health insurance and benefits for recipients -- Premium
reimbursement plan -- Coordination with all state-administered retirement
systems or plans.
(1)
(a)
(b)
(2)
(a)
The board of trustees of the Judicial Form Retirement System shall
arrange by appropriate contract or on a self-insured basis for a group
hospital and medical insurance plan for recipients of a retirement
allowance from the Judicial Retirement Plan, and their dependents. For
recipients, or dependents, eligible for Medicare coverage, the board shall
provide Medicare supplement hospital and medical insurance coverage.
For recipients, or dependents, not eligible for Medicare coverage, the
board shall provide hospital and medical insurance coverage comparable
to that provided under the major state employees' group insurance, and
the board may arrange for the recipients to be included in the major state
employees group. For recipients of a retirement allowance who are not
eligible for the same level of hospital and medical benefits as recipients
living in Kentucky, the board shall provide a medical insurance premium
reimbursement plan as described in subsection (3) of this section.
For the purpose of this section, the "dependent" of a recipient means the
spouse or minor children, or both, of a recipient who is a living former
member of the Judicial Retirement Plan, or the minor children of a
deceased former member whose surviving spouse is the recipient.
Depending upon the number of months of service credit upon which the
retirement allowance was based, and upon there having been at least
forty-eight (48) months of judicial service, all or a portion of the premium
required to provide hospital and medical benefits under this section shall
be paid from the judicial retirement fund, as follows:
Months of Judicial Service
Percentage of
Premium
240 or more
180 to 239, inclusive
100%
5%
120 to 179, inclusive
0%
48 to 119, inclusive
5%
(b)
This paragraph shall not apply to members who begin participating in the
Judicial Retirement Plan on or after January 1, 2014.
For members who begin participating in the Judicial Retirement Plan on
or after January 1, 2014:
1.
Participation in the health insurance coverage and benefits provided
under this section shall not be allowed until the member has earned
at least one hundred eighty (180) months of service credited under
KRS 21.345 to 21.580 or another state-administered retirement
system.
2.
A member who meets the minimum service requirements as
provided by subparagraph 1. of this paragraph shall be eligible for a
monthly insurance benefit upon retirement of ten dollars ($10) for
(c)
(d)
each year of service as a participating member of the Judicial
Retirement Plan.
3.
The minimum service required to participate in benefits as provided
by subparagraph 1. of this subparagraph shall be waived for a
member who is disabled in the line of duty as defined in KRS
61.621, and the member shall be entitled to the health benefits
payable under this subsection as though the member has twenty
(20) years of service in the Judicial Retirement Plan.
4.
The minimum service required to participate in benefits as provided
by subparagraph 1. of this subparagraph shall be waived for a
member who is killed in the line of duty as described in KRS 61.621,
and the member's spouse and eligible dependents shall be entitled
to the health benefits the member would have received if he or she
had retired with twenty (20) years of service in the Judicial
Retirement Plan.
5.
The monthly insurance contribution amount provided by this
paragraph shall be increased July 1 of each year by one and
one-half percent (1.5%). The increase shall be cumulative and shall
continue to accrue after the member's retirement for as long as a
monthly insurance contribution is payable to the retired member.
6.
Under no circumstances shall the cost of coverage be paid for the
spouse, dependents, or beneficiaries of a member who began
participating in the Judicial Retirement Plan on or after January 1,
2014, except as provided by subparagraph 4. of this paragraph.
The health insurance payments provided by this subsection shall be
made by the fund only if the recipient agrees to pay the remaining, if any,
amount of the premium by deduction from his retirement allowance or by
another method equally insuring the payment by him.
Notwithstanding any other statute to the contrary, any member with the
minimum number of months of judicial service required by paragraph (a)
or (b) of this subsection who is also eligible for benefits, or who is
receiving benefits from any retirement plan or system administered by the
Commonwealth shall be entitled to hospital and medical benefits as
described in paragraph (a) of this subsection except that the number of
months of service credit used in calculating the level of benefits shall be
the sum of service credited to the member in all the state-administered
retirement systems or plans.
1.
Upon request of the member, the Judicial Retirement System shall
compute the member's combined service in all the
state-administered retirement systems or plans and calculate the
portion of the member's premium to be paid by the Judicial
Retirement Plan, according to the criteria established in paragraph
(a) of this subsection. For members who begin participating in the
Legislators' Retirement Plan prior to January 1, 2014, the
state-administered retirement systems or plans shall pay to the
Judicial Retirement Plan the applicable percentage of the plan's cost
of the retiree's hospital and medical premium which shall be equal to
(3)
(4)
the percentage of the member's number of months of service in the
applicable state-administered retirement systems or plans divided by
his total combined service. The amounts paid by all the
state-administered retirement systems or plans shall not be more
than one hundred percent (100%) of the premium amount adopted
by the respective boards of trustees.
2.
A member who elects hospital and medical benefits under this
subsection shall lose any claim to insurance benefits under any of
the other state-administered retirement systems or plans.
The board shall establish a medical insurance premium reimbursement plan for
recipients of a retirement allowance who are not eligible for the same level of
hospital and medical benefits as recipients living in Kentucky having the same
Medicare hospital and medical insurance eligibility status. An eligible recipient
shall file proof of payment for hospital and medical insurance premiums at the
retirement office. Reimbursement to eligible recipients shall be made on a
quarterly basis. The recipient shall be eligible for reimbursement of
substantiated medical insurance premiums for an amount not to exceed the
total monthly contribution determined by the board of trustees. The plan shall
not be made available if all recipients are eligible for the same level of
coverage as recipients living in Kentucky.
Premiums paid for hospital and medical insurance procured under this section
shall be exempt from any premium tax which might otherwise be required
under KRS Chapter 136. The payment of premiums by the judicial retirement
fund shall not constitute income to the recipient. No commission shall be paid
for hospital and medical insurance procured under this section.
Effective:July 1, 2013
History: Amended 2013 Ky. Acts ch. 120, sec. 29, effective July 1, 2013. -Amended 2000 Ky. Acts ch. 448, sec. 1, effective July 14, 2000. -- Amended
1998 Ky. Acts ch. 389, sec. 3, effective July 15, 1998. -- Amended 1996 Ky.
Acts ch. 167, sec. 30, effective July 15, 1996. -- Created 1988 Ky. Acts ch. 299,
sec. 6, effective July 1, 1988.
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