AlaskaCare Retiree Health Plan Eligibility

Medical Plan Eligibility

The plan covers, automatically at no cost, benefit recipients of the PERS, TRS, EPORS, and JRS, as well as benefit recipients of the Marine Engineers Beneficial Association who retired from the State of Alaska after July 1, 1986, except for the following who must elect coverage and pay a premium:

  • Benefit recipients of the Public Employees’ Retirement System (PERS) if they were first hired under the PERS on or after July 1, 1986, who are under age 60, have less than 25 years of police/fire service or 30 years of all other PERS service, and are not receiving a disability benefit.
  • Benefit recipients of the Teachers’ Retirement System (TRS) if they were first hired under the TRS on or after July 1, 1990, who are under age 60, have less than 25 years of TRS service, and are not receiving a disability benefit.
  • Benefit recipients of the Public Employees’ Retirement System (PERS) if they were first hired under the PERS on or after July 1, 1996, are age 60 or older and who do not have at least 10 years of credited service.
  • Benefit recipients under a Qualified Domestic Relations Order.

Dependents

The following dependents may be covered:

  • Your spouse. You may be legally separated but not divorced.
  • Your children from birth (exclusive of hospital nursery charges at birth and well-baby care) up to 23 years of age only if they are:
    • Your natural children, stepchildren, foster children placed through a State foster child program, legally adopted children, children in your physical custody and for whom bona fide adoption proceedings are underway, or children for whom you are the legal, court-appointed guardian;
    • Unmarried and chiefly dependent upon you for support; and
    • Living with you in a normal parent-child relationship.
      • This provision is waived for natural/adopted children of the benefit recipient who are living with a divorced spouse, assuming all other criteria are met.
      • Only stepchildren living with the retiree more than 50% of the time are covered under this plan.
    • If your dependent child is under 23 years old, they are required to be registered at and attending on a full-time basis an accredited educational or technical institution recognized by the Department of Education and Early Development.
    • If your dependent child is age 19 or older and is not a full-time student, then the dependent is eligible for coverage only if he or she is totally and permanently disabled.
  • Children incapable of employment or education because of a mental or physical incapacity are covered even if they are past age 23. However, the incapacity must have existed before age 23 and the children must continue to meet all other eligibility criteria. You must furnish the division evidence of the incapacity, proof that the incapacity existed before age 23 and proof of financial dependency. This proof must be provided no later than 60 days after their 23rd birthday or after the effective date of your retirement, whichever is later. Children are covered as long as the incapacity exists, they meet the definition of children except for age, and you continue to provide periodic proof of the continued incapacity as required.

When you retire, you must list your dependents under the health plan so claims may be paid. If your dependents change later, you must complete a form to add or delete dependents from your account.

If more than one family member is retired under a retirement plan sponsored by the State of Alaska, each eligible family member may be covered by this program both as a benefit recipient and as a dependent, or as the dependent of more than one benefit recipient.

Same-Sex Partner Eligibility Requirements

  • Same-sex partner as defined and documented by 2 AAC 38.010-2 AAC 38.100
  • Eligible child of same-sex partner as defined and documented by 2 AAC 38.010-2 AAC 38.100

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DVA Plan Eligibility

The following individuals may elect coverage:

Benefit Recipients

  • People receiving a benefit from the Public Employees’, Teachers’, Judicial, or Elected Public Officers’ Retirement Systems (excluding alternate payees under a Qualified Domestic Relations Order). If coverage is elected, the premiums are paid by deductions from your retirement check.
  • People receiving a benefit from the Marine Engineers Beneficial Association (MEBA) who retired from the State of Alaska after July 1, 1983. If coverage is elected, the premium is paid annually by the member.

Dependents

Same eligibility as medical plan

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LTC Plan Eligibility

Benefit Recipients

People receiving a benefit from the Public Employees’, Teachers’, Judicial, or Elected Public Officers’ Retirement Systems (excluding alternate payees under a Qualified Domestic Relations Order).

Dependents

You may elect to cover your spouse if you elect coverage for yourself. You may be legally separated but not divorced.

Spouses of benefit recipients who lose coverage because of death or divorce may elect coverage for themselves only. No coverage may be elected for a new spouse if you remarry.

You may be covered by only one State of Alaska LTC Plan at a time. If you are covered by your own LTC Plan, your spouse cannot have LTC coverage for you under their retirement benefit. If you are covered under your spouse’s LTC Plan, notify the Division when you retire so the LTC coverage can be moved to your own retirement benefit or terminated if you elect a new option.

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