Your benefits depend on whether you return to a civil service position.
- If you have the right to return to a civil service position, and you do so, most or all of your benefits will continue.
If you do not have the right to return to a civil service position, or you choose not to, some benefits may continue after you separate or retire.
CEA Benefits on Returning to a Civil Service Position
Returning to a Managerial or Supervisory Position
If you are an exempt or CEA employee returning to a managerial or supervisory civil service position (one excluded from collective bargaining), your payroll deduction for each benefit will automatically continue without interruption. You do not need to do anything.
Returning to a Rank-and-File Position
All of your benefits will continue except those listed below. Contact your personnel office to ensure you receive all your benefits.
If you return to a rank-and-file position, you will lose the following:
Group Term Life Insurance Coverage: You can keep basic and supplemental coverage for 12 months. The department that terminated you must pay premiums for basic coverage directly to Metropolitan Life Insurance Company. We recommend you talk to your personnel office to ensure coverage continues. You will keep paying premiums for any supplemental coverage. After 12 months, you can convert to an individual policy, possibly at a higher rate. For more information, please visit the Group Term Life Insurance page.
Enhanced Dental Benefits: You are still eligible for basic plan coverage, and the payroll deduction will continue. We recommend you contact your dental carrier and get a copy of the plan brochure. Some services may cost more under the basic plan. For a quick review, see the comparison of employee costs for state-sponsored dental plans located on the Dental Benefits page.
Long-Term Disability (LTD) Insurance: You can extend your LTD coverage for up to 24 months. Send CalHR a written request within 31 days after your CEA or exempt appointment ends. After 24 months, you can convert to an individual policy, and continue for another 24 months. Contact the LTD coordinator within 31 days of the end of the first 24-month period. Rates may be higher for individual policies.
Travel and Accident Insurance: Coverage ends if you return to a rank-and-file position. For more information, please visit the Travel and Accident Insurance for Excluded Employees page.
CEA Benefits on Separating or Retiring from State Service
You can extend some benefits under the Consolidated Omnibus Reconciliation Act (COBRA). Other benefits end when you separate or retire.
Some benefits differ depending on whether you separate or retire, as shown below. For other benefits, it does not matter.
Unless otherwise directed below, contact your personnel office if you have questions about how to continue various benefits.
Health Insurance
- Separating: CalPERS administers health benefits. When you separate from state service, your health coverage may terminate. Exempt employees who meet the following conditions may continue health benefits until they retire*:
- You have ten or more years of CalPERS service credit.
- At least two years of CalPERS service was in an exempt position.
- You leave your retirement contributions with CalPERS.
- You have more than 10 years before your minimum age for service retirement.
- You are enrolled in a CalPERS health plan when you separate.
You may be eligible to extend your health benefits for up to 18 months under COBRA. For more information, please visit the CalPERS website at www.calpers.ca.gov.
- Retiring: When you retire and begin receiving a retirement allowance, you may elect to continue enrollment in a health benefit plan and receive the applicable employer contribution.
*See Government Codes 22815 and 22816 for additional information related to your health benefits during separation and retirement.
Dental Benefits
- Separating: You may be eligible to extend your benefits for up to 18 months under COBRA. You pay the premium plus a 2 percent administrative fee. If you are an exempt employee with CalPERS service credit, you might be able to extend your coverage. For more information see dental benefits for exempt employees who separate.
- Retiring: You can continue your dental benefits at your own expense if you are not vested for the state contribution into retirement. Otherwise, you will receive he state contribution based on your years of service starting at and over 10 years of state service. (Vesting applies to excluded and exempt employees starting after January 1, 2000). You must retire within 120 days of separating. If you are enrolled in Delta Dental PPO plus Premier Enhanced, you may be eligible to continue this plan under COBRA for up to 18 months. If eligible for benefits into retirement, you must change to another plan. For more information, please visit the Retiree and Annuitant Dental Benefits page.
Vision Benefits
- Separating: You can extend your benefits for up to 18 months under COBRA. You pay the premium plus a 2 percent administration fee.
- Retiring: When you retire, your personnel office will provide you with two options:
- If you are currently enrolled in the vision plan, you must be offered COBRA continuation coverage for the active state employee plan.
- You will also be given the option to enroll into the Retiree Vision Plan.
Group Legal Services Insurance
- Separating: You may be eligible to convert your Group Legal Plan to a conversion plan within 90 days of your separation by contacting the policyholder at (866) 762-0972.
If you do not continue your benefit, any legal services you are receiving at the time of your separation or retirement will continue on that legal matter.
Group Term Life Insurance
- Separating: You can convert the basic and supplemental coverage to an individual policy. Contact MetLife within 31 days of your separation by calling (800) 252-8524.
- Retiring: You can continue the basic and supplemental coverage at your own expense. Contact MetLife 30 days before you retire by calling (800) 252-8524.
For more information, visit the Group Term Life Insurance page.
Long-Term Care Insurance
Separating or retiring employees can enroll or continue their enrollment. For more information, please visit the CalPERS website at www.calpers.ca.gov.
Long-Term Disability Insurance
- Separating: You may be eligible to convert your LTD plan to an individual policy. Contact the LTD coordinator within 31 days of your separation.
- Retiring: Your coverage ends.
Travel and Accident Insurance
Your coverage ends after you retire or separate from state service. For more information, please visit the Travel and Accident Insurance for Excluded Employees page.
Cash Options
Cash options are not available when you separate or retire from state service. If you are enrolled in a cash option when you separate or retire, your enrollment will automatically stop.
Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
If you are separating or retiring from state service, your coverage ends. However, if you are using Employee Assistance Program services when you separate or retire, you can use the rest of your allotted sessions. In addition, you can continue EAP coverage for six months if you are laid off.
FlexElect Reimbursement Accounts
Dependent Care: You cannot continue to contribute to your Dependent Care Reimbursement Account. You have until June 30 of the following year to turn in claims for services.
Medical Reimbursement: You can continue to contribute to your Medical Reimbursement Account through the end of the plan year under COBRA. Payments would include a 2 percent administrative fee. Submit the Reimbursement Account Enrollment Authorization Form - STD 701R to CalHR to continue your contributions. Since you will not have taxable income, the contributions will no longer be pre-tax. If you do not continue contributing, you can only submit claims for expenses incurred before you separated or retired. You have until June 30 of the following year to turn in claims for services.
ScholarShare
If you are separating or retiring, your deduction will end but you may continue to contribute directly to ScholarShare. For more information, please contact ScholarShare.
CalPERS Retirement
If you do not have the right of return to civil service classification or you elect to separate or retire from employment, the following options are available:
Service retirement - If you opt for service retirement you must retire within 120 days of separation to take advantage of sick leave conversion and health benefit coverage.
Leave retirement contributions in CalPERS account - You would receive a retirement benefit as soon as you meet the minimum retirement eligibility requirements. You must submit your service retirement application at least 90 days prior to your effective date of retirement date.
Take a refund of retirement contributions - You can take a refund of member retirement contributions, plus interest, provided you have not accepted employment covered under another publicly funded California public retirement system. CalPERS membership will be terminated upon receiving a full refund of your member contributions.
Transfer CalPERS funds – You can transfer CalPERS funds to a tax-qualified plan. You must verify the transfer is in compliance with Internal Revenue Service laws and rules to avoid payment of tax and penalties.
Reciprocity
CalPERS has an agreement with many California public retirement systems. Reciprocity allows you to coordinate your benefits between the retirement systems when you retire. You have six months to be re-employed by an employer under the reciprocity agreement. You can use your highest final compensation at retirement with both systems and use service from both systems to meet your vesting requirement. You must submit an election form to CalPERS to coordinate retirement benefits.
For detailed information on CalPERS retirement benefits, please visit the CalPERS website at www.calpers.ca.gov.
Savings Plus Program
When you retire from state service, even though you will no longer be able to contribute to Savings Plus, you can still enjoy the program features and the low cost administrative fees offered. You are not required to take your money or roll money out upon separation of service. Refer to the Retirement Checklist under the 401(k)/457/Plan Information/Forms and Publications at www.savingsplusnow.com for more information.
