ARTICLE 14  

Insurance

 

Section A.  State Employee Group Insurance Program  (“SEGIP”).  During the life of this Agreement , the Employer  agrees to offer a Group Insurance Program  that includes health, dental, life, and disability coverages  equivalent to existing coverages, subject to the provisions of this Article.

 

All insurance eligible employees  will be provided with a Summary Plan Description (“SPD”) “Your Employee Benefits ”.  Such  SPD shall be provided no less than biennially and prior to the beginning of the insurance year.  New insurance eligible employee shall receive a SPD within thirty (30) days of their date of eligibility .

 

Section B.  Eligibility  for Group Participation .  This Section describes eligibility  to participate in the Group Insurance Program .

 

Subd. 1.  Faculty  Members-Basic Eligibility .  A faculty member  may participate in the Group Insurance Program  if he/she is employed on the basis of at least fifty percent (50%) of a full-time work assignment for a regular academic year .  If an insurance eligible faculty  member ’s last scheduled day of work (excluding termination for cause) is at the end of the academic year or later, coverage will cease at the completion of the payroll period in which the succeeding academic year commences.  If an insurance eligible faculty member  is terminated for cause or his/her last scheduled day of work is before the end of the academic year, coverage will cease at the end of the payroll period in which the separation or termination date occurs.

 

Subd. 2.  Faculty  Members-Special Eligibility .  The following faculty members are also eligible to participate in the Group Insurance Program :

 

a.   Faculty  Members with Work-related Injury/Disability .  A faculty member  who was off the State payroll due to a work-related injury or a work-related disability may continue to participate in the Group Insurance Program  as long as such a faculty member  receives workers’ compensation  payments or while the workers’ compensation claim is pending.

 

  b.   Totally Disabled Faculty  Members.  Consistent with Minnesota Statutes  62A.148, certain totally disabled faculty members may continue to participate in the Group Insurance Program .

 

  c.   Early Retirement .  A faculty member  who retires from State service, is not eligible for regular (non-disability) Medicare  coverage, has five (5) or more years of allowable pension service, and is immediately eligible to  receive a retirement  benefit  under Chapter 354B or an annuity under a State retirement program may continue to participate in the health and dental coverages offered through the Group Insurance Program  at his/her own expense.

Consistent with Minnesota Statutes  43A.27, Subd. 3., a retired faculty member  who receives a retirement  benefit  under Chapter 354B or an annuity under a State retirement program may continue to participate in the health and dental coverages offered through the Group Insurance Program  at his/her own expense.  A spouse of a deceased retired faculty member  may continue health and dental coverages through the Group Insurance Program  provided the spouse was dependent under the retired member’s coverage at the time of the retiree’s death and continues to make the required premium payments.  Retiree coverage must be coordinated with Medicare .

 

d.   Sabbatical  Leave .  A faculty member  eligible to participate in the Group Insurance Program  immediately prior to taking a sabbatical leave continues that eligibility  during the sabbatical leave.

 

e .   Adjunct  faculty with multiple appointments.  An adjunct faculty member  holding separate appointments at different MnSCU  institutions shall have such assignments combined for purposes of determining eligibility  under Article 14 . To be eligible for this benefit , such adjunct faculty members must report any multiple appointments to the human resource office at each reporting institution.

 

 

Subd. 3.  Dependents .  Eligible dependents  for purposes of this Article are as follows:

     

       a.   Spouse .  The spouse of an eligible faculty member  (if not legally separated).  For the purposes of health insurance coverage , if that spouse works full-time for an organization employing more than one hundred (100) people and elects to receive either credits or cash: (1) in place of health insurance or health coverage, or (2) in addition to a health plan with a seven hundred and fifty dollar ($750) or greater deductible through his/her employing organization, he/she is not eligible to be a covered dependent for purposes of this Article.  If both spouses work for the State or another organization participating in the State’s Group Insurance Program , neither spouse may be covered as a dependent by the other unless one spouse is not eligible for a full Employer  Contribution as defined in Subd. 3.a. 

 

   b.  Children and Grandchildren .  An eligible faculty member ’s unmarried dependent children and unmarried dependent grandchildren:  (1) through age eighteen (18); or (2) through age twenty-four (24) if the child or grandchild  is a full-time student at an accredited educational institution; or (3) a child or grandchild, regardless of age or marital status who is incapable of self-sustaining employment by reason of mental retardation, mental illness or physical disability and if chiefly dependent on the faculty member  for support. The handicapped dependent shall be eligible for coverage as long as she/he continues to be handicapped and dependent, unless coverage terminates under the contract.  Children or grandchildren  who become handicapped after they are no longer eligible dependents  under (1) and (2) above may not be considered eligible dependents unless they are continuing coverage as a dependent through the employee’s prior employer.

 

“Dependent Child ” includes a faculty member ’s: (1) biological child, (2) child legally adopted by or placed for adoption with the faculty member , (3) foster child, and (4) stepchild.  To be considered a dependent child, a foster child must be dependent on the faculty member for his/her principal support and maintenance and be placed by the court in the custody of the faculty member.  To be considered a dependent child, a stepchild must maintain residence  with the faculty member and be dependent upon the faculty member for his/her principal support and maintenance.

 

“Dependent Grandchild ” includes a faculty member ’s: (1) grandchild placed in the legal custody of the faculty member