DA Memo - January 17, 2003
January 17, 2003
- New Life Insurance Carrier, local employers
- New Life Insurance Carrier, newly-affiliated employers
(1)Group Life Insurance Coverage, local employers
The Board of Trustees of the Kansas Public Employees Retirement System approved staff's request to enter formal negotiations with Minnesota Mutual Life Insurance Company to provide basic and optional group life insurance coverage for active KPERS members effective July 1, 2003. Although there will be some changes to the insurance programs announced later this year, the most immediate change concerns the optional group life insurance program.
Historically, employee members of local affiliates had an open enrollment period in the spring of odd-numbered years. However, because of the change in insurance carriers, the 2003 open enrollment will be delayed until October 2003 with approved coverage effective January 1, 2004.
You should continue to use your current optional insurance enrollment forms until you receive new instructions from KPERS and Minnesota Life Insurance Company. Until then, you should continue to enroll newly eligible individuals in the current program.
We look forward to this new partnership. When we have additional information about the transition, it will be sent to you and posted on the KPERS Web site.
(2) Group Life Insurance Coverage, new affiliates
The Board of Trustees of the Kansas Public Employees Retirement System approved staff's request to enter formal negotiations with Minnesota Mutual Life Insurance Company to provide basic and optional group life insurance coverage for active KPERS members effective July 1, 2003. Although there will be some changes to the insurance programs announced later this year, the most immediate change concerns the optional group life insurance program.
Your employer has affiliated with KPERS effective January 1, 2003, for optional group life insurance. Employees of these employers will have an open enrollment in April 2003, with coverage effective July 1, 2003. Detailed instructions and forms will be sent to you in a separate mailing. The insurance coverage offered in this open enrollment will be the same coverage as previously provided to KPERS enrollees, and enrollment, itself, will be handled by Minnesota Mutual.
Individuals who are eligible after the initial open enrollment period will have 30 days from their first date of eligibility to apply for optional group life. Coverage will be the later of July 1, 2003, or the first day of the month following their first payroll deduction.
On July 1, 2003, Minnesota Mutual Life Insurance Company will assume all insurance coverage for active members, including the optional insurance, which is approved during this open enrollment to be effective July 1, 2003. New insurance certificates will be provided for the coverage payable by Minnesota Mutual Life Insurance Company.
New affiliates have two classes of employees who will have coverage July 1:
- Those eligible on April 1 who will have the set open enrollment period
- Those who become eligible after April 1 who have 30 days from either membership date or hire date to apply. These employees have an effective date of July 1 or later.
We look forward to this new partnership. When we have additional information about the transition, it will be sent to you and posted on the KPERS Web site.