To be eligible for continuing retiree health and dental coverage, you must:

• Be at least age 55 by your retirement date.
• Be eligible to receive a monthly pension benefit (IPERS/MFPRSI) following separation of employment.
• Be covered under the City’s medical and/or dental plan as an employee at the time of retirement (you may elect the type of coverage you have at the time you recover).
• Be under the age of 65.

When you are getting ready to retire, please reach out to Janet Fuller (712-279-6202 or jfuller@sioux-city.org) to set up a time to go over all of your options.   If you are eligible for retiree health coverage, she will provide you with information on your optionss and the forms you need to complete to get things started.   

Coverage is available for you and your eligible dependents as long as you are enrolled at the time of your retirement.  Coverage for you and your covered dependents will end on the last day of the month in which you turn 65.  If your dependent(s) are not yet 65, they will receive COBRA as an option to continue coverage.

When deciding if you want to stay with City Retiree health coverage or move to a different plan, there are resources available to help you in making those decisions.   Reach out to HR and we will get you going in the right direction.

Retiree Coverage beginss the first day of the month after your Active Coverage ends.  There can be no break in City coverage, meaning you cannot postpone the beginning date of Retiree Medical and/or Dental.

As a retiree enrolled in a City retiree medical plan, if you or any covered family member are eligible for Medicare, the Medicare-eligible individuals must enroll in Medicare Parts A and B.

Failure to enroll in Medicare Parts A and B will result in differences in the payments of claims from Wellmark and may result in a penalty from Medicare.

Continuing coverage under the City of Sioux City Retiree Health Plan is dependent on your continuous coverage under the Plans.  When you are the dependent of another City of Sioux City employee, there are provisions for you to consider.  Please review the example below.  If you have further questions, please feel free to reach out to Janet Fuller, HR Benefits Manager at 712-279-6202 or email her at jfuller@sioux-city.org. 

The policyholder of the City’s medical and/or dental plan is the employee or retiree who elected the medical or dental coverage. Other family members covered by the policyholder are referred to as “dependents.”

A City retiree who is a dependent under a City policyholder’s medical and/or dental coverage can become a policyholder as long as the dependent has maintained continuous coverage under the City’s health and dental plans as a dependent.

Example:

Jack and Jill are married City employees. Jill is the policyholder of the City’s health and dental plans and covers Jack as a dependent under both plans.

Both Jack and Jill retire from City employment.  At this time, Jill remains the policyholder and Jack remains a dependent under Jill’s City retiree health and/or dental plans.

This policyholder/dependent arrangement continues for a period of years, and Jack maintains continuous coverage under Jill’s City’s health and/or dental plans throughout that time.  At some point, Jack and Jill decide to each be policyholders of the City’s health and/or dental plans.  Jack can be a policyholder since he has had continuous coverage under Jill’s City health and/or dental plans.  Unless they have experienced a qualified life event, the change would be transacted during the annual retiree open enrollment period and become effective January 1 of the following year.