Health Benefits

Health care coverage is provided for you and your dependents if you meet the requirements for a retiree to enroll in City Health Benefits. Upon your death, health care benefits for your dependents will end unless your dependents elect to continue coverage.

On April 9, 2022, Governor Hochul signed Chapter 56 of the Laws of 2022 into effect. This bill amended the Retirement and Social Security Law (RSSL) to lower the minimum number of years required for members to vest for service retirement from 10 years to 5 years of credited service.

Eligibility for Retiree City Health Benefits did not change because of the Chapter 56 Laws of 2022. As per Section 12-126 of the NYC Administrative Code and New York City Health Benefits Summary Program Description, below is a summary of enrollment eligibility for City Health Benefits as a retiree:

1. You have at least ten (10) years of credited service as a member of a retirement system maintained by the City or the Department of Education (if you were an employee of the City on or before December 27, 2001, then you must have at least five (5) years of credited service as a member of a retirement system maintained by the City);

   
   OR

2. You have at least fifteen (15) years of credited service as a member of either the Teachers’ Retirement System or the Board of Education Retirement System if you were an employee of the City or the Department of Education appointed on or after April 28, 2010, and held a position represented by the recognized teacher organization on the last day of paid service. Where this paragraph and paragraph (1) both apply, this paragraph controls.

   
   AND

3. During the minimum period of credited service required for eligibility under paragraph (1) or (2) above, or at the time of separation from employment with the City or the Department of Education, you were working regularly for twenty (20) or more hours a week and eligible for City health benefits as an employee of the City or the Department of Education.

   
   AND

4. You receive a pension check from a retirement system maintained by the City or the Department of Education.

Although the cost of certain extended and optional health benefits is reflected as a deduction in your pension payment, health care coverage is not administered by BERS. For more information regarding retiree health benefits please visit the Office of Labor Relations website.