Benefits: Q and A

I thought I’d start off the new year by answering a few of the most commonly asked benefits questions:

Q: How do I get vision benefits?

A: Active members should make an appointment with a Davis Vision participating provider, who will contact Davis for eligibility information. To determine eligibility, you can go to http://www.davisvision.com; you’ll need to provide your Social Security number and the first five letters of your last name.

Q: What happens to my UUP Benefit Trust Fund benefits when I retire?

A: You can continue the dental and vision benefits through COBRA, at your expense. Or you may purchase one of the UUP or NYSUT retiree dental programs.

Q: What about my health benefits?

A: If you have been eligible for the state Health Insurance Program (NYSHIP) for at least 10 years, are age 55 and are currently enrolled, your health insurance will continue in retirement. You will only need to pay the employee share of the premium; you may use your sick-leave credit to cover all or part of that premium.

Q: How many sick days do I need to pay for my retiree health insurance?

A: That depends. Your salary, number of sick days, and age (life expectancy) are used to calculate your sick-leave credit. For example, a member earning $50,000, with 140 sick days, retiring at age 62 will have a monthly credit of $124. The 2003 monthly family cost is $140. The member in this example would pay the difference — $16 per month in 2003 for health insurance coverage.

Q: What if I don’t have any sick days when I retire?

A: If eligible, you still get lifetime health insurance. You would have to pay the employee share of the coverage (the same as an active employee).

Q: How do I find out the full details of my health insurance and UUP Benefit Trust Fund benefits?

A: Call UUP Member Benefits at (800) 342-4206 for answers to your benefit questions. Or use the Internet as a valuable tool. UUP benefits are described at http://www.uupinfo.org/benefits.html. Health insurance information can be found at http://www.cs.state.ny.us/ebd/.

— Gail Maloy, Director of Member Benefits and Services