Countdown to Retirement

Retirement is a major milestone, marking the transition from years of work to a new phase of life filled with opportunities for relaxation, travel, hobbies and personal fulfillment. A successful retirement requires careful planning to ensure a smooth transition. As you count down the years, months or even days to retirement, it’s important to assess your employee benefit options whether you’re nearing retirement or just starting to plan, taking proactive steps now can help you enjoy a stress-free and fulfilling retirement.

Flexible Spending Account (FSA), Health Reimbursement Account (HRA) and Health Savings Account (HSA) contributions end upon retirement.

If you have an FSA: 

• You have 90 days to use these funds for eligible services incurred while you were an active employee. 

• Services you receive after your employment ends are NOT eligible for reimbursement under an FSA. 

• Your FSA debit card is deactivated when your employment ends, claims you file will need to be filed manually, or you may file them electronically via the NueSynergy website.

If you have an HRA:

• You have 60 days from your last day of employment to use these funds for eligible services incurred while you were an active employee. 

• Employer contributions end when your employment ends.

If you have an HSA: 

• Funds stay with you! 

• You’re able to use for any eligible expenses.

• Employer and Employee contributions will end when your employment ends.

Retirement Reminders

• Update email in MAP Member Portal - Work email is not accessible to a member when they end employment, retire, etc. Make sure the employee updates their email in MAP prior to the last day worked.  They will need to use their personal email, not the work email (@ks.gov). 

• When an employee retires from an agency, the employee must notify their agency HR office whether they wish to continue SEHP coverage with the State of Kansas through the Direct Bill program. 

• If continued coverage is desired, the Retirement request in the MAP Administration Portal should be completed approximately 60 days before the employee’s retirement to ensure continuous coverage between active employee coverage and Direct Bill coverage. 

• Employee need to know that if they do not take Direct Bill or COBRA, they will NOT be able to come back to State coverage later. Medical and dental can only be waived/removed at open enrollment. If canceled any other time of the year, all benefits will be canceled, and they will not be able to come back to State coverage later.

• The employee may change their medical plan at the time of retirement. Dependents may be dropped from coverage upon retirement; however, dependents may only be added to coverage mid-year with a Qualifying Event. Dependents may also be added to coverage during the next Open Enrollment period

• Health insurance benefits you are enrolled in will end on the last day of the month in which your last day of employment falls if you retire on the 2nd day of the month or later. If you retire on the 1st day of the month, health insurance benefits you are enrolled in, including HSA and FSA contributions, will end on the 1st day of the month.

• Retirees will receive both information on the SEHP Direct Bill Program and a COBRA notice as required by law. The retiree should choose only one of these options to continue their coverage.

• They will automatically be offered COBRA coverage. Members must have continuous coverage under the SEHP to be eligible for the Direct Bill program. If continued coverage is desired, the Change Request should be completed 60 days before the employee’s retirement to ensure continuous coverage between coverage as an active employee and coverage under the Direct Bill option, the Direct Bill premiums is at a cheaper rate than COBRA

• Whether the employee is Medicare eligible or not, the effective date of the change to the Direct Bill program will be the 1st day of the month following the employee’s last day of work as an active employee. Invoices will be generated by SEHP and posted in the Member Portal around the 22nd of each month for the next month’s Direct Bill coverage.

• The member pays the entire monthly premium while on Direct Bill coverage.  Premiums are paid by recurring bank draft (ACH) on the 8th of each month for that month’s coverage. 

• A retiree enrolled in a Supplement Plan with the SEHP may elect Part D coverage outside the SEHP and keep the medical coverage in the SEHP. They may then elect Part D with the SEHP at a future Open Enrollment period.

• All Medicare Enrollment is done through Social Security.

HR Professionals: Need Information? Help is Here.

• MAP HR User Guide - Located in the MAP Administration Portal, the HR User Guide offers step-by-step instructions on how to process requests, review reports and more.

• Administrative Manual - Located in the MAP Administration Portal, the Administrative Manual outlines SEHP policies and guidelines.

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