(1) PURPOSE OF SECTION.—The purpose of this section is to provide a monthly subsidy payment to retired members of any state-administered retirement system in order to assist such retired members in paying the costs of health insurance.

(2) ELIGIBILITY FOR RETIREE HEALTH INSURANCE SUBSIDY.—

(a) A person who is retired under a state-administered retirement system, or a beneficiary who is a spouse or financial dependent entitled to receive benefits under a state-administered retirement system, is eligible for health insurance subsidy payments provided under this section; except that pension recipients under ss. 121.40, 238.07(18)(a), and 250.22, recipients of health insurance coverage under s. 110.1232, or any other special pension or relief act shall not be eligible for such payments.

(b) For purposes of this section, a person is deemed retired from a state-administered retirement system when he or she terminates employment with all employers participating in the Florida Retirement System as described in s. 121.021(39) and:

1. For a member of the investment plan established under part II of chapter 121, the participant meets the age or service requirements to qualify for normal retirement as set forth in s. 121.021(29) and meets the definition of retiree in s. 121.4501(2).

2. For a member of the Florida Retirement System Pension Plan, or any employee who maintains creditable service under the pension plan and the investment plan, the member begins drawing retirement benefits from the pension plan.

(c) Effective July 1, 2001, any person retiring on or after that date as a member of the Florida Retirement System, including a member of the investment plan administered pursuant to part II of chapter 121, must have satisfied the vesting requirements for his or her membership class under the pension plan as administered under part I of chapter 121. However, a person retiring due to disability must qualify for a regular or in-line-of-duty disability benefit as provided in s. 121.091(4) or qualify for a disability benefit under a disability plan established under part II of chapter 121, as appropriate.

(d) Payment of the retiree health insurance subsidy shall be made only after coverage for health insurance for the retiree or beneficiary has been certified in writing to the Department of Management Services. Participation in a former employer’s group health insurance program is not a requirement for eligibility under this section. Coverage issued pursuant to s. 408.9091 is considered health insurance for the purposes of this section.

(e) Participants in the Senior Management Service Optional Annuity Program as provided in s. 121.055(6) and the State University System Optional Retirement Program as provided in s. 121.35 shall not receive the retiree health insurance subsidy provided in this section. The employer of such participant shall pay the contributions required in subsection (8) to the annuity program provided in s. 121.055(6)(d) or s. 121.35(4)(a), as applicable.

(3) RETIREE HEALTH INSURANCE SUBSIDY AMOUNT.—

(a) Beginning January 1, 1988, each eligible retiree or a beneficiary who is a spouse or financial dependent thereof shall receive a monthly retiree health insurance subsidy payment equal to the number of years of creditable service, as defined in s. 121.021(17), completed at the time of retirement multiplied by $1; however, no retiree may receive a subsidy payment of more than $30 or less than $10.

(b) Beginning January 1, 1989, each eligible retiree or a beneficiary who is a spouse or financial dependent shall receive a monthly retiree health insurance subsidy payment equal to the number of years of creditable service, as defined in s. 121.021(17), completed at the time of retirement multiplied by $2; however, no retiree may receive a subsidy payment of more than $60 or less than $20.

(c) Beginning January 1, 1991, each eligible retiree or a beneficiary who is a spouse or financial dependent shall receive a monthly retiree health insurance subsidy payment equal to the number of years of creditable service, as defined in s. 121.021(17), completed at the time of retirement multiplied by $3; however, no retiree may receive a subsidy payment of more than $90 or less than $30.

(d) Beginning January 1, 1999, each eligible retiree or, if the retiree is deceased, his or her beneficiary who is receiving a monthly benefit from such retiree’s account and who is a spouse, or a person who meets the definition of joint annuitant in s. 121.021(28), shall receive a monthly retiree health insurance subsidy payment equal to the number of years of creditable service, as defined in s. 121.021(17), completed at the time of retirement multiplied by $5; however, no eligible retiree or such beneficiary may receive a subsidy payment of more than $150 or less than $50. If there are multiple beneficiaries, the total payment must not be greater than the payment to which the retiree was entitled.

(e)1. Beginning July 1, 2001, each eligible retiree of the pension plan of the Florida Retirement System, or, if the retiree is deceased, his or her beneficiary who is receiving a monthly benefit from such retiree’s account and who is a spouse, or a person who meets the definition of joint annuitant in s. 121.021, shall receive a monthly retiree health insurance subsidy payment equal to the number of years of creditable service, as defined in s. 121.021, completed at the time of retirement multiplied by $5; however, no eligible retiree or beneficiary may receive a subsidy payment of more than $150 or less than $30. If there are multiple beneficiaries, the total payment may not be greater than the payment to which the retiree was entitled. The health insurance subsidy amount payable to any person receiving the retiree health insurance subsidy payment on July 1, 2001, may not be reduced solely by operation of this subparagraph.

2. Beginning July 1, 2002, each eligible member of the investment plan of the Florida Retirement System who has met the requirements of this section, or, if the member is deceased, his or her spouse who is the member’s designated beneficiary, shall receive a monthly retiree health insurance subsidy payment equal to the number of years of creditable service, as provided in this subparagraph, completed at the time of retirement, multiplied by $5; however, an eligible retiree or beneficiary may not receive a subsidy payment of more than $150 or less than $30. For purposes of determining a member’s creditable service used to calculate the health insurance subsidy, a member’s years of service credit or fraction thereof shall be based on the member’s work year as defined in s. 121.021(54). Credit must be awarded for a full work year if health insurance subsidy contributions have been made for each month in the member’s work year. In addition, all years of creditable service retained under the Florida Retirement System Pension Plan must be included as creditable service for purposes of this section. Notwithstanding any other provision in this section, the spouse at the time of death is the member’s beneficiary unless such member has designated a different beneficiary subsequent to the member’s most recent marriage.

(4) PAYMENT OF RETIREE HEALTH INSURANCE SUBSIDY.—Beginning January 1, 1988, any monthly retiree health insurance subsidy amount due and payable under this section shall be paid to retired members by the Department of Management Services or under the direction and control of the department.

(5) TRUST FUND ESTABLISHED.—There is hereby established a trust fund in the state treasury to be entitled the Retiree Health Insurance Subsidy Trust Fund. Said trust fund shall be used to account for all moneys received and disbursed pursuant to this section. Should funding for the retiree health insurance subsidy program fail to provide full benefits for all participants, the benefits may be reduced or canceled at any time.

(6) INVESTMENTS OF THE TRUST FUND.—The State Board of Administration created by the authority of the State Constitution shall invest and reinvest the funds of the trust fund in accordance with ss. 215.44-215.53. Costs incurred by the Board of Administration incurring from the provisions of this section shall be deducted from the interest earnings accruing to the trust fund.

(7) ADMINISTRATION OF SYSTEM.—The Department of Management Services may adopt such rules and regulations as are necessary for the effective and efficient administration of this section. The cost of administration shall be appropriated from the trust fund.

(8) CONTRIBUTIONS.—For purposes of funding the insurance subsidy provided by this section:

(a) Beginning October 1, 1987, the employer of each member of a state-administered retirement plan shall contribute 0.24 percent of gross compensation each pay period.

(b) Beginning January 1, 1989, the employer of each member of a state-administered retirement plan shall contribute 0.48 percent of gross compensation each pay period.

(c) Beginning January 1, 1994, the employer of each member of a state-administered retirement plan shall contribute 0.56 percent of gross compensation each pay period.

(d) Beginning January 1, 1995, the employer of each member of a state-administered retirement plan shall contribute 0.66 percent of gross compensation each pay period.

(e) Beginning July 1, 1998, the employer of each member of a state-administered retirement plan shall contribute 0.94 percent of gross compensation each pay period.

(f) Beginning July 1, 2001, the employer of each member of a state-administered plan shall contribute 1.11 percent of gross compensation each pay period.

(g) Beginning July 1, 2013, the employer of each member of a state-administered plan shall contribute 1.20 percent of gross compensation each pay period.

(h) Beginning July 1, 2014, the employer of each member of a state-administered plan shall contribute 1.26 percent of gross compensation each pay period.

(i) Beginning July 1, 2015, the employer of each member of a state-administered plan shall contribute 1.66 percent of gross compensation each pay period.

Such contributions shall be submitted to the Department of Management Services and deposited in the Retiree Health Insurance Subsidy Trust Fund.

(9) BENEFITS.—Subsidy payments shall be payable under the retiree health insurance subsidy program only to participants in the program or their beneficiaries, beginning with the month the division receives certification of coverage for health insurance for the eligible retiree or beneficiary. If the division receives such certification at any time during the 6 months after retirement benefits commence, the retiree health insurance subsidy shall be paid retroactive to the effective retirement date. If, however, the division receives such certification 7 or more months after commencement of benefits, the retroactive retiree health insurance subsidy payment will cover a maximum of 6 months. Such subsidy payments shall not be subject to assignment, execution, or attachment or to any legal process whatsoever.

History.—s. 4, ch. 87-373; s. 3, ch. 88-382; s. 2, ch. 90-274; s. 47, ch. 92-279; s. 55, ch. 92-326; s. 2, ch. 93-193; s. 2, ch. 94-259; s. 1, ch. 98-413; s. 20, ch. 99-255; s. 18, ch. 2000-169; s. 13, ch. 2001-262; s. 1, ch. 2004-71; s. 1, ch. 2008-32; s. 9, ch. 2010-5; s. 3, ch. 2011-68; s. 1, ch. 2013-53; s. 1, ch. 2014-54; s. 1, ch. 2015-227.