Sec. 91.

(1) Except as otherwise provided in this section, the retirement system shall pay the entire monthly premium or membership or subscription fee for hospital, medical-surgical, and sick care benefits for the benefit of a retirant or retirement allowance beneficiary who elects coverage in the plan authorized by the retirement board and the department. Except as otherwise provided in this section, beginning January 1, 2013, the retirement system shall pay 80% of the entire monthly premium or membership or subscription fee for hospital, medical-surgical, and sick care benefits for the benefit of a retirant or retirement allowance beneficiary who elects coverage in the plan authorized by the retirement board and the department. Except as otherwise provided in subsections (7) to (15), for a retirant or retirement allowance beneficiary who is enrolled in the hospital, medical-surgical, and sick care benefits plan on January 1, 2013 and who is eligible for medicare on that date, the retirement system shall pay 90% of the entire monthly premium or membership or subscription fee for hospital, medical-surgical, and sick care benefits for the benefit of a retirant or retirement allowance beneficiary who elects coverage in the plan authorized by the retirement board and the department. Except as otherwise provided in subsection (8), this subsection does not apply to a retirant who first becomes a member after June 30, 2008.

(2) The retirement system may pay up to the maximum of the amount payable under subsection (1) toward the monthly premium for hospital, medical-surgical, and sick care benefits for the benefit of a retirant or retirement allowance beneficiary enrolled in a group health insurance or prepaid service plan not authorized by the retirement board and the department, if enrolled before June 1, 1975, for whom the retirement system on July 18, 1983 was making a payment towards his or her monthly premium.

(3) A retirant or retirement allowance beneficiary receiving hospital, medical-surgical, and sick care benefits coverage under subsection (1) or (2), until eligible for medicare, shall have an amount equal to the cost chargeable to a medicare recipient for part B of medicare deducted from his or her retirement allowance.

(4) Until December 31, 2012, the retirement system shall pay 90% of the monthly premium or membership or subscription fee for dental and vision benefits for the benefit of a retirant or retirement allowance beneficiary who elects coverage in the plan authorized by the retirement board and the department. Except as otherwise provided in this section, beginning January 1, 2013, the retirement system shall pay 80% of the monthly premium or membership or subscription fee for dental and vision benefits for the benefit of a retirant or retirement allowance beneficiary who elects coverage in the plan authorized by the retirement board and the department. Except as otherwise provided in subsections (7) to (15), for a retirant or retirement allowance beneficiary who is enrolled in the dental and vision plan on January 1, 2013 and who is 65 years of age or older on that date, the retirement system shall pay 90% of the entire monthly premium or membership or subscription fee for dental and vision benefits for the benefit of a retirant or retirement allowance beneficiary who elects coverage in the plan authorized by the retirement board and the department. Payments shall begin under this subsection upon approval by the retirement board and the department of plan coverage and a plan provider. Except as otherwise provided in subsection (8), this subsection does not apply to a retirant who first becomes a member after June 30, 2008.

(5) Until December 31, 2012, the retirement system shall pay up to 90% of the maximum of the amount payable under subsection (1) toward the monthly premium or membership or subscription fee for hospital, medical-surgical, and sick care benefits coverage described in subsections (1) and (2) for each health insurance dependent of a retirant receiving benefits under subsection (1) or (2). Until December 31, 2012, payment shall not exceed 90% of the actual monthly premium or membership or subscription fee. Except as otherwise provided in subsections (7) through (15), for a health insurance dependent who is enrolled in the hospital, medical-surgical, and sick care benefit plan on January 1, 2013 and who is eligible for medicare on that date, the retirement system shall pay 90% of the entire monthly premium or membership or subscription fee for hospital, medical-surgical, and sick care benefits for the benefit of each health insurance dependent of a retirant receiving benefits under subsection (1) or (2). Until December 31, 2012, the retirement system shall pay 90% of the monthly premium or membership or subscription fee for dental and vision benefits described in subsection (4) for the benefit of each health insurance dependent of a retirant receiving benefits under subsection (4). Beginning January 1, 2013, any payment described in this subsection shall not exceed 80% of the actual monthly premium or membership or subscription fee. Except as otherwise provided in subsections (7) to (15), for a health insurance dependent of a retirant who is enrolled in the dental and vision plan on January 1, 2013 and who is 65 years of age or older on that date, the retirement system shall pay 90% of the entire monthly premium or membership or subscription fee for dental and vision benefits for the benefit of each health insurance dependent of the retirant receiving benefits under subsection (4). Payment for health benefits coverage for a health insurance dependent of a retirant shall not be made after the retirant's death, unless the retirant designated a retirement allowance beneficiary as provided in section 85 and the dependent was covered or eligible for coverage as a health insurance dependent of the retirant on the retirant's date of death. Payment for health benefits coverage shall not be made for a health insurance dependent after the later of the retirant's death or the retirement allowance beneficiary's death. Payment under this subsection and subsection (6) began October 1, 1985 for health insurance dependents who on July 10, 1985 were covered by the hospital, medical-surgical, and sick care benefits plan authorized by the retirement board and the department. Payment under this subsection and subsection (6) for other health insurance dependents shall not begin before January 1, 1986. Except as otherwise provided in subsection (8), this subsection does not apply to a retirant who first becomes a member after June 30, 2008.

(6) The payment described in subsection (5) shall also be made for each health insurance dependent of a deceased member or deceased duty disability retirant if a retirement allowance is being paid to a retirement allowance beneficiary because of the death of the member or duty disability retirant as provided in section 43c(c), 89, or 90. Payment for health benefits coverage for a health insurance dependent shall not be made after the retirement allowance beneficiary's death.

(7) The payments provided by this section shall not be made on behalf of a retiring section 82 deferred member or health insurance dependent of a deferred member having less than 21 full years of attained credited service or the retiring deferred member's retirement allowance beneficiary, and shall not be made on behalf of a retirement allowance beneficiary of a deferred member who dies before retiring. The retirement system shall pay, on behalf of a retiring section 82 deferred member or health insurance dependent of a deferred member or a retirement allowance beneficiary of a deceased deferred member, either of whose allowance is based upon not less than 21 years of attained credited service, 10% of the payments provided by this section, increased by 10% for each attained full year of credited service beyond 21 years, not to exceed 100% of the payments provided by this section. This subsection applies to any member who first became a member on or before June 30, 2008 and attains deferred status under section 82 after October 31, 1980.

(8) For a member or deferred member who first becomes a member after June 30, 2008 and before September 4, 2012, the retirement system shall pay up to 80% of the monthly premium or membership or subscription fee for the hospital, medical-surgical, and sick care benefits plan, the dental plan, and vision plan, or any combination of the plans for the benefit of the retirant and his or her retirement allowance beneficiary and health insurance dependents, or for the benefit of the deceased member's retirement allowance beneficiary if the retirant or deceased member has 25 years or more of service credit under this act, and the retirant, deceased retirant, or deceased member was at least 60 years of age at the time of application for benefits under this section. If the retirant or deceased member is less than 60 years of age at the time of application for benefits under this section, the retirement system shall pay 80% of the monthly premium or membership or subscription fee for the hospital, medical-surgical, and sick care benefits plan, the dental plan, and vision plan, or any combination of the plans for the benefit of the retirant and his or her retirement allowance beneficiary and the retirant's health insurance dependents, or for the benefit of the deceased member's retirement allowance beneficiary if the retirant or deceased member has 25 or more years of service credit granted under section 68. If a retirant, deceased retirant, or deceased member described in this subsection has 10 or more but less than 25 years of service credit under this act and the retirant was at least 60 years of age at the time of application for benefits under this section, the retirement system shall pay a portion of the monthly premium or membership or subscription fee for the plans or combination of plans equal to the product of 3% and the retirant's, deceased retirant's, or deceased member's years of service for the first 10 years and 4% for each year after the first 10 years, up to 80%. This subsection does not apply to a member who receives a disability retirement allowance under section 86 or 87 or to a deceased member's retirement allowance beneficiary under section 90.

(9) The retirement system shall not pay the premiums or membership or subscription fees under subsection (8) until the retirant or retirement allowance beneficiary requests enrollment in the plans or combination of plans in writing in the manner prescribed by the retirement system. Not more than 1 year of service credit shall be counted for purposes of this subsection and subsection (8) in any school fiscal year.

(10) A member who retires under section 43b or 81 and who elects to purchase service credit on or after July 1, 2008 is not eligible for payments under this section for the hospital, medical-surgical, and sick care benefits plan, the dental plan, or vision plan, or any combination of the plans described in this section until the first date that the member would have been eligible to retire under section 43b or 81 if he or she had not purchased the service credit and had accrued a sufficient amount of service credit under section 68. A member who first becomes a member on or after July 1, 2008 shall not be eligible for health benefits under this subsection until at least the time of application under subsection (8). The retirement system shall apply a method that enables it to make the determination under this subsection.

(11) Except for a member who retires under section 86 or 87 or a member who meets the requirements under subsection (7) or (8), the retirement system shall not pay the benefits provided in subsection (1) or (4) unless the member was employed and has received a minimum total of 1/2 of a year of service credit granted pursuant to section 68 during the 2 school fiscal years immediately preceding the member's retirement allowance effective date or the member has received a minimum of 1/10 of a year of service credit granted pursuant to section 68 during each of the 5 school fiscal years immediately preceding the member's retirement allowance effective date. This subsection does not apply to a member who is unable to meet the service credit requirements of this subsection because of 1 or more periods of unpaid leaves of absence approved by the reporting unit during the period of leave of absence, as a result of a mental or physical disability supported by the member's doctor during the period of leave of absence.

(12) Any retirant or retirement allowance beneficiary excluded from payments under this section may participate in the hospital, medical-surgical, and sick care benefits plan, the dental plan, or vision plan, or any combination of the plans described in this section in the manner prescribed by the retirement system at his or her own cost.

(13) The hospital, medical-surgical, and sick care benefits plan, dental plan, and vision plan that covers retirants, retirement allowance beneficiaries, and health insurance dependents pursuant to this section shall contain a coordination of benefits provision that provides all of the following:

(a) If the person covered under the hospital, medical-surgical, and sick care benefits plan is also eligible for medicare or medicaid, or both, then the benefits under medicare or medicaid, or both, shall be determined before the benefits of the hospital, medical-surgical, and sick care benefits plan provided pursuant to this section.

(b) If the person covered under any of the plans provided by this section is also covered under another plan that contains a coordination of benefits provision, the benefits shall be coordinated as provided by the coordination of benefits act, 1984 PA 64, MCL 550.251 to 550.255.

(c) If the person covered under any of the plans provided by this section is also covered under another plan that does not contain a coordination of benefits provision, the benefits under the other plan shall be determined before the benefits of the plan provided pursuant to this section.

(14) Beginning January 1, 2009, upon the death of the retirant, a retirement allowance beneficiary who became a retirement allowance beneficiary under section 85(8) or (9) is not a health insurance dependent and is not entitled to health benefits under this section except as provided in this subsection. Beginning January 1, 2009, a surviving spouse selected as a retirement allowance beneficiary under section 85(8) or (9) may elect the insurance coverages provided in this section if payment for the elected coverages is the responsibility of the surviving spouse and is paid in a manner prescribed by the retirement system.

(15) This section does not apply to a retirant or a health insurance dependent of that retirant under either of the following circumstances:

(a) The individual first became a member or qualified participant on or after September 4, 2012.

(b) The member made the election to opt out of health insurance coverage or receives a separate retirement allowance under section 91a.

(16) For purposes of this section:

(a) "Health insurance dependent" means any of the following:

(i) Except as provided in subsection (14), the spouse of the retirant or the surviving spouse to whom the retirant or deceased member was married at the time of the retirant's or deceased member's death.

(ii) An unmarried child, by birth or adoption, of the retirant or deceased member, until December 31 of the calendar year in which the child becomes 19 years of age.

(iii) An unmarried child, by birth or adoption, of the retirant or deceased member, until December 31 of the calendar year in which the child becomes 25 years of age, who is enrolled as a full-time student, and who is or was at the time of the retirant's or deceased member's death a dependent of the retirant or deceased member as defined in section 152 of the internal revenue code, 26 USC 152.

(iv) An unmarried child, by birth or adoption, of the retirant or deceased member who is incapable of self-sustaining employment because of mental or physical disability, and who is or was at the time of the retirant's or deceased member's death a dependent of the retirant or deceased member as defined in section 152 of the internal revenue code, 26 USC 152.

(v) The parents of the retirant or deceased member, or the parents of his or her spouse, who are residing in the household of the retirant or retirement allowance beneficiary.

(vi) An unmarried child who is not the child by birth or adoption of the retirant or deceased member but who otherwise qualifies to be a health insurance dependent under subparagraph (ii), (iii), or (iv), if the retirant or deceased member is the legal guardian of the unmarried child.

(b) "Medicaid" means benefits under the federal medicaid program established under title XIX of the social security act, 42 USC 1396 to 1396w-5.

(c) "Medicare" means benefits under the federal medicare program established under title XVIII of the social security act, 42 USC 1395 to 1395kkk.

History: 1980, Act 300, Imd. Eff. Oct. 31, 1980 ;-- Am. 1981, Act 133, Imd. Eff. Oct. 7, 1981 ;-- Am. 1982, Act 258, Imd. Eff. Sept. 30, 1982 ;-- Am. 1983, Act 143, Imd. Eff. July 18, 1983 ;-- Am. 1985, Act 91, Imd. Eff. July 10, 1985 ;-- Am. 1989, Act 193, Imd. Eff. Aug. 25, 1989 ;-- Am. 1996, Act 488, Eff. Mar. 31, 1997 ;-- Am. 1997, Act 143, Imd. Eff. Nov. 19, 1997 ;-- Am. 1998, Act 85, Imd. Eff. May 13, 1998 ;-- Am. 2004, Act 117, Imd. Eff. May 26, 2004 ;-- Am. 2006, Act 617, Eff. Jan. 1, 2009 ;-- Am. 2007, Act 110, Imd. Eff. Oct. 1, 2007 ;-- Am. 2010, Act 75, Imd. Eff. May 19, 2010 ;-- Am. 2012, Act 300, Imd. Eff. Sept. 4, 2012 Constitutionality: The Michigan Supreme Court held that the failure by the state to prefund retirement health care benefits is in violation of Const 1963, art 9, § 24. However, the Michigan Supreme Court also held that it has no authority to order the governor or legislature to appropriate funds. Musselman v Engler, 448 Mich 503; 533 NW2d 237 (1995).Compiler's Notes: Section 2 of Act 488 of 1996 provides:"Section 2. If any section or part of a section of this act is for any reason held to be invalid or unconstitutional, the holding does not affect the validity of the remaining sections of this act or the act in its entirety."Enacting section 1 of Act 75 of 2010 provides:"Enacting section 1. If any section or part of a section of this act is for any reason held to be invalid or unconstitutional, the holding does not affect the validity of the remaining sections of this act or the act in its entirety."Enacting section 2 of Act 300 of 2012 provides:"Enacting section 2. (1) If the office of retirement services in the department of technology, management, and budget receives notification from the United States internal revenue service that any section or any portion of a section of this amendatory act will cause the retirement system to be disqualified for tax purposes under the internal revenue code, then the portion that will cause the disqualification does not apply."(2) The provisions of this amendatory act are severable. If any part of this amendatory act is declared invalid or unconstitutional, that declaration shall not affect the remaining part of this amendatory act."Popular Name: Act 300