Retiree Health Plans

MIT retirees, age 55 or older, who have completed 10 years of MIT retiree-medical-plan-eligible service after age 45 can participate.

You are eligible for MIT retiree medical benefits if:

• You have retired from the Institute, are at least age 55, and you have 10 or more years of retiree-medical-plan-eligible service after age 45. 
• You qualify for grandfathered eligibility if, on July 1, 1995, you were: 1) retired from MIT and were eligible for retiree health insurance benefits; or 2) actively employed by MIT and had attained at least age 65 on that date — or age 55 with at least 10 years of retirement-plan-eligible service. If you qualify for grandfathered eligibility, MIT pays the full cost of Blue Cross and Blue Shield's MEDEX Supplement and subsidizes the other Medicare Supplement Plans up to the cost of MEDEX.

Members of collective bargaining units

All plan provisions are subject to the terms of your collective bargaining agreement.

If you retire before age 65, you will continue to be covered by one of the health plans available to active MIT employees. Any eligible dependent children will continue to be covered under a family plan with you and/or your spouse or partner until you both reach age 65 and become eligible for Medicare. If you are married and do not have dependent children, you and your spouse will each be covered under your own individual plan.

Approximately, three months before you reach the age of 65, MIT Benefits will send a packet of materials to your address on record describing the Medicare Supplement Plans and the forms needed to enroll as of the first day of the month in which you reach age 65. If you do not receive a packet, contact MIT Benefits.

Learn more about your health plan options.

If you retire at or after age 65, Medicare Parts A and B will become your primary insurance. You may add to that coverage one of the Medicare Supplement Plans offered by MIT.

Learn more about your health plan options.

An eligible spouse or partner under the age of 65 at the time of your retirement will be eligible to remain in an active MIT health plan — an individual plan if you are only covering a spouse, and a family plan if you are covering both a spouse and dependent children. If you are over age 65, you will be covered by Medicare. You may supplement that coverage with one of MIT's Medicare Supplement Plans. Generally, three months before the month in which your spouse/partner reaches age 65, they will receive a reminder from MIT Benefits to enroll in Medicare Parts A and B. They will also receive a packet of materials describing MIT Medicare Supplement Plan options, including the forms needed to enroll as of the first day of the month in which they reach age 65.

If your eligible spouse/partner is age 65 or older when you retire, their primary coverage must be Medicare. They are also eligible to apply for additional coverage under one of MIT's Medicare Supplement Plans. Your spouse or partner is not obligated to have the same supplemental coverage that you have.

The table below shows the percentage MIT pays for your basic retiree medical plan. If you are retirement eligible and were hired at MIT after July 1, 2012, the percentage MIT pays for your spouse/partner’s individual under age 65 basic retiree medical plan or Medicare Supplement Plan is 50%.

Any cost will be deducted from your MIT Basic Retirement Plan monthly pension check. You will be billed monthly if you defer receipt of your MIT Basic Retirement Plan benefit.

• MIT's share of the cost of coverage will be based on your years of retiree-medical-benefit-plan eligible service with the Institute after age 45. See chart above.
• MIT's share will equal 50% for retirees with 10 years of such service after age 45.
• MIT's share will increase two percentage points for each additional year of service beyond the initial 10 years of required service to a maximum of 70% for retirees with 20 or more years of such service after age 45. 
• See the full monthly cost for retirees under age 65.

MIT will pay a percentage of the cost of your monthly medical premium up to the full monthly cost of MEDEX. The dollar amount MIT pays will change as the cost of MIT Group MEDEX changes.

• MIT's share of the cost of coverage will be based on your years of retiree-medical-benefit-plan eligible service with the Institute after age 45. See chart above.
• MIT's share will increase two percentage points for each additional year of service beyond the initial 10 years of required service to a maximum of 70% for retirees with 20 or more years of such service after age 45.

See the full monthly cost for retirees age 65 and over.

You are eligible for grandfathered premium contributions if, on July 1, 1995, you were: 1) retired from MIT and were eligible for retiree health insurance benefits; or 2) actively employed by MIT and had attained at least age 65 on that date — or age 55 with at least 10 years of retirement-plan-eligible service. If you qualify for grandfathered status, MIT pays the full cost of Blue Cross and Blue Shield's MEDEX Supplement and subsidizes the other Medicare Supplement Plans up to the cost of MEDEX.

See the cost for retirees over age 65 -- grandfathered group.

MIT retirees age 65 and over (or those who are disabled and enrolled in Medicare) who enroll in one of the Medicare Supplemental Plans will automatically be enrolled in the Medicare Part D Prescription Drug Plan sponsored by MIT.

MIT Retirees under age 65 who enroll in an under 65 plan (MIT Traditional, MIT Choice or Blue Care Elect) will automatically be enrolled in the MIT active group Prescription Drug Benefit.