BC 2009 09 21 Regular Meeting - Laserfiche WebLink

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September 21, 2009 (Regular Meeting) Page 1598 made prior to retirement, but no later than 60 days after retirement from Cabarrus County. Retirees with coverage are required to notify the County when they become Medicare eligible. (c) Retirees from County service under the North Carolina Local Governmental Employees' Retirement System who declined retirement health care coverage July 1, 1997 (employees subject to the requirements listed under Schedule B of Article VI, Section 5 while actively employed with the County) may only purchase health insurance coverage for themselves and their eligible dependents to the extent mandated by the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Act (COBRA). Life insurance is not provided by the County; however, coverage may be converted to a private plan at retirement. (d) Employees and retirees may be required to participate in premiums for basic group health and life insurance plans. (e) Current full time employees and retirees covered under (b) above may purchase dependent health plan coverage through a County group plan. Changes in number of dependents covered may only occur at an annual open enrollment or when there is a qualifying event, as defined for Internal Revenue Service Code Section 125 purposes. (f) Premium payments required for employee, retiree, and/or dependent health plan benefit coverage must be made to the County by the 25th day of the month prior to the month for which coverage is needed. If an employee is on paid leave, premium payments must be paid by the method normally used. If the required premium payment is more than 30 days late, the health plan benefit coverage will terminate retroactively to the first day of the month for which the premium payment was due. Termination of coverage may occur without notice and results in ineligibility for reinstatement of coverage, except as may be required by law. Optional health, life, and other group insurance programs are available through payroll deduction for full time employees as voluntary benefits. The maintenance of voluntary benefits is the responsibility of the employee and includes making arrangements for premium payments during periods of unpaid leave. Termination of coverage may occur without notice and results in ineligibility for reinstatement of coverage, except as may be required by law. Optional or supplemental County sponsored health and life insurance programs are not available to retirees. Section 3. Workers' Compensation The County provides Workers' Compensation for all employees effective the first day of employment. Section 4. Special Separation Allowance NCGS 143-166.42 requires the County to provide a special separation allowance to all regular full time sworn law enforcement employees who are members of the North Carolina Local Governmental Employees' Retirement System who retire and meet the following qualifications: (a)Have completed thirty years or more of creditable service, or have attained 55 years of age and completed five or more years of creditable service; and (b)Not have attained 62 years of age; and (c)Have completed at least five years of continuous service as a law enforcement officer immediately preceding a service retirement. Any break in continuous service required by this subsection because of disability retirement or disability salary continuation benefits shall not adversely affect a qualification to receive the allowance, provided the employee returns to service within 95 days after the disability benefits cease and is otherwise qualified to receive the allowance. As used in this section, "creditable service" means service for which credit is allowed under the retirement system of which the employee is a member, provided that at least 50~ of the service is as a law enforcement officer. The special separation allowance ceases at the first of: (a) Death;