Retired Municipal Teachers: In General

(1) A Local Governmental Unit that accepts M.G.L. c. 32B, § 11E shall inform the Commission in writing of its decision to transfer its retired teachers to the Commission's Health Coverage for Retired Municipal Teachers. (2) Upon receiving the Local Governmental Unit's acceptance notice, the Commission shall consider applications from the Local Governmental Unit and shall notify the Local Governmental Unit's treasurer that the Commission has approved the coverage transfer. Thereafter, the Local Governmental Unit shall promptly notify all teachers whom it employs that they must be enrolled in the Local Governmental Unit's basic life insurance upon retirement in order to be eligible for the Commission's life insurance and Retired Municipal Teacher health coverage. (3) Eligible retiring teachers or their surviving spouses, as applicable, who apply when first eligible to be insured in the Retired Municipal Teachers' Program, must complete a Commission application in order to avoid a lapse in coverage. Teachers shall complete and submit their applications to the Commission approximately three months before their anticipated Coverage effective date determined by the Commission. (4) (a) Retiring teachers whose Local Governmental Unit participates in the Commission's Retired Municipal Teacher program are required to be insured with the Local Governmental Unit upon Retirement in order to be eligible for Commission coverage. (b) The Local Governmental Unit providing Retired Municipal Teacher coverage shall provide a notice to all newly hired teachers informing them that they must be enrolled in the Local Governmental Unit's life or life and health coverage at retirement in order to be eligible for Retired Municipal Teacher coverage. The Local Governmental Unit shall allow teachers who have a right to retire but defer their retirement to maintain their eligibility by continuing to be insured for Basic Life Insurance or Basic Life and Health Insurance. (5) Teachers from a Local Governmental Unit that decides to join Health Coverage pursuant to M.G.L. c. 32B, § 19 are considered to be Retired Municipal Teachers only if their retirement date occurs before July 1st of the year in which the teachers' Local Governmental Unit joins Health Coverage. (6) Retired teachers who decline Retired Municipal Teacher coverage when they are first eligible may later enroll only during annual enrollment or with satisfactory proof of loss of other health coverage. The Local Governmental Unit must certify to the Commission that the Retired Municipal Teacher was insured at retirement in the Local Governmental Unit's life or life and health coverage.