Current Post-Employment Benefit Extended for One Year

On February 9, 2010, the Heartland Board of Directors voted to extend the post-employment benefit currently scheduled to expire on June 30, 2010, for another year. Because of the late extension, those who elected the benefit in December 2009 will be given the option to rescind their election if they choose to do so.

A post-employment committee has been re-established and commissioned to research changes to the benefit going forward. The committee includes previous members as well as new members. The committee met in January and its recommendation was to ask the Board for an extension of the current policy to give time to consider options for the benefit effective July 1, 2011.

The current post-employment benefit that will now be in effect until July 1, 2011, states that eligibility shall be limited to employees who have completed a minimum of 15 consecutive years of full-time employment with the Agency and who have reached the age of 58 or older before June 30 of their final fiscal year of employment.

Eligibility shall also be extended to employees who have completed 20 years of regular half- or full-time employment with the Agency, who have been employed on a full-time basis for at least the last five consecutive years and who are the age of 58 or older before June 30 of their final fiscal year of employment. An approved extended leave of absence is not considered a break in employment for either group.

Board Policy 403.4 states that the Agency agrees to pay a portion of the retiree’s medical insurance coverage which was in effect during the employee’s last year of employment until the age of 65 or until the employee become eligible for other insurance coverage, including Medicare, whichever occurs first.

Questions regarding the post-employment benefit or staff members’ eligibility may be addressed to Kathy Martin, Benefits Specialist, at kmartin@aea11.k12.ia.us or ext. 14385.

You may also contact one of the committee members to discuss your thoughts about the committee’s recommendations to the board in July 2011. Committee members are: Melissa Bell, Nola Bond, Frances Budreck Davis, Judy Cleveland, Steve Iverson, Geri Jacobs, Dave King, Kathy Martin, Sue Meyer, Mike Permann, Mari Stirler, Dave Tilly and Judy Walahoski.