How do I maintain my CU health and dental insurance benefits while I am on military leave?

While you are in a paid leave status, all of your health and dental insurance coverage will continue automatically, and your premiums will be deducted from your paycheck.

If you are in a leave without pay status, you may continue the health and dental coverage and provide coverage for any dependents if you pay the active employee share only. You must contact Nancy McConnell (864) 656-5608, entreki@clemson.edu in the Benefits Office at CU to make arrangements to pay for your insurance benefits while you are on military leave. You will be billed for the premiums.

What happens to my health and dental coverage if I am in a leave without pay status?

If you plan to continue your benefits when you go into a leave without pay status, you should contact Nancy McConnell in the Benefits Office to make arrangements to pay for your insurance benefits and provide billing information so that you may be billed for the premiums. You may contact her by phone at (864) 656-5608, or by e-mail at entreki@clemson.edu.

If you do not make arrangements to pay the required premiums, your benefits will be terminated on the first of the month following, if your premiums fail to be deducted from your paycheck.

Who do I contact to continue or discontinue my health and dental insurance benefits?

Contact Nancy McConnell in the Benefits Office located at Perimeter Rd, Box 345337, Clemson, SC 29634, (864) 656-5608, entreki@clemson.edu, to continue or discontinue the state benefit programs (Health, Dental, Basic Life, Optional Life, Long Term Disability, Supplemental Long Term Disability and Long Term Care, MoneyPlu$), or Prudential.

How long may I continue to remain enrolled in the CU state health and dental plans?

Employees may continue their health and dental insurance with the state for as long as they are on active duty, remain employed with the state, and pay the appropriate premium, within the timeframe and guidelines established.

May I drop, discontinue, or suspend my health and dental insurance benefits while I am on military leave?

Yes, you may drop all or part of your state health and dental insurance benefits and re-enroll for your benefits within 31 days of discharge. Employees who cancel and reinstate will be reinstated with a break in coverage and with the same level of coverage, unless a family status change has occurred. If you have a spouse or dependents covered by your plan and you wish for them to remain covered under your Clemson University state health and dental plan, you must remain on the plan and pay the premiums.

Who do I contact to continue or discontinue my AFLAC insurance programs?

Contact Ginny Murdock at (864) 882-8157 or toll free 1-800-661-7330 to continue or discontinue the AFLAC insurance programs.

Upon return to covered employment at CU, what do I need to do to reinstate AFLAC insurance programs, if I should drop them as a result of my military duty?

Employees with AFLAC insurance programs should discuss this with the AFLAC representative, Ginny Murdock, at (864) 882-8157 or toll free 1-800-661-7330.

If I were called to active duty and was unable to come to the benefits office and make changes, what other means are available for me to make changes related to my health and dental insurance benefits?

If you plan to continue your benefits when you go into an unpaid leave status, you can make the request and provide the billing information by phone or by email. You must contact Nancy McConnell in the Benefits Office by phone at (864) 656-5608 or by e-mail at entreki@clemson.edu. If you want to make changes to any of your state benefits, ONLY you or a person whom you have legally designated as having Power of Attorney for you can make those changes, since a signature is required to make changes. This can be done in the Benefits Office or through mail by completing the proper forms. Forms may be obtained from the Payroll & Benefits Office.

If I am called to active military duty prior to or during the October open enrollment will I be allowed to make fall enrollment changes?

Yes. If you have granted someone Power of Attorney, they will be allowed to make enrollment changes during October by completing the Notice of Election (NOE) form. If you have not granted anyone Power of Attorney, you will be allowed to make enrollment changes by completing a Notice of Election (NOE) form within 31 days after you return to work.

Upon my return to employment at CU, what do I need to do to reinstate my health and dental benefits, if I should drop them as a result of my military duty? Also, when would they be reinstated?

When you return to work, you should complete a Notice of Election (NOE) form to reinstate your coverage and attach a copy of the discharge orders. The effective date will be the day after discharge. If that date falls on or before the 15^th of the month, premiums are due for the entire month. If the date falls after the 15^th of the month, premiums are not due for that month.

If you fail to re-enroll within this time period, you will not be eligible to re-enroll for benefits until the next open enrollment period. Employees who complete the necessary paperwork within 31 days of returning to work will be reinstated with a break in coverage and with the same level of coverage, unless a change in family status has occurred. The time period for exclusions based upon pre-existing conditions commences upon the original date of employment and NOT the date of re-employment.

If I retire early, how will my health or dental insurance be affected by being on active duty with the armed services?

You will have to meet the same eligibility requirements for retiree insurance, as outlined by the State Budget & Control Board Employee Insurance Program, formerly called Office Of Insurance Services. One of the requirements for state funded retiree insurance is that a person work their last 5 years in a full-time permanent position with a state entity with no breaks in service. This particular requirement can be met during your active duty with the armed services, provided you continue to pay the retirement contributions to the South Carolina Retirement System or Police Officers Retirement System, or establish this time with retroactive contributions within the Retirement System guidelines.

Will the time I am on military leave count toward my years of service for certain insurance eligibilities?

One of the requirements for state funded retiree insurance is that a person must work their last five (5) years in a full-time permanent position with a state entity with no breaks in service. Employees within five (5) years of retirement may meet this requirement by making monthly retirement contributions to the South Carolina Retirement System or Police Officers Retirement System during a military leave or by making a retroactive contribution to the Retirement System upon return to employment. Employees will be allowed three times the length of the military leave (maximum of five years) to make this retroactive payment at the same rate, (Example, an employee who is on military leave for one (1) year, would have three (3) years from the end of the military leave to make retroactive retirement contributions at the normal contribution rate. If the military leave is three (3) years, an employee would be allowed five (5) years to pay the retroactive contributions).