Retired Employees & Surviving Spouses

Retiree Plans

Retirees (and their spouses and dependents) of the Town of Needham and Needham School District are eligible for Town-sponsored health insurance if they, 1) were eligible for insurance benefits while working, and 2) are currently retired and receiving a monthly retirement allowance from either the Needham Contributory Retirement System or the Massachusetts Teachers Retirement System. 

Eligible retirees and their spouses will have Non-Medicare and Medicare Supplement plans available to them, based on age and Medicare eligibility. 

Non Medicare Retirees & Spouses

Non-Medicare eligible retirees and spouses have the same menu of plans available to them as current employees. They should visit the Open Enrollment page to choose plans that run on a July 1 through June 31 plan year.

Three months prior to the retiree or spouse’s 65th birthday, they should contact their local Social Security Office to apply for Medicare Parts A and B and set up an appointment with the Human Resources Department to obtain plan information and enrollment materials for Medicare plans. 

Medicare Retirees & Spouses

Retirees and their spouses that are eligible for Medicare and which to continue with Town-sponsored health insurance, MUST enroll in Medicare Parts A and B and select a Medicare Supplement plan. These plans run on a January 1 through December 31 plan year, and plan information can be found on the Medicare Plan Open Enrollment page. 

Note on dependents: If dependent children are being covered and retiree and/or spouse is eligible for Medicare, the only option for coverage under a Town-sponsored plan is the Non-Medicare Family plans. The Medicare eligible retiree and spouse must still enroll in Medicare A and B, but will be covered under and pay for a family plan. 

Surviving Spouses

Upon the death of a retiree, the surviving spouse may maintain town-sponsored coverage, however the Town no longer contributes to the cost of health insurance. If the surviving spouse is no longer receiving a retirement allowance from the retirement board, they will be direct billed. Deaths of retirees and spouses should be reported to the Town’s Human Resources Department, which administers health insurance benefits.