(a) Enrollment Categories.
  (1) Full-time employees and their dependents.
    (A) A new employee:
      (i) who is not subject to the health insurance waiting period and is eligible under the Act and as provided for in §81.5(a)(1) of this chapter (relating to Eligibility) for automatic insurance coverage, shall be enrolled in the basic plan unless the employee completes an enrollment form to elect other coverage or to waive GBP health coverage as provided in §81.8 of this chapter (relating to Waiver of Health Coverage). Coverage of an employee under the basic plan, and other coverage selected as provided in this paragraph, becomes effective on the date on which the employee begins active duty.
      (ii) who is subject to the health insurance waiting period and is eligible under the Act and as provided for in §81.5(a)(1) of this chapter for automatic insurance coverage, shall be enrolled in the basic plan beginning on the first day of the calendar month following 60 days of employment unless, before this date, the employee completes an enrollment form to elect other coverage or to waive GBP health coverage as provided in §81.8 of this chapter.
      (iii) who has existing, current, and continuous GBP health coverage as of the date the employee begins active duty is not subject to the health insurance waiting period and is eligible to enroll as a new employee in health insurance and additional coverage and plans which include optional coverage by completing an enrollment form before the first day of the calendar month after the date the employee begins active duty. Health and additional coverage selected before the first day of the calendar month after the date the employee begins active duty are effective the first day of the following month.
    (B) Dependent enrollment and optional coverage:
      (i) To enroll eligible dependents, to elect to enroll in an approved HMO, and to elect additional coverage and plans which include optional coverage, an employee not subject to the health insurance waiting period shall complete an enrollment form within 30 days after the date on which the employee begins active duty. Coverage selected within 30 days after the date on which the employee begins active duty becomes effective on the first day of the month following the date on which the enrollment form is completed. An enrollment form completed after the initial period for enrollment as provided in this paragraph is subject to the provisions of subsection (d) of this section.
      (ii) To enroll eligible dependents or to elect to enroll in an approved HMO, an employee subject to the health insurance waiting period shall complete an enrollment form before the first day of the month following 60 days of employment. Coverage selected before the first day of the month following 60 days of employment becomes effective on the first day of the month following 60 days of employment. An employee completing an enrollment form after the initial period for enrollment as provided in this paragraph is subject to the provisions of subsection (d) of this section. The provisions of subparagraph (A)(ii) of this paragraph apply to the election of additional coverage and plans, which include optional coverage, for an employee subject to the health insurance waiting period.
    (C) Except as otherwise provided in this section, an employee may not change coverage.
    (D) An eligible employee who enrolls in the GBP is eligible to participate in premium conversion and shall be automatically enrolled in the premium conversion plan. The employee shall be automatically enrolled in the plan for subsequent plan years as long as the employee remains on active duty.
    (E) Coverage for a newly eligible dependent, other than a dependent referred to in subparagraph (F) or (H) of this paragraph, will be effective on the first day of the month following the date the person becomes a dependent if an enrollment form is completed on or within 30 days after the date the person first becomes a dependent. If the enrollment form is completed and signed after the initial period for enrollment as provided in this paragraph, the enrollment form will be governed by the rules in subsection (d) of this section.
    (F) A member's newborn natural child will be covered immediately and automatically for 30 days from the date of birth in the health plan in effect for the employee/retiree. A member's newly adopted child will be covered immediately and automatically from the date of placement for adoption for 30 days in the health plan in effect for the employee/retiree. To continue coverage for more than 30 days after the date of birth or placement for adoption, an enrollment form for GBP health coverage must be submitted by the member within 30 days after the date of birth or placement for adoption.
    (G) The effective date of a newborn natural child's life and AD&D coverage will be the date of birth, if the child is born alive, as certified by an attending physician or a certified nurse-midwife. The effective date of a newly adopted child's life and AD&D coverage will be the date of placement for adoption. The effective date of all other eligible dependents' life and AD&D coverage will be as stated in subparagraph (E) of this paragraph.
    (H) GBP health coverage of a member's eligible child for whom a covered employee/retiree is court-ordered to provide medical support becomes effective on the date on which the member's benefits coordinator receives a valid copy of the qualified medical child support order.
    (I) The effective date of GBP health coverage for an employee's/retiree's dependent, other than a newborn natural child or newly adopted child, will be as stated in subparagraph (E) of this paragraph.
    (J) For purposes of this section, an enrollment form is completed when all information necessary to effect an enrollment has been transmitted to ERS in the form and manner prescribed by ERS.
  (2) Part-time employees. A part-time employee or other employee who is not automatically covered must complete an application/enrollment form provided by ERS authorizing necessary deductions for insurance required contributions for elected coverage. All other rules for enrollment stated in paragraph (1) of this subsection, other than the rule as to automatic coverage, apply to such employee:
    (A) If the employee is not subject to a health insurance waiting period, this form must be submitted to ERS either through ERS Online or through his/her benefits coordinator on, or within 30 days after, the date on which the employee begins active duty.
    (B) If the employee is subject to a health insurance waiting period, this form must be submitted to ERS either through ERS Online or through his/her benefits coordinator before the first day of the month following 60 days of employment.
    (C) If the employee has existing, current, and continuous GBP health coverage as of the date the employee begins active duty, the employee is not subject to the health insurance waiting period and is eligible to enroll as a new employee in health insurance and additional coverage and plans which include optional coverage by completing an enrollment form before the first day of the calendar month after the date the employee begins active duty. Health and additional coverage selected before the first day of the calendar month after the date the employee begins active duty are effective the first day of the following month.
  (3) Retirees and their dependents.
    (A) Provided the insurance required contributions are paid or deducted, an employee's GBP health, dental, vision and term life insurance coverage (including eligible dependent coverage) may be continued upon retirement as provided in §81.5(b) of this chapter. The life insurance will be reduced to the maximum amount which the retiree is permitted to retain under the insurance plan as a retiree. All other coverage in force for an active employee, but not available to a retiree, will automatically be discontinued concurrently with the commencement of retirement status. Except as provided in subparagraph (E) of this paragraph, if a retiree retires directly from active duty and is not covered as an active employee on the day before becoming an annuitant, the retiree may enroll in the basic plan.
    (B) A retiree may enroll in GBP health, dental, vision and life insurance coverage for which the retiree is eligible as provided in §81.5(b) of this chapter, including dependent coverage, by completing an enrollment form as specified in clauses (i) - (iii) of this subparagraph. For the purposes of this subparagraph, the effective date of retirement of a retiree who is eligible to receive, but who has not yet received, an annuity is the date on which ERS receives written notice of the retirement. An application/enrollment form received after the initial period for enrollment as provided in this subparagraph, is subject to the provisions of subsection (d) of this section.
Cont'd...