Videos
#2 - Will My TRS Pension Be Enough?
#4 – Setting Financial Goals
FAQs
Active Members (TRS-ActiveCare)
Yes. You may be able to enroll your spouse or eligible dependents through your TRS-ActiveCare plan. Documentation is required to establish the eligibility for all new dependents. We recommend contacting your employer for assistance related to special enrollment events. Please note that a common-law marriage is not considered a special enrollment event unless there is a Declaration of Common Law Marriage filed with an authorized government agency.
Retirees (TRS-Care)
Yes, you can add eligible dependents such as your spouse to your TRS-Care plan.
Active Members
Special Enrollment Event You may add dependents, including your spouse, during the plan year if you experience a special enrollment event, such as a marriage. You must enroll your spouse within 31 days of the special enrollment event (i.e., marriage). The coverage takes effect the first of the month following the date of enrollment under the special enrollment event.
Annual Enrollment Opportunity You also have an annual opportunity to add dependents, including your spouse, during the summer enrollment period. You don’t need a special enrollment event to add dependents during Annual Enrollment period.
Retirees
Initial Enrollment Period You may enroll your eligible dependents in TRS-Care during your Initial Enrollment Period. The Initial Enrollment Period begins 90 days from your effective retirement date or when your retirement application for TRS-Care is due to TRS (no later than the last day of your Initial Enrollment Period.) When you retire, you must submit an application that tells TRS if you’d like to enroll yourself and your dependents in, or defer enrollment in, TRS-Care.
Turning 65 or Becoming Medicare Eligible If you’re a retiree or surviving spouse who isn’t yet 65, and you either terminated TRS-Care or didn’t enroll during your Initial Enrollment opportunity, you can enroll in TRS-Care when you turn 65. You may also add eligible dependents at that time. To enroll in TRS-Care at 65, you must request an application for TRS-Care (Form 700EO) and submit your application for coverage no later than 31 days from the end of the month in which you turn 65. Call TRS Health at 1-888-237-6762 to request an application.
Please note this enrollment opportunity is not available to dependent spouses or children when they turn 65.
Special Enrollment Event If your spouse or any eligible dependents are not enrolled in TRS-Care, and through no fault of their own, they lose comprehensive health coverage with another health plan, you may enroll your spouse or eligible dependent in TRS-Care within 31 days following the dependent’s involuntary loss of the other health plan coverage. If you enroll a spouse or an eligible dependent, you, a retiree, must also become enrolled in TRS-Care (if you are not already enrolled).
If you, the retiree, acquire an eligible dependent through marriage, you must notify TRS in writing within 31 days of the date they acquire the eligible dependent, for the enrollment to be valid. Enrollment will take effect the first of the month after TRS-Care receives the request for enrollment in writing.
There are a couple of ways to do this:
- MyTRS – Log in and update the information under the Beneficiary tab
- Complete and return the Designation of Beneficiary (Form TRS 15) (pdf) to TRS
Please inform TRS of any address change to continue to receive important communications, such as your annual 1099-R Income Tax form or annual statement of account. There are a couple of ways to do this:
- MyTRS – Log in and update the information under the Account Management tab to update your address.
- Complete and mail to TRS a Change of Address Notification Form (TRS 358) (pdf) to TRS.
To update your name, TRS requires notification in writing when you change your name. There is no TRS form for submitting a name change.
- The written notice must contain both your Social Security number and your signature.
- You must also include a copy of a court order or marriage license that authorizes your name change.
- If you are working for a TRS-covered employer when your name changes, you must officially change your name in your employer's records to ensure that your employer's records and TRS records match.
The Federal Income Tax Withholding form needs to be completed and returned to TRS in order to update your tax withholding.
If a member should pass away, and their beneficiary is their spouse, they may be eligible for survivor benefits.
Survivor benefits are different depending on if a member has retired or not. If a member is retired and passes away, the beneficiary will receive a $10,000 survivor benefit or $2,500 and a monthly payment, depending on who the beneficiary is. In addition to the lump sum, the beneficiary can be eligible for a monthly annuity payment depending on what option the member selected upon retirement. If the member has not yet retired and passes away, their beneficiary may be eligible to select from several different options.