SECTION 41.5. Payments of Contributions

(a) Retirees, surviving spouses, and surviving dependent children or their representative (collectively, "participants") shall pay monthly contributions as set by the trustee for their and their dependents' participation in TRS-Care.

(b) To be eligible for TRS-Care coverage, a participant must authorize the trustee in writing to deduct the contribution amount from the annuity payment. After such authorization, the trustee may deduct the amount of the contribution from the annuity payment.

(c) If the amount of the contribution is more than the amount of the annuity payment, the participant will be billed directly by TRS or the TRS-Care administrator for the entire contribution amount.

(d) Failure to timely pay the full amount of a required contribution for coverage of a dependent or a surviving dependent child will result in termination of coverage for the dependent or surviving dependent child at the end of the month for which the last contribution was made.

(e) Failure to timely pay the full amount of a required contribution for coverage of a retiree or a surviving spouse will result in termination of coverage for the retiree or surviving spouse at the end of the month for which the last contribution was made.

(f) A disability retiree whose annuity payments are forfeited under §31.36 of this title (Relating to Forfeiture of Disability Retirement Annuity Payments Due to Excess Compensation) shall pay the total monthly cost of coverage, as determined by the trustee, attributable to the participation of that disability retiree and the dependents of that disability retiree during the months for which the disability retiree's annuity payments are forfeited. A disability retiree shall pay the total monthly cost of coverage starting with the calendar month for which the first annuity payment is forfeited. The disability retiree shall continue to pay the total monthly cost of coverage for each month of coverage in which the annuity payment for that month is forfeited in accordance with §31.36 of this title. Nothing in this section shall be construed to prevent TRS from collecting the total monthly cost of coverage for months in which annuities should have been but were not forfeited if TRS determines that a disability retiree knowingly failed to report compensation as required and the failure resulted in payment of annuities by TRS that the disability retiree was not eligible to receive.

(g) Notwithstanding subsections (d) and (e) of this section, a disability retiree whose annuity payments are forfeited under §31.36 of this title who fails to timely pay the full amount of a required contribution for coverage attributable to his participation or that of his dependents, including but not limited to amounts found due and owing pursuant to a TRS determination that a disability retiree knowingly failed to report compensation as required and the failure resulted in payment of annuities by TRS that the disability retiree was not eligible to receive, shall have coverage under TRS-Care for himself and his dependents suspended unless TRS-Care receives full payment of all costs of coverage currently due and owing within thirty-one (31) days after TRS-Care mails written notice to the disability retiree of the current amount due and owing. Under such circumstances, the suspension of coverage will be effective at midnight of the last day of the month in which TRS-Care mailed the above written notice to the disability retiree of the current amount due and owing. During such a suspension, coverage under TRS-Care will cease and the costs of coverage for TRS-Care will no longer accrue.

(h) If TRS resumes payment of an annuity to a disability retiree whose coverage has been suspended as described in subsection (g) of this section, the following shall apply:

(1) Such disability retiree shall pay, no later than the last day of the month in which TRS resumes annuity payments to the disability retiree, all costs of coverage due and owing attributable to the participation of that disability retiree and the dependents of that disability retiree, including past due amounts for coverage prior to the suspension and the costs of coverage for all months during which the disability retiree's annuity payments are resumed, if any.

(2) Upon payment, reinstatement of TRS-Care coverage shall be effective the first day of the earliest month for which the disability retiree's annuity payments are resumed.

(3) If payment in full of all required contributions then due and owing is not timely received by TRS-Care, then:

(A) TRS-Care coverage for the dependents of that disability retiree shall be terminated effective the last day of the month in which the dependents' coverage was suspended under subsection (g) of this section;

(B) TRS-Care coverage for the disability retiree shall be terminated effective the last day of the last month in which the disability retiree's coverage was suspended under subsection (g) of this section.

Source Note: The provisions of this §41.5 adopted to be effective April 7, 1987, 12 TexReg 1000; amended to be effective November 6, 1987, 12 TexReg 3926; amended to be effective March 12, 2003, 28 TexReg 2112; amended to be effective February 9, 2006, 31 TexReg 709; amended to be effective March 27, 2008, 33 TexReg 2554; amended to be effective January 6, 2013, 37 TexReg 10248; amended to be effective January 4, 2018, 42 TexReg 7720