Retirement Information
Certified Staff Hired Into the Certified Group Prior to the 2009 - 2010 School Year
Click Here for the Recorded Presentation
Retirement Qualifications
To qualify for the post employment stipend and insurance you must meet the following criteria:
Preparing for Retirement
Change Your PayCheck Proration
If you plan to retire in the following year, you may choose to contact humanresources@chipfalls.org by August 15th and request that your checks not be prorated for the upcoming school year.
The purpose for this is to avoid the year-end lump sum payout. When staff do not stop the proration the fall prior to retiring they receive a lump sum payout in June. (Lump Sum is for all of the June, July, and August checks.)
Some prefer to receive the lump sum payout and maximize the opportunity to pay a larger sum into their American Funds, Wisconsin Deferred Compensation, and/or Health Savings Account.
Request an Estimate From WRS
Be sure to request a WRS estimate on what your annuity will be. You can submit a request if you are within 12 months of turning age 55. You may do a request annually until the time of retirement. It is recommended that you submit a request within 12 months of your official retirement date.
Click here for the online form and or a paper form to submit a request.
Life Insurance Continuance
WRS/ETF will automatically continue your life insurance through your monthly annuity.
Click Here for the Life Insurance Plan Book. This plan includes accidental death and dismemberment and allows for a living benefit if insured member is experiencing a terminal illness.
Supplemental and Additional Coverages end at age 65 and the basic insurance reduces based on age, see the chart.
Retirement Calculations
The retirement calculations for sick leave are specific to you as an individual.
Sick Leave payouts are based on the teacher daily base rate of $227.51 you are paid 25% of the daily base rate ($56.88) for each remaining sick leave day up to your maximum allowed days. Any sick leave you have left at the end of your employment will be paid to your Pelion account that you set up with Precision Retirement.
Retirement Stipends
The retirement stipend is a five year stipend for those retirees hired prior to July 1, 2009.
The stipend is paid at a percentage of the teacher daily base rate for the year the retirement occurs:
The stipend is divided over 12 months a year and paid the first full week each month. Holidays and other circumstances may cause the payment date to vary slightly each month. The funds are deposited in the Pelion account set up through Precision Retirement.
Pelion - Precision Retirement
Sick Leave pay and stipends are paid to your account at Pelion, which you will set up with Precision Retirement.
There are two account options:
A Special Pay Plan -This is similar to a Tax Sheltered Annuity. You may remove the funds at any time. You may also roll them over to an IRA or a 403(b) no fees.
A Medical Reimbursement Account - The funds may then be used to pay for insurance premiums, and unreimbursed medical expenses on a tax-free basis for you, your spouse and qualified dependents.Please note that if you were to pass away and do not have a surviving spouse or a child under the age of 26 the funds in this account would be returned to the district. (This has never happened to date, as it is recommended that you utilize the funds in this account prior to those in an HSA, etc…)
Pelion- Precision Retirement Choices
Benefits of the Prime Plan (Medical Reimbursement)
Benefits of a Special Pay -403(b) Plan
Insurance
Health - Dental - Vision
Health Insurance
You receive exit rate health insurance. If premiums increase at anytime while you are still on the insurance you will pay the difference in the premium from the rate at the time of your retirement to the new increased rate.
Until a rate increase you do not pay any monthly premiums. Continuing to be a good consumer of healthcare will help to prevent large rate increases and prevent you from paying a monthly premium for the coverage. Remember you are still able to use the Cardinal Healthy Primary Care Clinic and Alithias in retirement.
Your Coverage ends the first of the month in which you turn 65 years old. Remember to apply for Medicare three months prior to turning 65 years old.
Health Insurance for Spouse & Dependents
If your spouse is older than you they MUST enroll in medicare when first eligible. While your spouse is being covered under your health insurance plan, they must apply for Medicare Parts, A, B and D when they qualify for Medicare coverage. Medicare will be their primary insurance and the district insurance will be their secondary insurance. If you have a marital status change you MUST notify us as soon as possible so we can make the plan changes.
If your spouse is younger than you they may stay on the plan until the first of the month in which they reach 65 years old at their own expense which will be the COBRA cost of a single plan.
Eligible dependents are terminated from the plan when you turn 65 years old and/or when they reach the end of the month in which they turn 26 years old. You are responsible for notifying us of any changes to your dependents need for coverage. Dependents will be offered COBRA coverage upon their termination from the plan.
Health Savings Account
District contributions will continue to be deposited into your Health Savings Account until your coverage ends or the plan changes.
Current Contributions:
Single Plan $75.22 a month- $902.64 per year
Family Plan $192.90 a month - $2,314.80 per year
You can make contributions to an HSA until you are 65 years old. You may still do this by depositing the funds on a post tax basis at Northwestern Bank then claiming it as a credit when processing your taxes. If you are subbing for CFSD you can contribute to your HSA on a pre-tax basis. Please note that the year you turn 65 your HSA maximum is reduced by the number of months in the year that you are 65 years old. Click here for the IRS information on HSA’s.
Good Health Care Consumerism Continues
In retirement you are still able help ensure rates do not increase, in turn causing you to have to pay for the health insurance.
Cardinal Healthy Primary Care Clinic - 715-738-2700
Teladoc - 800-835-2362 call from anywhere to speak to a licensed provider
Alithias - 855-843-8783 phone, fax 855-860-3123 or email at info@alithias.com send them your referral for secondary care to get recommendations for providers and financial incentives
**All those covered by the insurance are eligible to use the clinic, teladoc, Althias etc….
Exit Rates
Single Plan - $79 a month employee share and $548 a month CFSD share =$627 a month total
Family Plan - $203 a month employee share and $1,405 a month CFSD share = $1,608 a month total
If the plan does well and rates do not increase you will owe nothing each month for the insurance, if rates increase you will owe the difference of the total increase.
For example, if the total cost of the family increases to $1,808 a month you would then pay $200 a month for the coverage
CFAUSD - Dental and Vision Insurance
Dental and vision coverage will end at the end of the month in which you retire. (June 30th) Upon retirement you have a one time offer of coverage for dental and vision insurance at the full cost of the plan, plus a monthly processing fee of $1.25 (rates subject to changes).
If keeping the dental and or vision insurance you can click here for a link to the form we will need you to complete to have the funds to pay for the monthly premiums to automatically be withdrawn from your account on the 15th of each month. Return the form to human resources prior to May 30th.
CFAUSD - Delta Dental Rates:
CFAUSD - Vision Rates:
Wisconsin Retirement Dental & Vision
WRS Delta Dental Plan
WRS Vision Plan
Click here for a comparison of the WRS plans and the CFAUSD plan.
Open Enrollment
There is not a CFAUSD annual open enrollment plan for retirees.
The plans you choose during this years open enrollment in May (health, dental and vision) are the only plans you are eligible to participate in during retirement.
If you choose to enroll in either the WRS Delta Dental and or the WRS Vision you would not be eligible to enroll in the CFAUSD dental or vision at a later date.
Wisconsin Retirement System
Employee Trust Funds
WRS Contact Information
Office Hours: 7:45 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. Monday – Friday (except holidays)
Email:
Toll free: 1-877-533-5020 Local Madison: 608-266-3285
Department of Employee Trust Funds
P.O. Box 7931
Madison, WI 53707-7931
Benefit Request Information Request
WRS Information
Core VS Variable ET - 4930
Each year on the May 1st annuity payment, an adjustment is applied to the core and variable portions of your annuity payments. This is not a “cost-of-living” increase; it is an adjustment based on the investment results of the core and variable investment trust. The adjustment is a percentage increase or decrease in your monthly annuity.
The core monthly annuity is guaranteed by law never to be less than the original final amount.
The variable portion of your annuity can increase or decrease.
You may transfer to the Core fund by submitting a completed “Election to Cancel Variable Participation” Form ET-2313 to the DETF.
Any change to cancel the variable participation becomes effective on January 1st after it is received by the DETF.
Beneficiary Designation - ET2320
A change using this form will affect your life insurance as well as your WRS account.
A divorce, annulment, or similar event WILL NOT invalidate a Beneficiary Designation which names your former spouse. To remove a former spouse as a beneficiary, you must file a new designation form.
Once a designation is received and approved by DETF, it remains in effect until you file a new designation or until there are no further benefits payable.
Please refer to the Beneficiary Instructions for complete details! If no form is on file statutory sequence will be followed. (Spouse, Children, Grandchildren, Parents, Siblings, Estate)
Current beneficiaries are listed on your most recent WRS Statement
WRS Annuity Options Video
WRS Informational Books
Rehired Annuitant
If you choose to return to work for any Wisconsin Retirement System employer you must complete a Rehired Annuitant form. ET-2319
Upon retiring you must have a 75 day break in service and NO guarantee of continued employment with the Chippewa Falls Area Unified School District.
You would be considered to have retired after July 2, 2013 and therefore if drawing your annuity could not work more than 880 hours in a rolling 12 month period of time. If you are to exceed the 880 hours you would then be forced to forfeit your monthly WRS annuity.
Medicare Information
Medicare Resources
Medicare Coverage for spouses of retirees, age 65 or older or disabled
Must apply for Medicare three months prior to 65th birthday and sign up for Part A, B and Part D
Medicare will pay primary and CFSD Insurance will pay secondary.
Effective Date of Coverage - If you enroll during the 1st 3 months of your initial enrollment period, Medicare becomes effective the month you are first eligible. If enrolling after four months from your initial eligibility the coverage will begin 1 - 3 months after you enroll.
Medicare D Notice
You can join a Medicare drug plan when you first become eligible for Medicare and each year from October 15th through December 7th.
Medicare prescription drug coverage became available in 2006 to everyone with Medicare.
You can get this coverage if you join a Medicare Prescription Drug Plan or join a Medicare Advantage Plan (like an HMO or PPO) that offers prescription drug coverage. All Medicare drug plans provide at least a standard level of coverage set by Medicare. Some plans may also offer more coverage for a higher monthly premium.
If you have health conditions that require many prescriptions it may be beneficial to enroll in the more higher cost plan that offers more prescription drug coverage.
Creditable Coverage
The Chippewa Falls School District has determined that the prescription drug coverage offered by Benefit Plan Administrators is, on average for all plan participants, expected to pay out as much as standard Medicare prescription drug coverage pays and is therefore considered Creditable Coverage.
Because your existing coverage is Creditable Coverage, you can keep this coverage and not pay a higher premium (a penalty) when you become eligible to join a Medicare drug plan unless you or your spouse are disabled.
Contact Us
Phone: 715-738-2660
Fax: 715-723-8554
Email: humanresources@chipfalls.org
Website: https://staff.chipfalls.k12.wi.us/board/hr2019/default.aspx