Planning for Retirement
Planning for retirement is an exciting personal project! With the necessary information and tools you will be able to make the right decision for yourself and your family. Your retirement through the district is based on a combination of your age and years worked. Below are retirement guides from Massachusetts Teachers Retirement System (MTRS) and Worcester Regional Retirement System (WRRS) which will help you plan for retirement and help you determine your retirement eligibility and readiness.
For more information on retirement through the district, contact Stacey Christiano, HR Director at 508-943-6888, ext. 148 or schristiano@dcrsd.org.
DCRSD Retirement Resources
- MTRS Retirement for Information
- WRRS Retirement Information
- Medical Insurance for Retirees
- Dental, Vision & Life Insurance for Retirees
- FAQ's
MTRS Retirement for Information
Massachusetts Teachers Retirement System Information for Retirees
Approximately 6 months prior to your retirement date a MTRS retirement application part 1 needs to be completed by you and a MTRS part 2 section needs to be completed by the district. The application can be found on the MTRS website. You complete part 1 and you send part 2 to the Payroll Administrator for completion. Once the Payroll Administrator has completed part 2 it will be sent to back to you. The MTRS complete retirement application (part 1 & 2) should be mailed, certified and return receipt, along with any documentation requested to MTRS within 4 months of your retirement date to insure a smooth transition into your retirement pension payments.
MTRS Resources for Retirees
Letter to MTRS Employees
Congratulations! I know the decision to retire is usually a hard one, especially when you love what you do!
As a DCRSD teacher, you should reference your current Teacher's contract and look at the section labeled "Retirement.' It will tell you what the benefits are of giving up to a 3 year notice of your intent to retire. Of course it is not necessary to give that much notice, but if you do, there is a monetary reward for doing so.
We suggest going over your MTRS account and making sure your work records match what they have on file for you for your employment at DCRSD and other districts if that is applicable to you. If you wish to "buy back" eligible part time service, now is the time to do so as you must put in your application to buy back time at least 6 months prior to your retirement date.
MTRS Buy Back Service Form
MTRS Percentage Charts
WRRS Retirement Information
Worcester Regional Retirement Information for Retirees
WRRS prospective retirees need to make an appointment to meet with WRRS at least 6 months prior to their retirement date. WRRS will complete all necessary retirement application information and can give the retiree an estimate of the monthly pension he/she can expect to receive in retirement. The Payroll Administrator will complete a Notice of Separation form and fax this to WRRS to confirm the retirement date and the date of the last paycheck with WCR deductions taken.
Worcester Regional Retirement Presentation
Percentage Chart - Hired before April 2, 2012
Percentage Chart - Hired after April 2, 2012
Medical Insurance for Retirees
Medical Insurance for Retirees
For retirees under the age of 65, visit our DCRSD Employee Benefits page to learn more about the current medical plans through Harvard Pilgrim HealthCare.
For retirees 65 years and older, the following is information regarding Medicare eligibility and how it will affect your health plan enrollment.
Medicare (65 years and older)
- How Medicare Eligibility affects your medical benefits through the district
- How do I enroll in Medicare Part A and Part B?
- Aetna Summary of Benefits
- Employer Statement for Late Enrollment for Medicare
- Retiree Benefit Coverage Option Selection Form
How Medicare Eligibility affects your medical benefits through the district
Chapter 32B, Section 18 of the Massachusetts General Laws requires that all Medicare-eligible retirees who wish to obtain health insurance must enroll in Medicare Part A and Part B, through the Social Security Administration, and select a District-sponsored health plan that is designed to work with Medicare once you turn age 65 (Senior plan currently offered is the Aetna Medicare Advantage Plan).
If you or your spouse are currently age 65, are both retired/retiring are Medicare eligible and wish to continue your district provided medical insurance, you must enroll in Medicare Part A and Part B prior to your retirement date. We suggest you apply approximately 3 months prior to your actual retirement date.
Retirees and spouses who are age 65 or older and who are not Medicare eligible, you must provide the District with written documentation of your ineligibility or your spouse’s ineligibility for Medicare from the Social Security Administration. This documentation will allow RetireeFirst (our Retiree advocate service through the MSHG) to contact Social Security and make arrangements for the district to pay the penalty to “buy” in to Medicare. You will then have to enroll in Medicare Part A and B in order to enroll in the Aetna Medicare Advantage plan that is currently offered through DCRSD. In the event that documentation relative to Medicare ineligibility is not received prior to your 65th birthdate, your medical insurance coverage through the District will end and you will not be eligible to enroll in Retiree medical coverage until 1) you provide your Medicare ineligibility proof and 2) the next open enrollment period.
Retirees and/or spouses of retirees who have not yet turned 65, when you, the retiree, or your spouse turn 65 you need to enroll in premium-free Medicare Part A on the first day of the month in which you turn 65 provided that you, your spouse, (or former spouse, if applicable) have paid into Medicare for 40 quarters (thus making you Medicare eligible). You will also need to enroll in Medicare Part B, which has a monthly premium. When you turn 65, if you are Medicare eligible you must enroll in both Medicare Part A and Part B in order to be covered through the District’s sponsored health plan that is designed to work with Medicare once you turn age 65.
How do I enroll in Medicare Part A and Part B?
Go to the website www.medicare.gov and apply on line or call the Social Security Administration to find your local office and make an appointment to meet with a representative.
The enrollment forms for the Aetna Medicare Advantage plan will be sent to you by RetireeFirst, the company we use for Retiree Advocate Services. The Aetna enrollment form needs to be completed with your information and Medicare ID number and start date of Part B.
You will need to sign the attached Benefit Option Selection form to indicate your choice of retiree health plans effective “date”. Please return the Benefit Option Selection form to the Dudley-Charlton Regional School District as soon as possible.
Aetna Summary of Benefits
Employer Statement for Late Enrollment for Medicare
In order to apply for Medicare in a Special Enrollment Period, you must have or had group health plan coverage within the last 8 months through your or your spouse’s current employment. People with disabilities must have large group health plan coverage based on your, your spouse’s or a family member’s current employment.
This form is used for proof of group health care coverage based on current employment. This information is needed to process your Medicare enrollment application. The employer that provides the group health plan coverage completes the information about your health care coverage and dates of employment.
Download the Employer Statement for Late Enrollment for Medicare Form
Retiree Benefit Coverage Option Selection Form
Dental, Vision & Life Insurance for Retirees
For all retirees, regardless of age, please visit our DCRSD Employee Benefits page to learn more about the current Dental, Vision and Life Insurance plans offered through the Dudley-Charlton Regional School District.
Retiree Benefit Coverage Option Selection Form
FAQ's
Frequently Asked Questions
- What criteria makes me eligible for retirement benefits (pension and retiree health benefits)?
- What benefits may I continue when I retire?
- What is the cost of the retiree medical, dental and life insurance per month?
- Who can be covered under the retiree medical, dental and vision plans?
- What happens to the covered spouse/children in the event the retiree dies while they are covered?
- How much of an increase in premium can the retiree expect to pay each year for the retiree insurance?
- How do I set up monthly payment of my retiree insurance premiums?
- When retiring from MTRS what is required?
- When retiring from WRRS what is required?
What criteria makes me eligible for retirement benefits (pension and retiree health benefits)?
Generally speaking, you need to be at least age 55 and have 10 years of creditable service under Massachusetts Teachers Retirement System (MTRS) or the Worcester Regional Retirement System (WRRS) to be eligible to retire if you were hired before April 2012. For those hired after April 2012 you need to be at least age 60 and have 10 years of creditable service under MTRS or WRRS. For more details regarding MTRS and WRRS requirements for retirement eligibility please visit their websites: https://mtrs.state.ma.us/ or https://www.wrrboard.org/. The Dudley-Charlton Regional School District requires that you be an active employee of the school district and be eligible under MTRS or WRRS requirements to be eligible to retire with health benefits from the district.
What benefits may I continue when I retire?
What is the cost of the retiree medical, dental and life insurance per month?
Who can be covered under the retiree medical, dental and vision plans?
What happens to the covered spouse/children in the event the retiree dies while they are covered?
How much of an increase in premium can the retiree expect to pay each year for the retiree insurance?
The amount of increase to the retiree insurance cannot be predicted or guaranteed from year to year. Benefit cost trends, utilization of plan resources by plan members, catastrophic claims and cost of new technology all factor into the cost of the plan each year. With that said, it would be safe to anticipate a 4%+ increase in premium per year.
How do I set up monthly payment of my retiree insurance premiums?
A Benefit Option Selection form needs to be completed by you to inform the district which plans you would like to continue into retirement. This form along with a retirement letter will be given to you prior to your retirement date. You may authorize automatic deductions from your MTRS or WRRS pension check or you may set up automatic deductions (ACH) from any checking account by completing the Authorization Agreement for Automatic Deductions (ACH debits).
When retiring from MTRS what is required?
Approximately 6 months prior to your retirement date a MTRS retirement application part 1 needs to be completed by you and a MTRS part 2 section needs to be completed by the district. The application can be found on the MTRS website. You complete part 1 and you send part 2 to the Payroll Administrator for completion. Once the Payroll Administrator has completed part 2 it will be sent back to you. The MTRS complete retirement application should be mailed, certified and return receipt, along with any documentation requested to MTRS within 4 months of your retirement date to insure a smooth transition into your retirement pension payments.
When retiring from WRRS what is required?
WRRS prospective retirees need to make an appointment to meet with WRRS at least 6 months prior to their retirement date. WRRS can give the retiree an estimate of the monthly pension he/she can expect to receive in retirement. The Payroll Administrator will complete a Notice of Separation form and fax this to WRRS to confirm the retirement date and the date of the last paycheck with WCR deductions taken. You will need to complete a WRRS Retirement application and submit it directly to WRRS within 90 days of the date of your retirement.