Members and retirees should be aware of deadlines.

Certain benefits provided by law through TRS have deadlines that are the responsibility of the member, retiree or beneficiary to meet. Many of the deadlines are dependent on life events, like a change in marital status, death or birth of a child.

Deadlines are communicated through a number of means, including newsletters, correspondence, informational fliers, summary plan descriptions (https://trs.ky.gov/administration/plan-information-andlaw-book/), administrative regulations and law.

Qualifying events have strict deadlines for retiree insurance and member benefits. For health insurance, you normally have 30 days from the life event to enroll in or terminate health insurance and or to add a new spouse. For member benefits, retirees have 60 days from the qualifying event to change a retirement option and or change a beneficiary.

Other deadlines include:

• A retirement application must be completed and filed one month prior to the retirement date.
• Members and new retirees have until the 15th of the month they retire to rescind the retirement.
• New retirees have until the 15th of the month in which they retire to make changes to their retirement applications.
• Retirees changing their direct deposit or tax withholding must have the proper form submitted to TRS by 10th of the month in which the change is to be effective.
• A current leave of absence must be purchased by June 30 of the fiscal year following the fiscal year when the leave occurs.
• Fractional service credit purchases for unpaid days must be made by Dec. 31 of the fiscal year following the fiscal year when the unpaid days occurred.
• University members changing from an optional retirement plan (ORP) to a TRS retirement plan and purchasing their ORP service must do so within the first six years and six months of continuous service with an ORP employer.
• Appeals of decisions that materially affect benefits must be in writing and filed with TRS within 30 days of the first notice of TRS’s decision.
• Disability retirement applications are due by the first day of the retirement month, but must be filed while the member remains actively employed by a TRS employer.
• In addition to meeting the required 30-day qualifying event deadline, health insurance applications must be received before the effective date of coverage. Coverage is not retroactive.

Contact TRS if you have questions about any of this information.