Retiree Benefits

Dartmouth employees who are aged 55 and older, who have been in a benefits-eligible role for ten or more years with less than a one-year break in service, may be eligible for retiree benefits through the College.

How to read this page: Plan details below reflect 2026 unless marked 2027. Look for 2027 notes in the callouts and tables.

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What's Changing for 2027 Considering Retirement Retirement Checklist Pre-65 Retiree Medical Billing and Premiums Wellness Other Benefits at Retirement

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What's Changing for 2027

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Considering Retirement

Eligibility

If you are an active benefits-eligible employee over age 55 with at least ten consecutive years of service in a benefits-eligible position immediately prior to retirement, you may be eligible to continue health insurance through Dartmouth College.

If you've had one or more breaks in benefits-eligible service, and each break was one year or less, those breaks won't prevent eligibility for retiree benefits and won't count against your years of consecutive service (though the length of the break itself doesn't count as service either). A break of more than one year will break your years of consecutive service.

Covering Dependents

Retirees who elect coverage under a Dartmouth medical plan may also elect coverage for a spouse and/or dependent children, using the same eligibility criteria as active employee medical plans. Dependents must have been eligible at the time of your retirement date in order to be eligible for retiree medical coverage.

Plan coverage depends on the age of the member. For example, a spouse age 65 or over will have access to the DCMS plan, even if the retired employee is not yet Medicare-eligible.

My Spouse Is Turning 65 But I'll Continue Working

You may continue to cover your Medicare-eligible spouse on your Cigna health plan for as long as you continue working in a benefits-eligible position and carry their health insurance. They won't be penalized for late enrollment. Your spouse may enroll in Medicare Part A (no cost) as secondary hospital coverage to your active Cigna plan.

Once you stop working, your spouse will need to enroll in Medicare Part B (there is a cost). If you're eligible for a subsidy toward Dartmouth's Retiree Health plans, you'll need to decide whether it's more cost-effective for your spouse to take Dartmouth's Medicare Supplement Plan (which includes Part D pharmacy coverage), or an external Medicare gap/advantage plan with Part D.

When to Set Up a Meeting with the Benefits Office

If you're eligible for Dartmouth's retiree benefits, schedule an appointment 3 to 4 months prior to your official retirement date to meet with a Benefits representative. They'll walk you through your retiree health coverage, how to get your retiree ID card, and the forms needed to enroll or waive coverage. The Benefits Office isn't able to meet more than 3 to 4 months prior to your official date.

When to Elect Medical Coverage

The election process begins 3 to 4 months prior to your official retirement date. If you elect coverage elsewhere and decline Dartmouth retiree coverage, you retain the option to rejoin the Dartmouth plan either within 30 days of losing that other coverage, or during Dartmouth's annual Open Enrollment.

Medicare-eligible members should contact Medicare three months prior to retirement to set up Part A and Part B. Once you receive your Medicare card, send a copy to the Benefits Office within 45 days prior to your coverage effective date, so you're enrolled on time. Your DCMS plan coverage should coincide with your Medicare Part B start date. Contact the Benefits Office to confirm enrollment in the DCMS plan.

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Retirement Checklist

Use this checklist as you plan to retire. It covers what you do, what your department does, and what the Benefits Office does.

When You Decide to Retire

1. Set your retirement date, which is your last day of employment. Your active benefits continue through the end of the month you retire in, and your retiree benefits start on the first day of the following month.
2. Notify your department in writing of your intention to retire, within the required notice period. Review the notice requirements in the End of Employment Checklist (Finance Center, PDF). For vacation pay rules that depend on notice, see Giving Notice and When Benefits End.
3. Your department submits a Payroll Authorization to the Finance Center to process your retirement. This form should be completed at least one pay period before you retire, to allow enough time for payroll processing.

Before You Retire

• If you qualify as a Dartmouth retiree (10 years of continuous benefits-eligible service and age 55 or older), schedule your meeting with the Benefits Office 3 to 4 months before your retirement date. See When to Set Up a Meeting with the Benefits Office.
• Contact every source of retirement income for payment or rollover information if you want payments to begin when you retire. This includes:
  • TIAA or Fidelity, if you have a Defined Contribution 401(a) or 403(b) through Dartmouth.
  • TIAA or Fidelity, if you have a 457(b) Deferred Compensation plan or SRA through Dartmouth. The 457(b) is an unfunded deferred compensation plan for highly compensated employees, and strict regulations apply. If you have a 457(b), you must make a distribution election within 90 days of your separation date, so contact your carrier before your retirement date. See the 457(b) Program Description.
  • Prior employers or carriers that may have other retirement or pension plans for you.
  • The Benefits Office, if you have an old Staff and Union Defined Benefit Pension Plan. You will receive an estimated account balance from the Retirement Plan Administrator.
• Individual counseling sessions are available. Schedule a session with Fidelity at getguidance.fidelity.com or 800-642-7131, or with TIAA at tiaa.org/schedulenow or 800-732-8353.

If You Are Medicare-Eligible

• Contact Social Security within 3 months before your retirement to enroll in Medicare Part B, and Part A if you are not already enrolled. If you are a Dartmouth retiree, your Medicare Part A and Part B must be effective on the first day of the month following your last day of employment, to coincide with your DCMS plan.
• Send a copy of your new Medicare Part A and Part B card to the Benefits Office within 45 days before your coverage effective date. A late card may cause a lapse in coverage.
• Do not enroll in a separate Medicare Part D plan. DCMS includes Part D prescription drug coverage.
• If you have an HSA and are retiring after age 65, stop your HSA contributions 6 months before you sign up for Medicare.
• If you are eligible for Tricare, VA, or other military benefits, check with those offices to see how they coordinate with your Dartmouth retiree coverage.

For full details, see Turning Age 65 and Medicare.

If You Are a One Medical Patient

• You can keep seeing the same provider if you are enrolled in a Cigna health plan through Dartmouth as your primary or secondary insurance.
• If you are on the DCMS plan, you pay according to your DCMS out-of-pocket maximums.
• If you do not plan to enroll in a Dartmouth retiree health plan, you cannot continue as a One Medical patient. Contact your One Medical provider to arrange for your health records to be transferred to your new provider.

Before You Leave

• Update your mailing address in Employee Self Service (ESS) so you receive important mail such as your final paycheck, tax documents, and benefits mailings.
• Notify Human Resources if you want a retiree ID card. HR notifies the Dartcard office, and the card can be mailed to you or picked up at their office in McNutt.

If You Return to Work at Dartmouth

Benefits-eligible position: if you are reemployed in a benefits-eligible position and your break in benefits-eligible service was more than one year, you are considered a new employee. You forfeit your Dartmouth retiree health subsidy when you retire again. New employees can join a retiree health plan at the Dartmouth group rate once they satisfy the eligibility period, but they pay the full premium. A break of one year or less does not affect your retiree eligibility.

Temporary position: you can work full or part time in a temporary position for less than 9 consecutive months. At 9 months, the position is reviewed for reclassification as a regular position. If it is reclassified as regular and you have averaged 20 hours a week or more, you are considered a new employee for benefits purposes, with the same access to retiree health plans and the same full premium described above.

After You Leave

• If you are a Dartmouth retiree, your name and retirement date are forwarded to conferences and special events unless you ask otherwise. This information may be printed in a Dartmouth news story.
• If you move, notify the Benefits Office of your new mailing and residential addresses.

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Pre-65 Retiree Medical

Dartmouth offers a choice of three medical plans for retirees under age 65 (Non-Medicare eligible): Open Access Plus (OAP), Cigna Choice Fund (CCF), and the High Deductible Health Plan (HDHP). All three are self-insured and administered by Cigna, and include prescription drug coverage through Express Scripts and preventive vision care.

Eligibility and Enrollment

These plans are available to retirees who are under age 65 and not yet Medicare-eligible, along with their pre-65 dependents. See Considering Retirement for the underlying eligibility rules and election timeline.

Open Enrollment Materials

Open Enrollment for pre-65 retirees runs from Monday, October 26, 2026 through Monday, November 9, 2026 (11:59 p.m.). To enroll, add or remove dependents, change plans, or cancel coverage, use FlexOnline. Changes take effect January 1, 2027. After Open Enrollment, changes are allowed only within 30 days of a qualifying life event.

Open Enrollment materials for retirees aged 55 to 64 are mailed to your home each year and also available here:

All buttons below open PDF files.

2027 Pre-65 Retiree Benefits Guide, coming soon 2027 Summary of Material Modifications: Medical Plans, coming soon 2027 Summary of Material Modifications: DCMS Creditable Coverage Notice

The Summaries of Material Modifications list the 2027 changes to the plans. The Medical Plans summary covers the OAP, CCF, and HDHP, and the DCMS summary covers family members age 65 or older. The Creditable Coverage Notice is for prescription drug coverage.

Have a new address? Please let the Benefits Office know by email or phone at (603) 646-3588 so we can update our records, and update your address in FlexOnline as well.

All Three Plans Include

• Coverage for doctor visits, hospital stays, mental health and substance abuse services, chiropractic care, and physical therapy
• An optional (not required) primary care doctor
• A national network of providers (Open Access Plus/Pathwell), plus emergency coverage while traveling abroad for personal travel
• No referral needed to see a specialist (pre-certification may be required)
• In-network preventive care at no additional cost
• 24-hour emergency care, in-network or out-of-network
• An annual out-of-pocket maximum, after which covered costs are paid at 100%
• No copay or coinsurance for care through Cigna Telehealth Connection (plan-dependent)
• No claims paperwork for in-network care
• Per-person deductible and out-of-pocket limits within an overall family limit
• Account management through mycigna.com

Plan-by-Plan Comparison

Plan	Key benefits	Considerations
Open Access Plus (OAP)	The deductible and medical copays are the lowest of the three plans.	OAP has the highest rates of the three plans. Medical and prescription copays do not count toward annual deductibles, but do count toward annual out-of-pocket maximums. This plan has additional hearing aid coverage.
Cigna Choice Fund (CCF)	The deductible and copays are mid-level. Dartmouth contributes to an HRA.	Medical and prescription copays do not count toward annual deductibles, but do count toward annual out-of-pocket maximums.
High Deductible Health Plan (HDHP)	The lowest rates of the three plans.	This plan has the highest deductible of the three. You pay 100% of medical and prescription costs until the annual deductible is met. This plan is not eligible for an HSA or HRA contribution as a retiree plan.

All buttons below open PDF files.

OAP Summary of Benefits (2026) CCF Summary of Benefits (2026) HDHP Summary of Benefits (2026) OAP Summary of Benefits (2027), coming soon CCF Summary of Benefits (2027), coming soon HDHP Summary of Benefits (2027), coming soon Benefits Guide (2026, PDF) 2027 Benefits Guide (online view), coming soon 2027 Benefits Guide (PDF), coming soon

Vision Coverage

Retirees under age 65 and their dependents who are enrolled in one of the three medical plans receive the same vision benefit as active employees. The 2027 vision summaries for OAP and CCF and for the HDHP are coming soon.

Durable Medical Equipment

Cigna uses a national network of contracted vendors to get you necessary medical equipment and supplies conveniently and cost-effectively. Your doctor provides the vendor with a prescription, and the vendor arranges delivery right to your door. Your doctor can indicate overnight delivery on the prescription if supplies are needed immediately.

Telehealth

Cigna Telehealth connects you with a board-certified doctor for minor, non-life-threatening conditions by secure video, chat, or phone, 24/7/365, including holidays. There is no copay on OAP or CCF, and a $55 copay on HDHP (subject to change). You can register at mycigna.com ahead of time so the process isn't delayed when you need it.

To learn more about telehealth, including virtual behavioral health care and the MDLIVE app, visit Cigna's Virtual Care (Telehealth) Services page. You can also use the Find Care options on myCigna.

Cancer Support Program

Whether you have cancer or are a cancer survivor, you can get one-on-one support through the Cigna Cancer Support Program, from understanding your diagnosis to discussing treatment with your provider. It's part of your health plan at no extra cost, staffed by specialists with oncology nursing experience. More on Cigna's Chronic Conditions program (PDF).

OMADA for Pre-Diabetes

OMADA is a free digital behavior-change program focused on pre-diabetes and metabolic syndrome, offered to members enrolled in a Dartmouth Cigna health plan. Participants get personalized virtual support, a digital scale, professional health coaching, social support groups, and online training lessons. More on the OMADA Program.

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Billing and Premiums

Your Retiree Health premium pays for your Non-Medicare pre-65 medical plan, or your DCMS plan plus the base premium for your Medicare Part D plan.

Dartmouth's Subsidy

Individuals hired into a benefits-eligible position prior to July 1, 2009 may receive a Dartmouth subsidy toward their individual medical premium. The current subsidy is calculated based on the single-coverage cost of the Open Access Plan (for retirees under 65) or the DCMS Plan (for Medicare-eligible retirees).

If you meet the basic eligibility requirements, you may receive a subsidy from Dartmouth based on your age and years of benefits-eligible service. Your specific subsidy percentage would have been communicated to you in a letter from the Benefits Office when it was calculated. To confirm your subsidy percentage, contact the Benefits Office.

To view your current rates, log in to FlexOnline.

Monthly Billing

Once enrolled in a Dartmouth retiree health plan, you'll receive a monthly invoice from Dartmouth for any unsubsidized portion of your household retiree medical insurance costs. If you don't owe a premium, you won't receive an invoice. A lapse in payment could result in your medical coverage being terminated.

Billing questions go to Accounts Receivable, not the Benefits Office: Accounts.Receivable@dartmouth.edu or (603) 646-3899. The A/R office does not accept credit or debit cards or phone or online payments. Office hours are 8 AM to 12 PM and 1 PM to 4 PM, Monday to Friday.

When Your Plan Changes at Retirement

If you elect retiree health coverage that is different from your active employee coverage, you receive a new Cigna ID card after you retire, and your deductibles and out-of-pocket limits reset.

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Wellness: Fitness Reimbursement

Retirees enrolled on a Dartmouth-sponsored medical plan have access to a $225 Fitness Reimbursement Benefit per calendar year, for fitness facility fees and/or exercise class fees (including classes through apps, online or streaming, and DVDs). Reimbursements are subject to applicable tax withholding.

Submit the benefit form and your receipt(s) directly to Cigna. Reimbursement (up to $225) is mailed as a check to your home address. Access the benefit form and additional details.

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Other Benefits at Retirement

COBRA (Dental and FSA)

As a Dartmouth retiree, you can elect to continue your dental plan and/or Flexible Spending Account (FSA) through the federal COBRA program, if you were a participating member of those plans at retirement. Sentinel Benefits is Dartmouth's contracted COBRA manager and will contact you shortly after you retire to invite you to continue these benefits through them. Premiums are paid directly to Sentinel.

Dental: your dental insurance ends on the last day of the month you retire. Sentinel contacts you by mail after you retire to offer you the chance to continue your coverage on the Dartmouth group dental plan for up to 18 months. If you have dental coverage and live in New Hampshire, you also receive an offer to continue your plan directly through Delta Dental.

Health Care FSA: your last contribution is taken from your last paycheck. Sentinel contacts you after you retire to offer you the chance to extend the end date of your plan. If you do not extend it, your last day of coverage is the last day of the month you retire. Your FSA card stops working on your last day of employment, and after that you submit claims directly to Sentinel. You have until March of the following year to submit claims for services you received while you were an active plan member. If you continue your coverage, you pay your monthly contributions directly to Sentinel.

COBRA: COBRA lets you continue coverage for up to an additional 18 months after you leave Dartmouth. Sentinel contacts you by mail. You pay the full cost of the plan plus a 2% processing fee.

See the Leaving Dartmouth page for full COBRA details.

Continuing Your Life Insurance

Your life insurance as an active employee is a term life policy that ends on the last day of the month in which you retire. Lincoln Financial will mail a packet to your home with the option to either port or convert your voluntary and dependent life insurance benefits.

See the Leaving Dartmouth page for more.

Expiration of Email Accounts

Your Dartmouth email account expires within 30 days of your retirement date. If you're granted an Emeritus designation, your email account remains active. Additional details and help.

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Need help? Contact Benefits | Benefit Plan Cost Estimator | Access Your Retiree Benefits (FlexOnline) | Leaving Dartmouth

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