To:             All MTA Members

 From:         Teresa Perrotta Hafner

 Date:          September 8, 2009

 Re:  Health Insurance Opt-out     

Article XVI of the BOE/MTA Agreement provides for a Health Insurance Opt-out as follows: 

On the back of this memo is a copy of the District Declination of Health Insurance Form. If you wish to opt-out of the health insurance plan for the coming year, you must submit this form to the business office-attn: Ginny Schepis by Wednesday, September 30, 2009. 

16.10         Health Insurance Opt-out:

                  In the event a unit member drops family district health insurance, the district will pay $1500 to the employee provided that (a) the employee has been out of the health plan for a full 12 months; (b) the employee has produced proof of spouse's coverage.  For dropping individual coverage the payment will be $750. The employee can not rejoin the health plan during the year unless extenuating circumstances, according to the health plan, arise.  Any IRS ruling declaring health benefits taxable when there is a choice of monetary remuneration shall negate this provision.