Benefits for Surviving Dependents of Retirees

If your death occurs while you are making self-payments for Retiree Benefits for yourself and your dependents, your surviving spouse can continue to make self-payments for Retiree Benefits for herself and any dependent children, subject to the following rules:

  1. The self-payments must be made according to the provisions of Self-Payment Rules for Retiree Benefits (page 32) as though the self-payments were being made by you.
  2. Your surviving spouse can continue to make self-payments until the earlier of the date on which she remarries or dies unless coverage terminates earlier according to the termination rules on page 24.
  3. If there is no surviving spouse, or if your spouse dies while making self-payments for continued Retiree Benefits, your surviving dependent children or a legal guardian can make self-payments for continued Retiree Benefits on behalf of the children, subject to the following rules:
    • Self-payments may be made on behalf of the children for up to a maximum of 36 months, minus any self-payments made by you before your death and/or any self-payments made by your surviving spouse before her death. If you and/or your spouse have already made a total of 36 self-payments for Retiree Benefits, no self-payments may be made by or on behalf of the children.
    • The self-payments must be made according to the same rules and time limits as self-payments made by you.
    • Benefits for a surviving dependent child will terminate before the termination of the allowable maximum coverage period on the date the child fails to meet the Plan's definition of a dependent, unless coverage terminates earlier according to the following termination rules.
  4. If upon your death you are eligible for Retiree Benefits but your spouse is not (because you had previously suspended, postponed or dropped her coverage), she will have the option of electing Retiree Benefits coverage for herself (and any of your qualifying dependent children), provided she does so within 90 days following your death.