Retiree Benefits

The information provided on this website is a general summary of benefits for information purposes only. It does not create any right to any benefit. All benefits are subject to change at any time through the collective bargaining process for employees in any of the College's three bargaining units and/or by the College's Board of Trustees for all other employees.

Community College of Philadelphia offers retiree benefits to full-time employees (except temporary) who elect retirement and meet certain criteria: for retirements after August 31, 2014, a full-time employee must be at least age 62 with at least 10 years of full-time employment and his/her age plus years of full-time service must equal at least seventy-seven (77); including service as a visiting lecturer.

Full-time employees (except Temporary) who elect to participate in the College Retirement Incentive Option plan (age 63 and older with at least 20 years of full-time service to the College including services as a Visiting Lecturer) are also eligible for retiree benefits.

Retirees receive the following benefits:

    • College retiree I.D. card,
    • Use of the College Gym and Library,
    • Tuition Remission for retiree, spouse and children,
    • The right to maintain a College email address,
    • Life Insurance until age 65, and
    • Post-Retirement Health care Insurance as outlined below*

For more detailed information on employee benefits, please refer to our Post-Retirement Health Care Eligibility and Benefits chart.

View our presentation here to determine what plan is right for you.

Post-Retirement Health Care Eligibility and Benefits

Full-time employees who meet the following criteria are eligible for post-retirement health care benefits as follows.

For Full-time Employees Who Retire Under the Age of 65:

Administrators and Confidential employees

The retiree, spouse and eligible children remain on the College active medical insurance plans and the College continues to pay 100% of the medical (Personal Choice or Keystone), prescription drug and dental (Delta or United Concordia) benefits until the August 1st following the 65th birthday of the retiree. At age 65, the benefits for the retiree convert to “retiree benefits.”

Faculty and Classified employees

The retiree, spouse and eligible children remain on the College active medical insurance plans and the College continues to pay 100% of the medical (Personal Choice or Keystone), prescription drug and dental (Delta or United Concordia) benefits until October 1st following the 65th birthday of the retiree. At age 65, the benefits for the retiree convert to “retiree benefits.”

When the retiree becomes 65, s/he is switched to a 65 plan (Retiree 65 plus or Keystone 65) which is a supplemental medical insurance plan to Medicare. Medicare Part B now becomes the primary medical insurance. We create separate individual coverage for the retiree and the retiree’s spouse and eligible children.

If the retiree’s spouse is under 65, s/he remains on the active CCP medical plans, such as Personal Choice or Keystone. When the spouse turns 65, s/he goes on Medicare Part B and is enrolled for the supplemental health plan. This is true even if the retiree is still under 65. The College continues to pay 100% of the benefits for the retiree, spouse and any eligible children until the end of July (Administrators and Confidential employees) or end of September (Faculty and Classified employees) following the 65th birthday of the retiree.

Prior to the retiree’s 65th birthday, the College will cover the cost of the medical insurance, prescription and dental for the retiree, spouse and eligible children. However, the spouse who has attained age 65 will be responsible for the cost of his/her Medicare Part B premium until such time that the retiree attains age 65. When that happens, the College will begin to share the cost of benefits for the retiree and his/her family.

If there are children, they can continue on the active medical and prescription drug plans until they attain age 26 and on the dental plan until that child turns age 19, unless the child is a full-time student, at which time dental coverage will term at end of the plan year (August 31) after that child turns 23.

Employees Retiring At Age 65 or Older

For Academic, Calendar year Faculty, and Classified employees who retire at age 65 or older, free health benefits coverage continues until September 30 following the date of retirement. The first payment for retiree health benefits will be due on 9/20 for a 10/1 effective date. 

Administrators and Confidential employees who retire at age 65 or older, free health benefits coverage continues until 8/1. The first payment for retiree health benefits will be due on 7/20 for an 8/1 effective date.

At this time, the retiree and the College split the cost of the coverage. From the retiree’s half we deduct the cost of the Social Security Medicare Part B applicable to the retiree. If retiree and spouse are both over 65, the cost of the benefits for both are split in half and the Medicare Part B deduction is subtracted from both as long as retiree and/or spouse take medical coverage through the College. Coverage is continued as long as premiums are paid in a timely manner. Employees who did not meet the rule of 77 (62 with at least 10 years of service that equals at least 77) before 1/1/21 are not eligible for the Medicare Part B reimbursement.  

If the spouse of a retiree is under 65, s/he remains on the College’s active medical plans, as do any eligible children. We divide the cost of the active medical benefits in half, and the retiree is responsible for paying the remaining 50% for benefits. We do not deduct the cost of the Medicare Part B from the spouse’s half until the spouse reaches age 65 and goes on Medicare.

When a Married Retiree Who is Older than 65 Dies

If a married retiree dies, we continue to split the cost of the coverage for the spouse for three months. At that time, if the surviving spouse is over 65, s/he would have to pay the full cost of all coverage or be dropped from the plan. As long as s/he continues to pay, we will continue coverage. If the surviving spouse is under 65, the coverage will end after the 3rd month.

When a Married Retiree Who is Younger than 65 Dies

If a married retiree dies and the spouse is under 65, we continue to cover the spouse (and eligible children) for three months at 100% CCP cost. At the end of the three months, we offer COBRA coverage for 36 months for spouse and any children. If the spouse reaches age 65 before the 36 months are exhausted, COBRA ends. Eligible children can be covered for no longer than 36 months by COBRA.

Retirees Who Return to Teach Part-Time

Retirees age 65 and above who are enrolled in Medicare Part B with the College Supplemental Plan and return to teach part-time at the College will have similar benefits as those offered to the Adjunct Faculty as outlined in the collective bargaining agreement. This also holds true for any retiree-spouse who is covered by the retiree’s health benefits and teaches part time at CCP.

The retiree (or working spouse) who returns to teach must join the part-time faculty benefits and pay a portion of the monthly cost for single medical coverage. Medical coverage as a part-timer will become primary insurance and Medicare Part B will become secondary. We will stop the reimbursement for Medicare** and will remove the retiree (or working spouse) from supplemental coverage. Prescription plan and dental plan coverage for the retiree continues at no cost; the retiree pays 100% of the monthly cost for medical, Rx and dental coverage for the spouse (and children, if eligible). With the exception of teaching, retirees over 65 cannot return to work in any other capacity.

When a retiree stops teaching part-time for CCP, s/he will return to the regular retiree benefits; that is, the retiree will pay for supplemental coverage, dental and Rx, all of which will be discounted by the College and we will reimburse for the cost of Medicare Part B.

More Information

For more information on Faculty benefits or Full-Time Retiree benefits, please contact the Benefits Department at .

* When considering your retirement options, be aware that whatever coverage tier you choose at your retirement cannot be increased at a later date. For example, if you choose to carry single coverage into retirement, you cannot decide to carry your spouse at a later date. Additionally, you cannot opt out of these benefits and have your spouse or dependents continue.

** We are not permitted to reimburse for Medicare Part B or subsidize supplemental insurance in accordance with federal law.