Soon to Retire
What is ASHI?
ASHI refers to the After Service Health Insurance offered under the UNHQ health insurance programme. After-service health insurance coverage is optional for eligible former staff members and their dependants. It is available only as a continuation, without interruption between active service and retirement status, of previous active-service coverage in a contributory health insurance plan of the United Nations.
How to prepare for retirement
12 months before retirement
Ensure that your eligible dependants whom you wish to cover in ASHI are currently covered in your active insurance plan. Changes to your plan can be made during the annual enrollment campaign in June.
9 months before retirement
- Start the process of ensuring that the UNJSPF has certified disability status for children (if needed)
- If you previously had UN MIP coverage in the field but are now covered by an international plan, accumulate evidence of those years of UN MIP coverage as it is also required
3 months before retirement
As it might take several weeks until your Active Status coverage is transferred to your ASHI coverage in Umoja, we recommend making doctor appointments and stocking up on vital medication for you and eligible dependants before the transition from active staff to ASHI.
1 month before retirement
Submit your ASHI application:
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ASHI applications will be accepted within a 62-day period
- beginning 31 days before retirement through 31 days after retirement
- applications must be received regardless of the following:
- any grace period for making decisions related to your pension benefit
- if you expect to be re-employed or return to active service, within 31 days after your retirement
Day 1 after separation
- Participation in ASHI is effective from the first day of the month following your separation. It may take up to 60 days from your date of separation to review your eligibility for ASHI and to process your application, provided that all separation-related HR actions have been completed.
- Put aside funds for ASHI contributions as it may take a few months for the pension benefit to be established
- Communicate every change in mailing address and email address to the UN Health and Life Insurance Section
Eligibility for ASHI
Below you will find a brief summary of ASHI eligibility requirements for retiring staff members. For more exhaustive information, please refer to ST/AI/2007/3.
- Must be a staff member administered through the UN Secretariat or an affiliated UN entity (UNDP, UNICEF, UNOPS, UNFPA, etc). Staff members retiring from the liaison offices of some UN System organizations who were covered through the Direct Billing Programme are also eligible for ASHI coverage.
- Must be at least 55 years old or over
- Must be enrolled in a UN Health Insurance plan at the time of retirement
- Must elect to receive a monthly pension benefit. The pension may be deferred up to full retirement age, but withdrawal settlements make a retiring staff member ineligible for ASHI.
- Must have at least 10 years of health insurance participation under an eligible contract for subsidized ASHI participation. If less than 10 years of health insurance participation but more than 5 years of health insurance participation under an eligible contract and the staff member was hired before 1st July 2007, the staff member is eligible for unsubsidized ASHI participation until the 10-year requirement is met. For those hired on or after 1st July 2007, the eligibility requirement is 10 years under an eligible contract for ASHI participation and for subsidy. This means that they cannot continue their insurance coverage under ASHI unless they have accumulated 10 years of insurance participation at the time of retirement while employed under an eligible contract.
- Staff members and dependants granted a disability benefit by the UNJSPF (age and participation requirements are waived in these cases)
Important Consideration: Please note that, the participatory years under the limited duration appointment are not included in the calculation of eligibility as the rules state enrollment in a UN contributory health insurance plan by a staff member under an ALD appointment shall not be counted for the purpose of determining eligibility for coverage under the UNHQ’s After Service Health Insurance programme.
Dependant Eligibility for ASHI
Dependants are eligible to join ASHI under the following conditions:
- Spouse or child covered at time of retirement
- Child born within 300 days of retirement
- Dependent child granted disability benefit by UNJSPF at time of retirement
- Child must be re-certified by pension fund regardless of prior status
- Surviving spouse/children of staff member who died in active service if covered when staff member was active
Dependants covered at the time of your retirement are eligible to continue their coverage under the following conditions:
- The staff member applies for them when applying for ASHI
- Dependent children that have not reached age 25 at the time of retirement
- That they have been covered for at least five years (or two years if they were covered by a government or private insurance) in the case of a staff members hired on or after 1st July 2007 (please see ST/AI/2007/3 for more details) except of course newly acquired dependants
- If a dependent child is disabled and 25 or older, the disability must be certified by the Pension Fund
- Surviving spouses and dependants of active or retired staff members are also eligible provided they were covered under the staff member’s policy at the time of his/her death
Guidance Material
FAQs
Does HLIS provide walk-in client services?
The UN Heath and Life Insurance Section is located on the 3rd floor of the FF building (304 E 45th St, New York, NY 10017), where we welcome walk-in clients on Tuesday from 9 am to 12:30 pm and Thursday from 12:00 pm to 3:30 pm from May 2nd, 2023 onwards. Clients will be seen on a first come first serve basis. Please have your UN index number handy as you will need it to register with the UN HLIS Client Services.
How can retirees contact HLIS via email?
The retirees and the surviving family members can reach HLIS via email at ashi@un.org. Please make sure to include the primary subscriber's full name and their UN index number.
How much time will it take until my coverage as an active staff member will be transferred to ASHI coverage? Do I have medical coverage during the period after my separation from service and before my application for ASHI has been processed?
Application for enrollment in ASHI must be made within 31 days before and up to 31 days after the date of your separation. Upon receipt of your application and verification of your eligibility for ASHI and following the completion of your separation-related HR actions, your ASHI enrollment will be processed. This can take up to 90 days from the date of your separation. Therefore, you are advised to monitor the progress of your final Separation and Payments forms and may also follow up with your HR office in this regard. Notwithstanding the above, please rest assured that upon the completion of your separation action and subject to you being eligible for ASHI, your enrollment in ASHI will be effective retroactively from the first day of your separation. In this respect, your health insurance coverage will remain uninterrupted and any medical claims that you have incurred after separation, can be submitted to your insurance carrier for reimbursement. Once your enrollment in ASHI has been finalized, ASHI premium contributions will be deducted from your pension benefit retroactive to your ASHI eligibility date.
What is expected if you or your dependent spouse become 65 years of age and if you are covered under a US-based plan?
In 2011, the United Nations made it mandatory for retirees covered under the US based Health Insurance Plans to apply for Medicare Part B. Therefore, an application for enrollment in Medicare Part B should be submitted to your local Social Security Administration Office.
If you are an active staff member please note the following:
1. If you are 65 or older you should apply for Medicare Part B at least 1 month prior to your separation;
2. If your spouse is 65 or older and is covered under your health insurance plan, he/she should apply for Medicare Part B at least 1 month prior to your separation;
(Medicare Part B premium will only be reimbursed to participants enrolled in the ASHI programme).
If you are a retired staff member who has returned to active service, please note the following:
1. If you are 65 or older and is re-contributing to the UNJSPF, you should be covered under the active health insurance program.
2. Following the termination of your re-employment, you will need to reapply for ASHI. You will also need to reapply for Medicare Part B at least 1 month prior to your separation.
3. If your spouse is covered under your health insurance plan and is also 65 or older, he/she should also reapply for Medicare Part B at least 1 month prior to your separation.
Please ensure that you and your dependent spouse are aware of the enrollment time periods in order to avoid the Medicare Part B penalties. Medicare Part B penalties are instituted for life and are not reimbursed by the Organization.
Kindly review these documents and submit the required documentation to ashi@un.org:
- Newly Eligible Letter
- Summary of Eligibility Rules
- Medicare Frequently Asked Questions
- Medicare Part B Reimbursement Checklist
- Medicare Part B Premium Reimbursement Request Form
- Declaration of Medicare Part B Ineligibility Checklist
- Declaration of Medicare Part B Ineligibility Form
Is enrollment in ASHI automatic?
No, you must be enrolled in a United Nations scheme at the time of separation from service. Enrollment in the After Service Health Insurance programme is not automatic. Application for enrollment must be made within 31 days before or 31 days after the date of separation.
Is enrolIment in Medicare Part B required?
Since 1st January 2011, UNHQ requires all former staff members and dependants (including surviving dependants and eligible dependent children) who are enrolled as participants in After Service Health Insurance and who qualify for participation in Medicare Part B, to enroll in the United States Medicare Part B programme.
Is my spouse covered under my insurance when I retire? Is there a minimum eligibility requirement?
Your spouse can be covered under your insurance when you retire if the eligibility criteria are satisfied.
If I, as a NY-based staff member, retire, does Anthem continue coverage of my medical insurance upon return to my home country?
Upon retirement, a New York based staff member can opt to continue coverage under the Anthem plan. Anthem is an international plan. However, you will be required to remain in the chosen plan at retirement for a minimum of 2 years before you are allowed to change plans. You may request this change by sending a written request to the HLIS. You do not have to send notice to the Pension Fund. If you are retiring in the US or you have covered dependants in the US, you cannot enroll in the UN Worldwide plan (UN WWP). The UN WWP is for plan members who are residing outside of the US and do not have dependants living in the US. US-based retiring staff members or those with US-based dependants must elect a US-based insurance plan.
If my partner and I both work at UNHQ and one of us retires more than five years earlier than the other. Can the retiree be enrolled in the ASHI insurance scheme or instead become a dependant on the medical insurance plan of the partner that still remains active staff?
If one spouse from service with the Organization before the other spouse, the spouse remaining in active service must become the subscriber. Coverage will depend on the ASHI eligibility criteria that is available on the Retirees Toolkit Page of this website.
If I am enrolled in the Anthem plan when I retire and have to enroll in Medicare at age 65, while maintaining Anthem through ASHI, can I go to a provider that does not take Medicare and use my Anthem ASHI benefits for that provider?
Yes, but you may have additional out-of-pocket costs if the provider is not part of Anthem’s in-network providers. In addition, the provider must have officially opted-out of Medicare.
I am a UN MIP ASHI participant and have some questions related to the transition of my health insurance management to Umoja . Where can I seek clarifications?
Your HR Partner will remain your focal points for any questions prior to, and related to, the transition. In addition, HLIS drafted an FAQ document, specific to this transition, which provides clarifications to recurrent questions.