UFT retirees who are enrolled in the union’s Supplemental Health Insurance Program (SHIP) will now enjoy improved dental benefits and some much-needed relief from health insurance plan copayments.

“We will continue to seek out every opportunity to improve your health benefits to support the health and well-being of you and your family, while fulfilling our fiduciary responsibility,” UFT President Michael Mulgrew and SHIP Board of Trustees Chair Tom Brown said in an email to UFT retirees announcing the union’s enhancement of the SHIP benefits.

Effective Jan. 1, 2025, SHIP will reimburse UFT retirees $500, up from $400, in out-of-pocket expenses for dental care per calendar year.

For the first time, SHIP will also offset some of the cost of retirees’ health insurance plan copays. Effective Jan. 1, 2025, retirees are eligible to receive a reimbursement for copays totaling up to $105 per calendar year after any annual health insurance deductibles have been met. This new benefit does not include hospital deductibles or emergency room copays, which SHIP covers separately.

All UFT retirees enrolled in SHIP, regardless of Medicare status or health plan, are eligible for copay reimbursement.

Retirees should submit one copay claim to SHIP per calendar year. Your claim should include a copy of the invoices/bills showing the relevant dates of service and your proof of payment as well as the explanation of benefits from your insurance plan. The claim must be filed by Dec. 31 of the subsequent year, but it can be submitted to SHIP once you reach $105 in eligible copays in a calendar year.