Many families have questions when a NYSUT/RC 10 Member dies. This Q & A will hopefully answer a few of those.
Q: How does NYSUT’s Membership Department update deaths of retirees, and who can report that?
A: Membership takes the word of family members to record deaths. They also take them from retiree service consultants, retiree council leaders, local presidents, or retiree chapter leaders.
Q: Can member benefit programs continue after the death of a member? Is associate membership needed for that?
A: There is an electronic file that is sent to our vendors upon a member’s death. As long as the member was coded correctly as deceased and they were paying for a benefit via pension deduction (since we are referring to retirees), they will appear in that file letting the vendor know to stop deductions. However, if the retired member was paying for a benefit via direct bill, the surviving family member needs to contact the vendor directly. There isn’t an electronic file for direct billing as Member Benefits do not have that information. In either case, it is good practice for the family member to reach out to the vendor when a member passes.
Regarding dependents on auto/home policies when a member passes, they will need to become an associate member if they want to keep the NYSUT discount associated with Farmers and would just have the policy switched over to them. If they don’t want to become an associate member, they can keep the policy but without the discount.
Member Benefits has a dedicated page on NYSUT’s website for Associate Members. If a NYSUT member passes and they had benefits where they had a surviving spouse or dependent(s) under that policy, normally those listed would receive communications from the plan administrator to either elect COBRA or become an associate member to retain the benefit. These are mostly for insurance. Once the surviving spouse or dependent(s) become an associate member, they can then enroll or sign up for other benefits which are also listed on Member Benefits’ site.