PEBB Retiree Health Insurance: The 60-Day Enrollment Deadline

The Deadline That Cannot Slip

When you retire from Washington state employment, your employer-paid health coverage ends at the end of the month in which your employment terminates. From that date, you have exactly 60 calendar days to enroll in PEBB retiree health coverage — or lose the right to enroll permanently.

This is not a postmark deadline. The Health Care Authority must receive your completed PEBB Retiree Coverage Election Form (Form A) or your electronic application through the Benefits 24/7 portal within 60 days of your employer coverage ending. A form mailed on day 59 that arrives on day 62 is too late.

What Form A Covers

Form A enrolls you and your eligible dependents in PEBB medical, dental and vision plans. You select your plan choices and provide documentation for anyone you are covering. If you or a dependent is 65 or older, you need to include copies of Medicare Part A and Part B cards — Medicare enrollment is mandatory for age-eligible PEBB retirees and their dependents.

You can submit Form A on paper to the HCA or complete the process online through Benefits 24/7 at benefits247.hca.wa.gov. The online portal confirms receipt immediately, which matters when you are counting days.

The Premium Payment Follow-Up

Enrolling is not the only deadline. After submitting Form A, you must make your first premium payment within 45 days of the 60-day election period ending. Because DRS pension deductions typically take 60 to 90 days to set up, your first few premium payments will need to be made manually — usually by check directly to the HCA. Coverage is not finalized until the HCA receives that initial payment.

Deferring Coverage Without Losing It

If you have qualifying group health coverage through another source — a spouse's active employer plan, TRICARE, or a qualifying federal or exchange plan — you can defer PEBB enrollment without forfeiting your future eligibility. But you still must file Form A (or the Benefits 24/7 equivalent) within the same 60-day window, marking it as a deferral request and providing proof of continuous enrollment in your qualifying coverage.

A deferral is not the same as ignoring the deadline. You are formally telling the HCA that you are maintaining coverage elsewhere and reserving the right to enroll later. If you simply let the 60 days pass without filing anything, the right is gone.

School Employees: The SEBB-to-PEBB Transition

K-12 teachers and classified staff under SEBB face an additional timing issue. If you retire effective July 1, your SEBB coverage ends June 30, and the 60-day clock starts July 1. If you retire effective September 1, your employer-paid SEBB coverage continues through August 31, giving you until late October to file.

The retirement date you choose with DRS directly sets when this health insurance deadline hits. Coordinate the two — pension application and Form A — on the same calendar.

Get the complete Washington DRS Retirement Guide for the PEBB enrollment checklist, deferral documentation requirements, and the health insurance timeline aligned to your retirement date.

See more Washington guides →