Covered Members

Covered members include all employees of Suffolk County covered by the collective bargaining agreement between the County of Suffolk and The Association of Municipal Employees for whom contributions are payable to the Suffolk County Municipal Employees Benefit Fund (herein “the Benefit Fund”); any other employees of the County of Suffolk, including, but not limited to the faculty and administrative staff of the Suffolk County Community College, that may be deemed eligible by the Board of Trustees, for whom contributions are made payable to the Benefit Fund; the judges and court administrative personnel of the County of Suffolk for whom contributions are made payable to the Benefit Fund; employees of other entities, such as the Vanderbilt Museum, that may be deemed eligible by the Board of Trustees, for whom contributions are made payable to the Benefit Fund; employees of The Association of Municipal Employees for whom contributions are payable to the Benefit Fund.

Dependents

Spouses and dependents of covered members are covered for certain benefits as specifically described. Dependents, as defined by the Fund, are your spouse, unmarried dependent children who have not reached their 26th birthday (as of 1/1/2021) and an unmarried child, regardless of age, who is incapable of self-sustaining employment by reason of mental retardation or physical handicap who became so prior to the age of nineteen and resides with and wholly depends upon the covered member for support.  Dependent children include legally adopted children and step-children who depend on, and reside with, the covered member for support.

STATUS

1. In general, subject to the requirements pertaining to the definition of a covered member, employees are eligible for benefits only so long as they are in an active payroll status.  Eligibility for benefits terminates as of the effective date your employment is terminated.
2. Active payroll status here means the period for which contributions are paid, or should have been paid, for the employees by the employer to the Benefit Fund.
3. Members who go on a leave of absence from active employment due to extended illness, job related injury that results in Workers Compensation status, or maternity will remain eligible for benefits for one year commencing with the date of such leave.
4. All employees covered by the Benefit Fund and in an active payroll status will be eligible for benefits after completion of two full calendar months of employment. For example, an employee hired on February l shall eligible for benefits on April l; an employee hired on June 2nd shall be eligible for benefits on September 1st. The Fund reserves the right to request any documents necessary to establish eligibility of a member or dependent.
5. If a covered member dies, his or his dependent’s benefits will be continued for an additional 90 days.
6. Retirement benefits are available to members aged 55 or older, unless disabled, who meet other eligibility requirements.