- Once you and your spouse are on Medicare Parts A and B, you can join Connecticut TRB's Medicare Advantage or Medicare Supplement plan. For 2026 the member cost was $101 a month for the Advantage plan ($157 with dental) and $259 for the Supplement ($315 with dental); for 2027 Connecticut TRB lists $112 / $170 and $294 / $352.Health Insurance for Retirees - Cost and Funding 2026, p. 2; Connecticut TRB Health Insurance Application 2027, p. 1
- Before Medicare, you may stay on your last district's plan at no more than the active-teacher premium. Connecticut TRB pays the district up to $220 a month for you and up to $220 for your spouse ($440 for someone 65+ without premium-free Part A who pays at least $440).C.G.S. § 10-183t(b)-(c) (2026 Supp.); Connecticut TRB webpage 'Health Coverage with my Local School District'
Connecticut TRB's Medicare plans: your monthly cost
Retirees and spouses (and a disabled dependent if no spouse) enrolled in Medicare Part A and Part B can join the Connecticut TRB-sponsored Medicare Advantage plan (the base plan) or a Medicare Supplement plan, both with prescription drugs, vision and hearing; dental is optional for new enrollees. Premiums come out of the pension. Connecticut TRB and the state each fund a share of the base plan; you pay the rest. Medicare Part B premiums and IRMAA are separate. Active Teachers' Handbook (2022), p. 48, Post-Retirement Health Insurance Benefits; C.G.S. § 10-183t(a) (2026 Supp.)
| Year | Advantage | + dental | Supplement | + dental |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | $101 | $157 | $259 | $315 |
| 2027 | $112 | $170 | $294 | $352 |
Per person, a month. Health Insurance for Retirees - Cost and Funding 2026, pp. 1-2; Connecticut TRB Health Insurance Application 2027 (HI_INSAPP_250917), p. 1
Who pays for the base plan in 2026: its total cost is $303 a month; Connecticut TRB pays $101, the state $101, and you $101. Health Insurance for Retirees - Cost and Funding 2026, pp. 1-2 The member pays one-third of the basic plan's premium equivalent (plus the extra cost of an optional plan); the state pays one-third, except 25% for fiscal year ending June 30, 2026. C.G.S. § 10-183t(a) (2026 Supp.)
Carriers for 2026: Aetna Medicare Advantage; The Hartford Supplement; SilverScript prescriptions; Cigna dental. Health Insurance for Retirees - Cost and Funding 2026, p. 1; Connecticut TRB Health Insurance Application 2027, p. 1 The Health Coverage with my CTRB Sponsored Plan FAQ still names UnitedHealthcare plans; the 2026 cost sheet and 2027 application name Aetna (Advantage) and The Hartford (Supplement).
Who can join: Enrolled in Medicare A and B; a Connecticut TRB member receiving a retirement benefit or disability allowance, or a spouse, a surviving spouse who has not remarried, or a disabled dependent if no spouse; a legal U.S. resident. Connecticut TRB Health Insurance Application 2027 (HI_INSAPP_260805), p. 2
Before Medicare: your district's plan
If you or your spouse are not on Medicare A and B, you can stay on your last employing district's plan at no more than the active-teacher premium. Connecticut TRB pays the district up to $220 a month per covered person (up to $440 for member and spouse), never more than the actual cost; up to $440 for someone 65+ who cannot get premium-free Part A and pays at least $440 a month. No double subsidy for two retired teachers ($220 per individual). No subsidy if you are covered through an active teacher's plan or a non-district plan. C.G.S. § 10-183t(b)-(c) (2026 Supp.); Connecticut TRB webpage 'Health Coverage with my Local School District'; Active Teachers' Handbook (2022), p. 48
- Up to $220 a month for you, and $220 for your spouse ($440 together), never more than the plan actually costs.
- Up to $440 for someone 65 or older who can't get premium-free Medicare Part A and pays at least that much.
A retired member 65+, not eligible for Medicare Part A, not getting a spousal subsidy, with 25+ years of full-time service and a monthly benefit under $1,500 as of July 1, 2000 gets twice the district subsidy. C.G.S. § 10-183oo (2025 rev.)
An older Connecticut TRB bulletin gives smaller subsidy amounts; we use the statute's. Deferring the Payment of Benefits (Rev. 08/2013) p. 2 gives the district subsidy as $110 / $220; the statute (since July 1, 2022), handbook p. 48 and health FAQ give $220 / $440.
How it's paid for
1.25% of the 8.25% active contribution goes to the retired teachers' health insurance premium account. Active Teachers' Handbook (2022), p. 8, Mandatory Contributions; C.G.S. § 10-183t(d) (2026 Supp.) Ask your district what its plan would cost you before Medicare; Connecticut TRB's subsidy goes to the district, not to you.
See also Social Security and Medicare.
Questions
Does Connecticut TRB offer retiree health insurance?
Yes, once you're on Medicare Parts A and B: a Medicare Advantage plan or a Medicare Supplement plan, both with prescription drugs. For 2027 the member cost is $112 a month for the Advantage plan and $294 for the Supplement, before dental.
What about before Medicare?
You can stay on your last school district's plan at no more than the active-teacher premium. Connecticut TRB pays the district up to $220 a month for each covered person ($440 for you and your spouse).
Source: CTRS Active Teachers' Handbook, July 1, 2022, pp. 8, 48. Also: Connecticut TRB webpage 'Health Coverage with my Local School District'; Health Insurance for Retirees - Cost and Funding 2026 pp. 1, 1-2, 2; Connecticut TRB Health Insurance Application 2027 pp. 1, 2; C.G.S. §§ 10-183oo, 10-183t. Last reviewed .