Plaintiff, the school district's former District Superintendent, and the School District [District] had entered into an employment agreement pursuant to which Plaintiff was hired as the District's superintendent.
As relevant in the instant litigation, the employment agreement provided that Plaintiff and her qualified dependents "shall be eligible, during retirement, for continuing health, dental and vision insurance coverages under the plan(s) available through the District" and that the District "will pay one hundred percent (100%) of the premiums of such coverage."
Upon her retirement in 2017, Plaintiff obtained retiree health insurance through the District's plan. Several years later, Plaintiff applied for Medicare Part B—an insurance plan not available through the District—and paid premiums for that coverage. Plaintiff then asked District for reimbursement for the Medicare premiums she had paid.
The District denied Plaintiff's request on the ground that the District's plan did not allow individuals who received 100% of the retiree health coverage paid for by the District to receive reimbursement for Medicare Part B premiums.
Claiming "breach of contract", Plaintiff commenced the instant action seeking reimbursement of Medicare premiums paid by Plaintiff and a declaration that the District was required to pay such premiums for her and her qualified dependents'. Supreme Court granted District's motion for summary judgment dismissing the complaint and Plaintiff appealed.
The Appellate Division said that the District met its initial burden on the motion inasmuch as it had submitted the employment agreement, Plaintiff's deposition testimony, the District's policy documents, and its health plan documents ... all of which established that the employment agreement did not require the District to reimburse Plaintiff for the premiums for Medicare Part B, which was not an insurance plan offered by the District.
The Appellate Division's decision noted that the agreement provided that Plaintiff was entitled to "continuing health, dental and vision insurance coverages under the plan(s) available through the District" but Plaintiff sought "reimbursement for premiums under a Medicare plan not provided through the District".
Accordingly, the Appellate Division held that Plaintiff was not entitled to reimbursement of the premiums for the Medicare Part B coverage Plaintiff had purchased.
Click HERE to access the Appellate Division's decision posted on the Internet.