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Retiree Group Legal Insurance Plan

Retiree Group Legal Services Insurance Plan

The state offers a Retiree Group Legal Services Insurance Plan (Plan) to all eligible employees who retire from state service, and current retirees and annuitants. The Plan is an important part of the state’s benefits package because it connects you with network attorneys and other legal resources to help you resolve life’s legal issues. As a member of the state’s Retiree Group Legal Services Insurance Plan, the retiree  can face their problems with more confidence using the resources and services available to you.

General Information

Covered Services

The Retiree Group Legal Services Insurance Plan is a voluntary, retiree-paid plan that provides comprehensive legal coverage. It is designed to meet the most common personal legal needs of an individual and their family. Covered services include:

100% Paid-in-Full Network Attorney Fees for Most Covered Matters, including Coverage for in-office Advice, Representation and Consultation

The Plan pays 100 percent of network attorney fees for most covered matters. Once you have enrolled in the Plan:

  • The retiree will receive a welcome kit containing information on how to access resources and network attorneys.
  • The retiree can  work with an attorney in the office or over the phone
  •  and will have access to hundreds of California attorneys who belong to the ARAG attorney network. 
  • Network attorney fees for most covered matters are paid in full unless the Plan indicates the covered matter is subject to an hourly limit.
  • The Plan does not provide coverage for certain costs such as filing fees, reporters’ fees, court reporters’ fees, expert witness fees and other related expenses.
  • The retiree will also have the flexibility of using an attorney who is not part of the network. In this case, if the matter is covered by the Plan, the retiree  would file an indemnity claim for the attorney fees paid by the retiree and be reimbursed up to the amount specified in the Plan.

The Plan’s covered services include, but are not limited to:

  • Will and trust preparation
  • Domestic matters (divorce, child support, custody, visitation, alimony, adoption)
  • Bankruptcy proceedings
  • Consumer protection
  • Defense of criminal misdemeanors
  • Debt collection
  • Buying or selling a home

The Plan also Includes Identity Theft Protection, Which Encompasses the Following Services:

  • Single-bureau credit monitoring
  • Internet surveillance
  • Identity theft insurance (up to $1 million**)
  • Full-service identity restoration
  • Lost wallet services
  • Change of address monitoring
  • Child identity monitoring

After enrolling, the retiree can  sign up for identity theft monitoring services by logging into their account at ARAGlegal.com/account.

  • The retiree can create a new member account or log in to their existing account.
  • On the member home page select Tools and then Identity Theft.
  • The retiree should follow the Activate Monitoring prompts to create a new account to initiate online monitoring.
  • The retiree can also activate monitoring for their family members who are covered by the retiree  plan.

Toll-free Telephone Legal Advice

The Plan also provides a convenient toll-free number (800) 511-4007 that gives the employee access to a telephone network attorney for legal advice on most personal legal issues (no limitation imposed on the number of calls or the length of the calls). These attorneys can also assist members with preparing and reviewing a simple will and other personal legal documents.

Note: Telephone consultation cannot be used for legal matters that are specifically excluded from the Plan (e.g., the Plan member cannot use the Plan for phone consultation regarding a grievance they have filed against the state). Telephone consultation service is available Monday – Friday from 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m., Pacific Time.

Preventive Legal Services

For matters that are not specifically excluded, the Plan provides four hours annually that can be used for in-office advice, representation, or preventive services.

Other Legal Services

  • DIY Docs®: This is an online document creation tool with a variety of legally valid documents, including state-specific templates for wills, powers of attorney and more.  
  • Reduced-Fee Legal Services: If the retiree matter is not fully covered and is not listed under “exclusions” in their Plan document, then the retiree is  eligible to receive the reduced-fee benefit and work with a local network attorney who will provide legal services at a rate reduced by at least 25 percent off the network attorney’s normal hourly rate. 
  • Reduced Contingency Fees: Network attorneys can represent the retiree under a contingency fee arrangement. The fee paid to the attorney is based on the success of their case and is a percentage of the amount of money awarded. The retiree  is responsible for paying any costs.
  • Learning Center:  The retirees have access to an online collection of educational articles, informational guidebooks and short videos that provide helpful tips regarding timely legal and financial topics.
  • Mobile App: Provides a variety of tools, including searching for network attorneys, starting a will or traffic ticket case, and contacting ARAG. To install the app, visit the App Store (Apple) or Google Play (Android) and search for ARAG.

Exclusions

There are certain legal services that are specifically excluded from coverage in the Plan. Some of these services are as follows:

  1. Matters against us, the policyholder or an insured against the interests of the named insured under the same certificate.
  2. Legal services arising out of a business interest, investment interests, employment matters, employee benefits, your role as an officer or director of an organization, and patents or copyrights.
  3. Legal services in class actions, punitive damages, personal injury, malpractice, court appeals or post judgments (settlement agreement signed by all parties, final binding arbitration, judgment issued by a court).
  4. Legal services deemed by us to be frivolous or lacking merit, or in actions where you are the plaintiff and the amount we pay for your legal services exceeds the amount in dispute, or in our reasonable belief you are not actively and reasonably pursuing resolution in your case.
Enrollment

Prior to retiring, your departmental  personnel office should provide the retiree  an enrollment packet, to continue the Group Legal Services Insurance Plan into retirement. If the departmental personnel office  did  not provide  a packet, the retiree, can contact ARAG at (800) 511-4007 to request an enrollment packet. Follow the directions in your enrollment packet to enroll.

Not enrolled at time of enrollment

If the retiree   is not enrolled at time of retirement, they  can enroll, within 60 days of  retiring.

 If the retiree does not enroll upon retirement, then the retiree  must wait until the next open enrollment period to enroll.

Enrolled at time of retirement

If the active employee is enrolled at time of retirement, the employee must enroll within 60 days of retiring to continue the benefit into retirement.

If the retiree does not enroll at time of retirement, the retiree can enroll during the open enrollment period.

Coverage will end at time of retirement, unless they  re-enroll into the retiree plan.

To enroll or change coverage due to a permitting event (e.g., marriage, divorce, legal separation, child losing eligibility due to age or marriage, death of a spouse or child, primary member leaving state service, or a new domestic partner certification), the enrollment form must submitted  within 60 days of the event.

Make Changes Over the Phone

Please contact ARAG Customer Care:

Monday-Friday, 5:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m., Pacific Time

Toll-free (800) 511- 4007

TTY (800) 383-4184 (or 711 to reach a relay operator)

 

Make Changes by Mail, Fax or Email

Retiree must complete the Retiree Group Legal Services Insurance Enrollment Authorization (Form 200686). Please retain a copy for your records.

Mail or fax completed forms to ARAG Insurance at:

ARAG Insurance Company

500 Grand Avenue Suite 100

Des Moines, IA  50309-9958

Fax: (515) 246-8816

Email: Forms@ARAGLegal.com

Note only forms are to be sent to the email, if you have questions or concerns, please contact ARAG by phone or contact CalHR.

For more information, please contact CalHR at Grouplegal@calhr.ca.gov

 

Open Enrollment

Open Enrollment for the Retiree Group Legal Services Insurance Plan is will be held annually in the Fall.

During Open Enrollment, eligible retirees can enroll in the Plan and current retirees can make changes to their coverage and/or add or delete eligible dependents.

If the retiree is  already enrolled in the Plan  they do not need to re-enroll, as coverage continues automatically.

Eligible retirees will receive enrollment packets prior to Open Enrollment. If you don’t receive a packet, please contact ARAG at (800) 511-4007.

Open Enrollment transactions will have a January 1 effective date.

Enrollment

During Open Enrollment, eligible state retirees can enroll online by visiting ARAGlegal.com/socretiree and select the “Choose Retirement Plan”, “View Plans”, and “Enroll Now” tabs to enroll.

To enroll by phone, please contact ARAG Customer Care:

Monday-Friday, 5:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m., Pacific Time
Toll-free (800) 511- 4007
TTY (800) 383-4184 (or 711 to reach a relay operator)

To enroll by mail or fax, complete the Retiree Group Legal Services Insurance Enrollment Authorization (Form 200686) and mail or fax it to ARAG Insurance. Please retain a copy for your records.

Mail or fax completed forms to ARAG Insurance at:

ARAG Insurance Company
500 Grand Avenue Suite 100
Des Moines, IA  50309-9958
Fax: (515) 246-8816

For more information, please contact Grouplegal@calhr.ca.gov

Premiums

The monthly premium is $10.27 for individual coverage and $17.87 for family coverage which covers you, your spouse or registered domestic partner, and any eligible unmarried dependent children under the age of 26 who have never been married.

Cancellation of Coverage

You may cancel your plan during Open Enrollment by logging onto ARAGlegal.com/SOCretiree.

To cancel your plan outside of Open Enrollment you can call ARAG or submit a Retiree Group Legal Services Insurance Plan Enrollment Authorization (Form 200686) to ARAG via mail or fax.

To cancel by phone, please contact ARAG Customer Care:

Monday-Friday, 5:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m., Pacific Time
Toll-free (800) 511- 4007
TTY (800) 383-4184 (or 711 to reach a relay operator)

To cancel by mail or fax, complete the Retiree Group Legal Services  Insurance Plan Enrollment Authorization (Form 200686) and mail or fax it to ARAG Insurance. Please retain a copy for your records.

Mail or fax completed forms to ARAG Insurance at:

ARAG Insurance Company
500 Grand Avenue Suite 100
Des Moines, IA  50309-9958
Fax: (515) 246-8816

For more information, please contact Grouplegal@calhr.ca.gov.

Mandatory Deletions

It is the retirees responsibility to inform ARAG Insurance as follows:

  • Divorce
  • Delete dependents

The state has a Mandatory Deletion when an eligible dependent child marries or reaches age 26 (whichever is sooner) as they are no longer eligible for coverage under the insured retiree’s plan. The retiree must complete a new enrollment form if they wish to change to individual coverage when the dependent child loses eligibility.

For legal separations, a deletion of the spouse cannot be done in anticipation of a pending or active divorce action or pending final divorce settlement.  When the divorce is finalized, the retiree must complete a new enrollment form to change their coverage to individual unless the retiree has eligible dependent children on the Plan.

Enrolled retirees who fail to initiate a mandatory deletion within 60 days of the permitting event date will not be reimbursed for the overpayment of premium nor will the carrier provide coverage for family members who no longer meet the eligibility requirement for dependents.

Contact Information

ARAG Insurance Company
500 Grand Avenue Suite 100​
Des Moines, IA  50309-9958

ARAG Customer Service:
Monday-Friday, 5:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m., Pacific Time
Toll-free (800) 511-4007
TTY (800) 383-4184 (or 711 to reach a relay operator)

Website: ARAGlegal.com/SOCretiree

For more information, please contact CalHR Grouplegal@calhr.ca.gov