Many agencies don't know this, but most health insurance coverage carried by the fallen officer for their family stops either immediately or at the end of the month in which the officer was killed. Each retirement system has different criteria for dealing with these benefits. Health benefits are not a guarantee for survivors. Health benefits are not part of the Ohio Death Benefit Fund. They are the responsibility of each retirement systems survivor benefits package.

We are encouraging departments to consider a policy to make sure these benefits are continued for their survivors. The only way to guarantee health benefits for all survivors is to change the laws in the retirement systems that exclude them or to make a health benefits packet part of the line of duty death protocol adopted by your agency. As of this writing, the PERS retirement system will deny surviving spouses without children any health benefits if the fallen officer did not have at least ten years of service. These benefits will only become available to that spouse when she/he reaches 62 years of age.