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The OPERS Health Care Program

What you need to know whether you are considering retirement or already receiving an OPERS benefit

What OPERS Offers

While OPERS is not required to provide health care coverage by law, the Ohio Public Employees Retirement System recognizes the important role it plays as part of a secure retirement. When considering retirement, you should keep in mind that once retired you will no longer be covered under your employer's group medical plan. As you transition to retirement, you'll also need to enroll in new health care coverage. This section provides information about what health care options OPERS offers, eligibility requirements and enrollment.

The OPERS health care program features a Health Reimbursement Arrangement (HRA) for eligible Pre-Medicare and Medicare benefit recipients as well as optional vision and dental plans. To help benefit recipients find a medical plan which fits their needs, we also offer the services of the OPERS Connector.

Health Reimbursement Arrangement (HRA)

An HRA is an account funded by OPERS that provides tax-free reimbursement for qualified medical expenses such as monthly post-tax insurance premiums, deductibles, co-insurance, and copays incurred by eligible benefit recipients and their dependents. Eligible benefit recipients can receive monthly HRA deposits from OPERS and seek reimbursement from the HRA for qualified medical expenses. Requirements to receive HRA deposits vary based on your age, years of qualified service credit at retirement and Medicare eligibility.

OPERS Connector

OPERS has partnered with Via Benefits to offer the OPERS Connector. The OPERS Connector assists benefit recipients in finding and enrolling in a medical plan and administers the OPERS HRA. When you select an individual plan through Via Benefits, you can use Via Benefits' ongoing support for carrier claim resolution and medical plan questions. You can use the services offered by the OPERS Connector whether you are eligible for the OPERS HRA or not and so can your qualified dependents. Enrollment requirements are different for Pre-Medicare and Medicare benefit recipients.

OPERS Vision and Dental Plans

If you are receiving a monthly OPERS benefit payment, you qualify to enroll in the optional OPERS vision and dental plans, even if you don't qualify for the HRA.

Whether you are preparing to retire or have been retired for years, everything you need to know about the OPERS health care program can be found within this section. We're here to help, please call OPERS at 1-800-222-7377 with questions.

Next: Am I eligible for the OPERS Health Reimbursement Arrangement (HRA)?