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.
- Learn more about HRA eligibility, enrollment and how to use the HRA.
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.
- Learn more about enrollment requirements and the services offered by the OPERS Connector.
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.
- Learn more about the enrollment process and the rules for enrolling dependents in the dental and vision plans.