Can I keep my Ohio pension's health plan and still take Medicare Advantage somewhere else?

For STRS Ohio and SERS retirees enrolled in a group Medicare Advantage plan, the answer is no — enrolling in any other Medicare Advantage plan, or any stand-alone Part D plan, will cancel your pension's coverage. For OPERS and OP&F retirees, you're already buying individual plans through a connector, so you can switch among Medigap, MA, and PDP options during your pension's enrollment windows and Medicare's AEP.

Does my Ohio pension pay my Medicare Part B premium?

Generally no. You pay your Part B premium directly to Medicare ($$202.90 standard in 2026, more with IRMAA). A few exceptions: STRS Ohio provides a $30 monthly credit applied against the STRS premium you pay, OPERS HRA deposits can be used to reimburse your Part B premium tax-free, and some PSHB plans for postal retirees include an annual Part B reimbursement. None of these are technically your pension paying Medicare on your behalf — they're offsets that help you cover the cost.

What happens if I move out of Ohio after retiring?

It depends on your system. OPERS and OP&F retirees can keep their HRA or stipend anywhere in the U.S. because they're buying individual plans through a national connector. STRS Ohio's Aetna Medicare Plan operates nationally, though provider networks vary. SERS group plans are more region-limited and may not be a good fit if you're relocating long-term. HPRS retirees should call HPRS directly before a major move — eligibility rules around continuing coverage can be specific.

Can my spouse stay on my Ohio pension's health plan after I die?

Survivor coverage rules differ. STRS Ohio allows enrolled survivors to continue coverage with separate premiums. SERS offers survivor coverage for spouses and eligible dependents. OPERS HRA deposits can transfer to a surviving spouse under specific conditions. OP&F survivors may continue receiving stipend support. HPRS continues spouse and dependent coverage under certain conditions. Each system has paperwork that must be filed promptly — call your system's benefits office to confirm.

Is OSHIIP the same thing as an Ohio Medicare agent?

No. OSHIIP (Ohio Senior Health Insurance Information Program) is a free counseling program run by the Ohio Department of Insurance. OSHIIP counselors don't sell plans and don't earn commissions — their job is education and one-on-one comparison. Licensed Medicare agents do sell plans and are paid commissions by carriers (the commissions don't affect your premium, which is set by Medicare and the carrier, not the agent). Many Ohio retirees use both: OSHIIP for unbiased education, then an agent for the actual enrollment paperwork and ongoing service.

If I work after retirement, can I still get my pension's health benefit?

All five systems have specific rules around re-employment that can affect health benefits. OPERS, for example, allows HRA deposits to continue accruing during re-employment in an OPERS-covered position, but you can't use the HRA to reimburse expenses incurred during that re-employment period. Each system has its own re-employment rules and reporting requirements — call your system before accepting any post-retirement position covered by an Ohio public employer.

Ohio Public Pensions and Medicare: OPERS, STRS, SERS, OP&F, HPRS

On this page

The five systems at a glance
How they coordinate with Medicare
OPERS — public employees
STRS Ohio — teachers
SERS — school staff
OP&F — police and fire
HPRS — state troopers
Where to get unbiased help
Common questions

The five systems at a glance

If you spent your career in Ohio public service, you're in one of these five retirement systems. They were created at different times for different reasons, and their health benefits look nothing alike — even though they all interact with Medicare in similar ways.

System	Who's in it	Medicare model	Plan administrator
OPERS	State and county employees, university non-teaching staff, township and city workers	Outside connector + HRA (you buy individual)	Via Benefits (1-844-287-9945)
STRS Ohio	Public school teachers, faculty	Group Medicare Advantage plan	Aetna Medicare Plan + SilverScript (Part D)
SERS	Non-teaching school employees (bus drivers, custodians, cafeteria, aides)	Group medical + group Medicare Advantage	Aetna Choice POS II, AultCare PPO, Aetna Medicare Plan PPO
OP&F	Full-time police officers and firefighters	Stipend + outside connector (you buy individual)	Alight Retiree Health Solutions
HPRS	Ohio State Highway Patrol troopers and cadets	Group medical + Rx + HRA	HPRS direct (Express Scripts for Rx)

How they coordinate with Medicare

Whether your pension hands you a card or hands you a stipend, the federal program does most of the heavy lifting at 65. Original Medicare (Parts A and B) is primary for almost every Ohio retiree, paying first on hospital and outpatient claims. Your pension's plan — whether it's an Aetna group plan, a Medigap policy you bought through Via Benefits, or a stipend-funded Marketplace plan — pays second, filling some or all of what Medicare leaves behind.

Three things are true across every Ohio public pension:

You must enroll in Medicare Part A and Part B at 65 (or when you retire, if later) to keep your pension's health benefit. Skipping Part B because you "have OPERS" or "have STRS" doesn't work — your pension expects Medicare to be your primary insurance.
You pay your own Part B premium ($202.90/month standard in 2026, more if your income triggers IRMAA). The pension doesn't pay it for you — though a few plans, like SERS's Aetna Medicare Plan and PSHB postal plans, offer a partial credit or reimbursement.
You only get one Part D drug plan. If your pension's plan already includes drug coverage (STRS, SERS group, HPRS), do not enroll in a separate stand-alone Part D plan or you'll cancel your pension's coverage. If your pension uses a connector (OPERS, OP&F), the connector will help you select a Part D plan as part of your individual enrollment.

The detail nobody tells you about

Your pension's open enrollment window and Medicare's Annual Enrollment Period (Oct 15 – Dec 7) are not the same window — and they often have different rules about when you can switch. If you're in STRS, your open enrollment ends the Tuesday before Thanksgiving. OPERS uses the same Oct 15 – Dec 7 window as Medicare, but Medigap plans through Via Benefits can be changed any time of year. Know your pension's calendar, not just Medicare's.

Retiring from an Ohio pension and feeling stuck on Medicare?A licensed Ohio Medicare agent can sit down with you, look at the plans your pension actually offers (or the connector it uses), and walk you through what changes at 65.

Find a Medicare Agent in Ohio

OPERS — public employees

The Ohio Public Employees Retirement System covers state employees, county employees, township and city workers, and university non-teaching staff. It's the largest of the five.

OPERS does not sponsor a group health plan. Instead, when you become Medicare-eligible, OPERS funds a Health Reimbursement Arrangement (HRA) — money OPERS deposits monthly that you use to pay Medicare-related premiums and qualified medical expenses. To receive those HRA deposits, you must enroll in an individual Medicare plan (Medigap or Medicare Advantage) through the OPERS Connector administered by Via Benefits. This is called a "closed HRA": if you buy a plan outside Via Benefits, the deposits stop.

Your monthly HRA deposit isn't a fixed dollar amount across all retirees. It scales from 51% to 90% of an OPERS base allowance, depending on the age you first became eligible for the HRA and your qualifying years of health-care service credit at retirement. The base allowance is set by OPERS and reevaluated periodically based on funding. Your specific deposit is visible in your OPERS online account, and members preparing for retirement can model it in the OPERS estimator.

See the full OPERS + Medicare guide for how to set up Via Benefits, the difference between Medigap and Medicare Advantage in the Connector, and how the HRA reimburses your monthly Part B premium.

STRS Ohio — teachers

The State Teachers Retirement System of Ohio serves public school teachers, faculty, and certain administrators. Unlike OPERS, STRS Ohio still sponsors its own group Medicare plan.

Once you submit proof of Medicare enrollment, STRS Ohio enrolls you by default in the Aetna Medicare Plan (PPO) — a group Medicare Advantage plan with broad network access. If you prefer, you can opt out and choose the Aetna Basic Plan, which has higher premiums and higher out-of-pocket costs but is structured more like traditional employer coverage. Prescription drugs for Medicare enrollees are administered by SilverScript (a CVS Caremark Part D plan) and are built into both medical plan options — meaning you should not enroll in a separate Part D plan or you'll cancel your STRS Ohio coverage.

STRS premiums for Medicare-eligible benefit recipients include a $30 Medicare Part B premium credit, which offsets part of what you pay Medicare directly. Dental coverage is through Delta Dental, vision through VSP. STRS Ohio open enrollment for medical and prescription coverage runs from Nov. 1 through the Tuesday before Thanksgiving each year (dental and vision is offered every two years, in even years).

Read the full STRS Ohio Medicare guide for plan comparison, premium structure, and how to handle a move out of state.

SERS — school staff

The School Employees Retirement System of Ohio covers non-teaching school employees — bus drivers, cafeteria workers, custodians, aides, and similar roles. SERS also sponsors group plans.

For pre-Medicare retirees, SERS offers two traditional group medical plans: the Aetna Choice POS II and the AultCare PPO. Both resemble employer-style coverage but are typically more expensive than individual Marketplace plans, especially without a federal Premium Tax Credit. For Medicare-eligible retirees, SERS offers the Aetna Medicare Plan PPO, a group Medicare Advantage plan with significantly lower premiums. The 2026 monthly premium for the Aetna Medicare Plan PPO is $178 (down from $198 in 2025, after SERS reduced the health-care surcharge from $35 to $15). Dental is through Delta Dental of Ohio; vision through VSP.

SERS does require at least 10 years of qualified service credit to enroll in dental and vision coverage. Open enrollment is similar in timing to STRS and Medicare's AEP.

OP&F — police and fire

The Ohio Police & Fire Pension Fund covers full-time police officers and firefighters at Ohio municipalities and political subdivisions. Beginning in 2019, OP&F moved away from sponsoring group health insurance and instead provides a monthly stipend that retirees use to buy coverage on the individual market.

To receive the stipend, you must enroll in a qualified plan through Alight Retiree Health Solutions (OP&F's connector), within 60 days of losing your employer health coverage. Medicare-eligible retirees must enroll in an ACA-accredited qualified health plan, which generally means a Medicare Advantage plan, a Medigap policy paired with Part D, or a similar structure that Alight can document.

Low-income retirees may apply for a 30% stipend increase through OP&F's annual application process — eligibility is based on total household income against published thresholds. The stipend is not assumed to grow indefinitely; OP&F's actuarial projections currently extend the stipend through 2032 with ongoing review by the trustees.

HPRS — state troopers

The Highway Patrol Retirement System is the smallest of Ohio's five public systems, limited to Ohio State Highway Patrol troopers with arrest authority and trooper cadets in training at the Patrol Academy. Unlike OPERS or OP&F, HPRS still administers its own group medical and prescription drug plans, with prescription coverage through Express Scripts. Dental and vision plans are offered separately, and qualified members have access to an HRA to help with eligible expenses.

HPRS open enrollment is held in November each year, with coverage changes effective January 1. Once Medicare-eligible, HPRS retirees must enroll in Parts A and B to retain HPRS health coverage.

Where to get unbiased help

The single best resource for any Ohio retiree comparing their pension's health option against alternatives is OSHIIP (Ohio Senior Health Insurance Information Program) — the Ohio Department of Insurance's free counseling program, staffed by trained volunteers across all 88 counties. You can call 1-800-686-1578 for one-on-one help that isn't tied to selling any specific plan. OSHIIP can talk you through Medigap underwriting questions, Medicare Advantage networks at your local hospital, Extra Help eligibility, and the trade-offs of staying in your pension's group plan versus shopping individually.

For plan shopping itself, a licensed Ohio Medicare agent who works with multiple carriers can run a side-by-side comparison of the Medicare options your pension's connector offers (or the alternatives if you have a stipend) — at no cost to you. Just confirm that the agent is independent and works with several carriers, not captive to one.