What OPERS requires at Medicare age
The Ohio Public Employees Retirement System (OPERS) builds its retiree health care around Medicare. Its 2026 Health Care Program Guide says that as an OPERS benefit recipient "you must enroll in both Medicare Parts A and B as soon as you become eligible."
- Part A and Part B: both required, as soon as you're eligible.
- A plan through the Connector: you choose an individual Medicare Advantage plan, or a Medigap policy plus a Part D plan, through the OPERS Medicare Connector, a marketplace run by a vendor OPERS selected.
- The HRA: OPERS then makes monthly deposits to a health reimbursement arrangement (HRA) you use for qualified expenses. It's a "closed" HRA: no Connector plan, no deposits.
Retiree health care isn't guaranteed by Ohio law; the OPERS board can change it. OPERS publishes the current HRA amounts in its guide.
If you don't have premium-free Part A
Ohio public employees hired before April 1986 may not have paid Medicare tax at their public job, so some OPERS retirees don't have the 10 years of Medicare-covered work (their own or a spouse's) for premium-free Part A. OPERS still requires you to enroll in Part A and pay the monthly premium to Medicare ($565 or $311 in 2026, depending on your work history). Ohio law, ORC 145.584, has OPERS reimburse that premium: in full for eligible retirees and 50% for eligible spouses. You certify the amount each year.
This is the opposite of what STRS Ohio and SERS tell members without premium-free Part A, which is why it helps to read your own system's rules. See OPERS vs STRS Ohio vs SERS.
How to enroll
- Sign up for Parts A and B with Social Security. Use your 7-month Initial Enrollment Period around your 65th birthday (ssa.gov or 1-800-772-1213).
- Enroll in a Connector plan. That starts your monthly HRA deposits.
- If you pay a Part A premium, send OPERS the reimbursement form. Reimbursement starts after OPERS gets it, not from your Medicare start date.
Still working at 65? You can delay Part B without a Medicare penalty while you have job-based coverage, but OPERS won't make HRA deposits until you're enrolled in Medicare and a Connector plan. See working past 65.
For the full picture, read our guide to OPERS and Medicare, or all five Ohio public retirement systems.
Related questions
How does the OPERS Medicare Connector work?
Plans, the HRA and the appointment.
Does OPERS pay for Medicare Part B?
What changed after 2016.
Do Ohio teachers have to pay for Part A?
The April 1986 rule.
Sources
- OPERS — 2026 Health Care Program Guide
- OPERS — Health care frequently asked questions
- Ohio Revised Code 145.584 — Benefits equivalent to Medicare
- Medicare.gov — Medicare costs
More questions in this guide
- Can STRS Ohio retirees join a different Part D plan?
- Do federal retirees in Ohio need Medicare Part B with FEHB?
- Do Ohio teachers have to pay for Medicare Part A?
- Do postal retirees in Ohio need Medicare Part B for PSHB?
- Do STRS Ohio retirees need Medicare Part B?
- Does OPERS pay for Medicare Part B?
- Does SERS reimburse Medicare Part B?
- Does the Social Security Fairness Act change Medicare for Ohio public retirees?
- How does HPRS retiree health care work with Medicare?
- How does the OPERS Medicare Connector work?
- What happens to OP&F retiree health care when I turn 65?
Part of the guide: Ohio's public retirement systems and Medicare · All questions
Frequently asked questions
What if I don't qualify for premium-free Part A?
OPERS still requires you to enroll in Part A and pay its premium. Under Ohio Revised Code 145.584, OPERS reimburses the Part A premium for eligible retirees and half of it for eligible spouses. The reimbursement isn't retroactive, so ask OPERS for the form as soon as you enroll.
I got Medicare early because of a disability. Does the rule apply?
Yes. Enroll in Parts A and B when Social Security notifies you, enroll in a plan through the Connector, and tell OPERS within 30 days. OPERS warns that late notice can mean your HRA deposits are taken back from the date you became eligible for Medicare.
Who do I call about OPERS health care?
OPERS at 1-800-222-7377. Social Security handles the Medicare enrollment itself at 1-800-772-1213 or ssa.gov.
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