What the Act did
Many Ohio public employees (teachers in STRS Ohio, school staff in SERS, OPERS members, police and firefighters in OP&F, troopers in HPRS) earned pensions from jobs that didn't pay Social Security tax. Two rules reduced their Social Security checks: the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) cut their own retirement or disability benefits, and the Government Pension Offset (GPO) cut spouse's and surviving spouse's benefits. The Social Security Fairness Act repealed both:
- Signed January 5, 2025.
- WEP and GPO no longer apply to benefits payable for January 2024 and later; December 2023 was the last month they applied.
- Social Security says it finished sending more than 3.1 million retroactive payments by July 2025.
What it means for Medicare
| Question | Effect of the Act |
|---|---|
| Am I eligible for Medicare at 65? | No change. Medicare eligibility never depended on WEP or GPO. |
| Is my Part A premium-free? | No change. It still takes about 10 years of Medicare-taxed work, yours or a spouse's. Public jobs after March 1986 usually count. |
| How do I pay Part B? | May change. If you now get a Social Security benefit, the premium ($202.90 for most people in 2026) is deducted from it instead of billed. |
| Extra Help or a Medicare Savings Program? | May change. A larger benefit raises your countable income. |
What to do now
- Keep paying any Medicare premium bill. Until Social Security tells you the premium will come out of your benefit.
- Stop automatic payments when told. Medicare Easy Pay users file form SF-5510; online bank payments are stopped with your bank.
- Apply if you never did. If you skipped applying for retirement or spouse's benefits because of WEP or GPO, Social Security says you may need to apply; call 1-800-772-1213.
- Tell your retirement system about changes. SERS, for example, needs to know if another source pays your Part B premium.
Social Security warns about scams tied to the repeal: it will never ask you to pay to have benefits started, increased or paid. Report Social Security scams at ssa.gov/scams, and Medicare-related ones to the Ohio Senior Medicare Patrol at 1-800-293-4767.
More in our guide to Ohio public retirement systems and Medicare.
Related questions
Do Ohio teachers have to pay for Part A?
The April 1986 rule.
Do OPERS retirees have to enroll in Medicare?
Parts A and B required.
Do STRS Ohio retirees need Part B?
Yes, for everyone.
Sources
- Social Security — Social Security Fairness Act: WEP and GPO update
- Social Security — Mandatory Medicare coverage for state and local government employees
- Medicare.gov — Medicare costs
- Medicare.gov — Medicare Easy Pay
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 OPERS retirees have to enroll in Medicare?
- 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?
- 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
Do all Ohio teachers, police and firefighters get a bigger Social Security check?
No. Social Security says only people who receive a pension from work not covered by Social Security may see an increase, and only if they also qualify for Social Security on their own or a spouse's record. Many Ohio public retirees have no Social Security benefit at all.
I paid my Part B premium directly to Medicare. What should I do?
Keep paying the Medicare bill until Social Security sends a notice. Social Security says the premium will then be deducted from your monthly benefit, with any prepaid amount refunded. If you used Medicare Easy Pay, stop it with form SF-5510 or online at Medicare.gov.
Could a bigger Social Security check affect Extra Help or a Medicare Savings Program?
It can. Both count your income, so a higher benefit may change whether you qualify. Report income changes and check the current limits on our Extra Help and Medicare Savings Program pages.
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