How the Connector works, step by step
OPERS stopped running a group plan for Medicare retirees and moved them to individual Medicare coverage bought through the Connector. Its 2026 Health Care Program Guide and its 2025 report to the Ohio Retirement Study Council describe the setup:
- Enroll in Medicare Parts A and B. OPERS requires both as soon as you're eligible.
- Make a Connector appointment. A licensed benefit advisor with OPERS's vendor reviews plans available where you live.
- Choose your coverage. A Medicare Advantage plan (most include drug coverage), or a Medigap policy plus a standalone Part D plan.
- Get your monthly HRA deposit. OPERS funds an HRA in your name once you're enrolled in a Connector medical plan.
- Get reimbursed. Submit qualified expenses, or set up automatic premium reimbursement, through the vendor.
What the HRA can repay
OPERS's report lists these reimbursable expenses:
- Medical plan premiums paid after tax, and the Medicare Part B premium
- Vision and dental premiums
- Deductibles, coinsurance and other out-of-pocket medical costs
- Qualifying medical expenses for a spouse or child
Balances roll over from month to month and year to year. Your monthly amount is a percentage of a base allowance, set by your years of qualifying service and your age when you first became eligible for the HRA. Retiree health care isn't guaranteed by Ohio law, and the OPERS board can change the allowance; OPERS publishes the current figures on opers.org.
What's on the Connector in Ohio
Plans offered through the Connector are regular individual Medicare plans, so what's available depends on your county. For 2027, CMS data show 119 Medicare Advantage plans open to everyone in Ohio and 9 standalone Part D plans; county counts range widely (see your county page). If your plan stops being offered in 2027, see Ohio plans ending in 2027 and contact the Connector during Open Enrollment so your HRA deposits don't stop.
The Connector advisor works for OPERS's vendor. You can also get a second opinion: you can request a call from a licensed insurance agent, or call 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227, TTY 1-877-486-2048). If you switch plans, do it through the Connector to keep your HRA.
More detail is in our guide to OPERS and Medicare.
Related questions
Do OPERS retirees have to enroll in Medicare?
Parts A and B, and when.
Does OPERS pay for Medicare Part B?
The HRA, not a direct payment.
What happens to OP&F health care at 65?
A similar marketplace model.
Sources
- OPERS — 2026 Health Care Program Guide
- OPERS — 2025 Health Care Report to the Ohio Retirement Study Council
- OPERS — 2027 Health Care Program Open Enrollment
- CMS — CY2027 Medicare Advantage and Part D Landscape files (Ohio plan counts)
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?
- Does the Social Security Fairness Act change Medicare for Ohio public retirees?
- How does HPRS retiree health care work with Medicare?
- 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
Can I buy a plan on my own instead of through the Connector?
You can, but OPERS's Medicare HRA is a closed HRA: deposits go only to benefit recipients enrolled in a Medicare medical plan through the Connector. If you leave the Connector, your HRA eligibility ends.
When can OPERS retirees change Connector plans for 2027?
OPERS says Medicare-eligible benefit recipients contact the Connector during Medicare's Open Enrollment, October 15 to December 7, 2026, for changes that start January 1, 2027.
How much is the OPERS HRA deposit?
It depends on your years of qualifying service and your age when you first became eligible. OPERS publishes the base allowance and your percentage in its health care guide and FAQ, and your own amount appears in your OPERS health care materials.
Medicare in your Ohio county
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