Public retirees

STRS Ohio and Medicare

STRS Ohio requires everyone in its medical plans to enroll in Medicare at 65, or earlier if eligible. Part B is required for all enrollees; Part A is required only if it's premium-free. Once STRS Ohio has proof of Medicare, you're placed in its group Medicare Advantage plan with Part D, or you can opt out to its group plan that pays after Medicare. Joining any other Medicare Advantage or Part D plan cancels your STRS Ohio medical and drug coverage.

By the Benefits Life Editorial Team, licensed insurance agents · Reviewed November 13, 2026

How STRS Ohio coverage works with Medicare

The State Teachers Retirement System of Ohio (STRS Ohio) covers teachers and faculty in Ohio's public schools, colleges and universities. Unlike OPERS, it still runs group plans for retirees with Medicare. Here's the order of events:

You enroll in Medicare. STRS Ohio requires it at 65, or earlier if you're eligible because of a disability or another reason.
You send STRS Ohio proof of Medicare. Submit your Medicare information through your STRS Ohio Online Personal Account ("Health Care" tab, "Submit Medicare Information"). STRS Ohio says proof received by the 15th of a month starts your Medicare plan the first of the next month.
You're placed in the group Medicare Advantage plan. Enrollment in Parts A and B, or Part B only, qualifies you. The plan includes Part D drug coverage.
Or you opt out to the other group plan. Choose "AMA Opt Out" when you submit your Medicare information to move to STRS Ohio's Medicare-coordinating group plan, which pays after Original Medicare and also includes Part D. STRS Ohio says the Medicare Advantage option has lower premiums and out-of-pocket costs.

You pay two premiums: one to STRS Ohio (deducted from your benefit) and your Part B premium to Medicare. If the plan is the group Medicare Advantage plan, the plan pays your covered claims and receives payment from Medicare.

Part A: required only if premium-free

STRS Ohio's rule: "Medicare Part A is also required if it is available to you at no cost (premium free)." Many STRS Ohio members have premium-free Part A, because Ohio teachers hired after March 31, 1986 paid Medicare tax even though they don't pay Social Security tax. Others qualify through a spouse or through other work.

If you'd have to pay a premium, you don't need to enroll in Part A. Your STRS Ohio plan still qualifies with Part B only.
Part B-only enrollment can't be done online: call Social Security at 1-800-772-1213 or visit a Social Security office.
If you later become eligible for premium-free Part A, by working after 65 or through a current or former spouse, STRS Ohio says you must sign up for it.
STRS Ohio doesn't reimburse Part A premiums. (OPERS does; see OPERS and Medicare.)

STRS Ohio also corrects a common belief: Ohio educators who didn't contribute to Social Security are still eligible for Medicare at 65.

Part B: required for everyone

"Medicare Part B is required for all enrollees." You pay the Part B premium to Medicare (the standard premium is $202.90 a month in 2026; higher incomes pay more, see the IRMAA calculator). If you don't get a Social Security check, Medicare bills you; Medicare Easy Pay can take it from your bank account.

The Part B credit. STRS Ohio replaced its old Part B reimbursement with a monthly Medicare Part B premium credit starting in 2023 (Ohio Administrative Code 3307:1-11-05). The credit reduces the STRS Ohio premium for benefit recipients enrolled in Medicare. STRS Ohio's 2027 FAQ confirms the credit will be applied in 2027 and says premium credits "are reviewed each year and are subject to change." The board may suspend or end it at its discretion.

What happens if you don't enroll

Decline Part B or premium-free Part A: "you will no longer be eligible for STRS Ohio medical coverage."
Stop paying Part B: same result once Medicare ends your Part B.
Join another Medicare Advantage or Part D plan: your STRS Ohio medical and prescription coverage is cancelled. Medicare allows only one Part D plan at a time, and the newest enrollment replaces the old one.
Medicare penalties: missing your Initial Enrollment Period can mean waiting for the General Enrollment Period (Jan. 1 – Mar. 31; coverage starts the month after you sign up) and a lifelong Part B penalty of 10% for each full 12 months without Part B. STRS Ohio retiree coverage isn't coverage from current employment, so it doesn't give you a Special Enrollment Period. See the penalty calculator.

Watch your mail in the fall. Medicare Advantage and Part D advertising peaks during Medicare Open Enrollment (Oct. 15 – Dec. 7). For STRS Ohio enrollees, signing up for an outside Medicare Advantage or Part D plan cancels STRS Ohio medical and prescription coverage. If you're unsure, call STRS Ohio before you sign anything.

Enrollment windows for 2027

What	When
STRS Ohio open enrollment for 2027	Nov. 1 – 24, 2026, for medical, prescription, dental and vision. Coverage starts Jan. 1, 2027. If you make no change, your coverage continues.
Turning 65	Apply for Medicare during your 7-month Initial Enrollment Period; STRS Ohio recommends applying 3 months before your 65th birthday. Then send STRS Ohio proof of Medicare.
Not enrolled in STRS Ohio coverage yet	Becoming eligible for Medicare is a qualifying event: STRS Ohio must receive your enrollment application within 31 days of your Medicare effective date.
Deductibles and out-of-pocket limits	Reset Jan. 1, 2027; 2026 amounts don't carry over.

What's changing for 2027

STRS Ohio's board raised 2027 premiums and slightly lowered the premium subsidy it pays per year of service for 2027. Starting in 2028, a planned "subsidy glidepath" lowers the subsidy a little each year through 2040. STRS Ohio's Part D coverage for Medicare enrollees follows Medicare's 2027 out-of-pocket limit (see Medicare costs in 2027). Your personalized open enrollment materials and STRS Ohio's 2027 rate chart show your own premium. STRS Ohio also says retiree health care "is not guaranteed" and that the board may change or end the program.

Eligibility depends on when you retired: retirees with a benefit effective after August 1, 2023 need at least 20 years of service credit for STRS Ohio health care, and the subsidy depends on years of service.

Spouses and dependents

An enrolled spouse who has Medicare must meet the same Medicare rules: Part B, plus Part A if premium-free.
STRS Ohio says premiums for eligible dependents are unsubsidized.

How to contact STRS Ohio

STRS Ohio: 888-227-7877, strsoh.org, or your Online Personal Account.
Social Security: 1-800-772-1213, TTY 1-800-325-0778 (Medicare and Part B-only enrollment).
Plan administrators: STRS Ohio lists the medical and prescription plan phone numbers on its "Contact a Plan Administrator" page.

Compare STRS Ohio with OPERS, SERS, OP&F and HPRS on OPERS vs. STRS vs. SERS retiree coverage, or read the overview, Ohio's public retirement systems and Medicare.

Sources

Frequently asked questions

Do STRS Ohio retirees need Medicare Part B?

Yes. STRS Ohio says Medicare Part B is required for all enrollees. If you don't enroll in Part B, or you stop paying your Part B premium to Medicare, you're no longer eligible for STRS Ohio medical coverage.

Does STRS Ohio require Medicare Part A?

Only if it's premium-free. If you'd have to pay a Part A premium, STRS Ohio says you don't need to enroll, and you can sign up for Part B only by calling Social Security at 1-800-772-1213 or visiting an office. If you later qualify for premium-free Part A, through work after 65 or a spouse, you must add it.

Is the STRS Ohio Medicare plan a Medicare Advantage plan?

The default one is. STRS Ohio places Medicare enrollees in its group Medicare Advantage plan, which includes Part D prescription coverage. You can opt out to STRS Ohio's other group plan, which coordinates with Original Medicare and also includes Part D. Both are STRS Ohio group plans, not plans you buy on your own.

Can STRS Ohio retirees join another Part D plan?

No, not if you want to keep STRS Ohio coverage. Every STRS Ohio medical plan for people with Medicare already includes Part D, and STRS Ohio says enrolling in any other Part D plan will cancel your STRS Ohio medical and prescription coverage. The same applies to joining another Medicare Advantage plan.

Does STRS Ohio still reimburse the Part B premium?

Not as a separate payment. Since 2023, STRS Ohio applies a monthly Medicare Part B premium credit that lowers the STRS Ohio premium of benefit recipients enrolled in Medicare. STRS Ohio confirmed the credit for 2027 and says credits are reviewed each year.

Medicare in your Ohio county

Plans, local agents and help, county by county: Franklin · Cuyahoga · Hamilton · Summit · Montgomery · Lucas · Butler · Stark · Lorain · Warren · Delaware · Lake · Mahoning · Clermont · Trumbull · Licking · Medina · Greene · Fairfield · Portage · All 88 counties →

Licensed insurance agents for Ohio

These independent insurance agents are licensed in Ohio and work with Benefits Life, the publisher of this site. When they enroll you in a plan, the agent and Benefits Life may be paid by the insurance company. Learn more.