Premium Subsidies

Whether or not the state helps cover insurance premium costs depends on when membership with the Michigan Public School Employees Retirement System began as well as other factors.

MEMBERSHIP BEGINS BEFORE JULY 1, 2008

The following information about health insurance premium subsidies applies to members who began working for a Michigan public school reporting unit before July 1, 2008.

Note:  Public Act 110 of 2007 changes premium subsidy rules for people who first begin public school employment on or after July 1, 2008, or initiate a service credit purchase July 1, 2008, or later. Contact ORS or refer to MEMBERSHIP ON OR AFTER JULY 1, 2008 if this applies to you.

Active member at time of retirement.

If your pension is effective the first of the month after you terminate employment with a Michigan public school, you will go directly from active member status to retiree status. You will be entitled to a full premium subsidy, in that the plan pays a higher percentage of the premium for your coverage. The balance of the premium is deducted from your monthly pension payments.

You will be considered an active member for the purpose of the premium subsidy if you have earned one-tenth (0.1) or more years of service in each of the five school fiscal years immediately preceding your retirement effective date, or if you have earned at least one-half (0.5) years of service within the two school fiscal years immediately preceding your retirement effective date (click here for details on how service credit is earned). In either case, you must be employed in the month before your retirement effective date unless the summer birthday provision described in Section II applies.

The date you become eligible for the insurance premium subsidy will be your retirement effective date. However, if you purchase service credit July 1, 2008, or later and the purchase results in qualifying for your pension earlier, your premium subsidy will not begin until the month you would have qualified without the purchase. A delayed subsidy will apply if you meet all the following conditions:

• You became a member of the retirement system before July 1, 2008.

• You are applying for full retirement under the MIP 46 with 30 or Basic 55 with 30 provisions or for early reduced retirement (described in Qualifying for Your Pension).

• You initiate a service credit purchase on or after July 1, 2008, that allows you to qualify for your pension sooner.

• You are not qualifying under a disability or duty-related death provision.

If a delayed subsidy applies, you can still enroll in the health, dental, and vision insurances; you will have to pay the full premium until the premium subsidy begins. The subsidy will begin when the number of years equal to your purchased time used to qualify has passed, or at age 60, whichever occurs first.

Click here for examples of delayed subsidy situations.

Deferred member at time of retirement.

If your retirement effective date is after a period of deferment, the amount of the subsidy will depend on when you terminated your public school employment and how many years of credited service you have.

• Terminated after October 31, 1980, with at least 21 years of service. Your subsidy will be 10 percent for each year of credited service you have over 20 years. With 21 years of service, you get 10 percent of the full subsidy. With 25 years the subsidy increases to 50 percent. A retiree with 30 years of service is entitled to the full subsidy.
• Terminated after October 31, 1980, with less than 21 years of service. You can enroll for the health, dental, and vision insurance but you must pay the full premium.
• Terminated on or before October 31, 1980. If you are a pension recipient who terminated public school employment before October 31, 1980, you are eligible for the full premium subsidy offered under the Public School Employee's Retirement System.

Note: Regardless of the subsidy percentage you qualify for, you may be subject to the delayed subsidy provision if you purchased service credit in July 2008 or later and that purchase allows you to qualify for retirement earlier.

MEMBERSHIP BEGINS ON OR AFTER JULY 1, 2008

The following information about health insurance premium subsidies applies to members who first began working for a Michigan public school reporting unit on or after July 1, 2008.

Your eligibility for the plan's health, dental, and vision insurances can begin as of your retirement effective date. However, the amount the system will pay toward your insurance premiums depends on which provision you are retiring under (see Qualifying for Your Pension).

• MIP 46 with 30. If all of your service credit is earned (not purchased), you will be eligible for the full insurance subsidy as of your retirement effective date. If you have earned at least 25 years of service credit, and have purchased service to reach 30 years of service, you will have a delayed subsidy. The subsidy will begin when either the number of years equal to your purchased time used to qualify has passed, or, if sooner, when you reach age 60. 
• MIP 60 with 10. If, as of your retirement effective date, you have between 10 and 25 total years of service, a graded premium applies. With 10 years of service, a 30 percent subsidy is available. The subsidy increases by an additional 4 percent for each additional year of service.

• MIP 60 with 5. The health insurance premium subsidy is not available to retirees with less than 10 years of service credit.

• Early Reduced Provision . You will qualify for the full premium subsidy if you have at least 25 years of earned (not purchased) service credit as of your retirement effective date. If you have less than 25 years of earned service credit as of your retirement effective date, you will qualify for the graded premium subsidy when you reach age 60 .

Note: Graded Premiums and delayed subsidies do not apply if your pension eligibility is based on a disability or a duty-related death.

Find out how to determine your health insurance subsidy by clicking here. (Note: You must first begin work on or after July 1, 2008.)