Reference & Health Guides
The reference and health guides are designed to help you in your business and health transactions with CalPERS. We encourage you to make the applicable guides available to all staff who process enrollments or convey retirement and/or health benefit information.
Reference Guides
Health Benefits Guides
- Public Agency & Schools Health Benefits Guide (PDF, 1.14 MB)
- State Health Benefits Guide (PDF, 1.24 MB)
Retirement Resource Guides
- Disability Retirement / Industrial Disability Retirement Resource Guide (PDF)
- Local Safety Disability Retirement / Industrial Disability Retirement Resource Guide (PDF)
These guides provide simplified explanations for often complex laws. Should there be a conflict between the language in either the reference or health guides, and the California Public Employees' Retirement Law (PERL) or Public Employees’ Medical & Hospital Care Act (PEMHCA), the PERL and PEMHCA will prevail. If you have comments or suggestions for future editions of these guides, contact us.
*For questions regarding account codes, or requests for account code corrections, adjustments, and/or verifications contact the State Controller's Office retirement liaison at (916) 324-1471.
Revision History
You can view a summary of the revisions made to our guides by selecting the desired link below. For content that received substantive changes, a PDF link is also available in the summary. To stay informed about changes to CalPERS policies and procedures, review our Circular Letters or subscribe to the Employer Bulletin.
Topic/Summary | Revision Date |
---|---|
Health Eligibility Requirements
|
Feb 2023 (PDF) |
Medicare
|
Jan 2023 (PDF) |
Health Event Reasons
Medicare
|
Sep 2022 (PDF) |
Summary of Health Benefit Forms & Publications
Health Eligibility Requirements
|
Apr 2022 (PDF) |
Chapter/Summary | Revision Date |
---|---|
Introduction Added PEPRA information to service retirement topic |
Jul 2017 (PDF) |
Contract Coverage Procedures Added/Revised Public Agency Contract Information |
Apr 2023 (PDF) |
Membership Updated Arrears topic and Optional Members of CalPERS and Requirements for the Retirement System Election form |
Apr 2022 (PDF) |
Compensation Review Added 2023 compensation limits and new member contribution caps |
Jan 2023 (PDF) |
Compensation Review Updated reportable/non-reportable compensation and compensation limits topics |
Aug 2022 (PDF) |
Payroll Reporting Procedures Updated 1959 survivor contribution amounts and pay rate/earnings relationship topics |
Aug 2022 (PDF) |
Benefit Procedures Added/Revised Employment of a Retiree |
Apr 2023 (PDF) |
Web Services & Publications Added/Revised Ordering Forms & Publications |
Apr 2023 (PDF) |
Education & Other Resources Added new educational resources |
Sep 2018 (PDF) |
Appendix Updated Resolutions 1 and 2 |
Oct 2022 (PDF) |
Topic/Summary | Revision Date |
---|---|
Health Eligibility Requirements
|
Feb 2023 (PDF) |
Medicare
|
Jan 2023 (PDF) |
Health Eligibility Requirements
Medicare
|
Sep 2022 (PDF) |
Health Event Reasons
|
May 2022 (PDF) |
Summary of Health Benefit Forms & Publications
Health Eligibility Requirements
|
Apr 2022 (PDF) |
Chapter/Summary | Revision Date |
---|---|
Introduction Added PEPRA information to service retirement topic |
|
General Membership Information Extensive updates to Optional Members of CalPERS, Minor updates to Reciprocity Requirements and Notifying CalPERS When the Member Changes Retirement Systems topics |
|
CSU-Only Membership Updates to the General Information for All Reporting Methods section |
|
Pay Rate & Service Credit Updated compensation limits with payroll record end date information |
|
Pay Rate & Service Credit Updated compensation limits with payroll record end date information |
|
Benefits Procedures Added/Revised Employment of a Retiree |
|
Web Services & Publications Added/Revised Ordering Forms & Publications |
|
Education & Other Resources Added new educational resources |
Sep 2018 (PDF) |
Appendix Removed outdated forms |
Sep 2013 |
Policies & Procedures
Resources
Forms & Publications
- Public Agency & Schools Health Benefits Guide (PDF, 1.14 MB)
- Public Agency & Schools Reference Guide (PDF, 4.48 MB)
- State Health Benefits Guide (PDF, 1.24 MB)
- State Reference Guide (PDF, 2.43 MB)
Frequently Asked Questions
- Is the employer required to provide CalPERS with the original agreement?
An original or certified copy of the agreement is acceptable. If the employer wishes to have an original signed copy of the agreement, it should send two copies with original signatures to CalPERS. After approval, CalPERS will sign both copies and return one to the employer.