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

Retirement Resource Guides

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.

Public Agency & Schools Health Benefits Guide

Topic/Summary	Revision Date
Contact Information (for Members & Employers) Updated direct pay information for Anthem Blue Cross Medicare Update to voluntary enrollment	Sep 2023 (PDF)
Health Eligibility Requirements Additional instructions for approval of a certified disabled dependent enrollment	Feb 2023 (PDF)
Medicare Updated enrollment period(s) and new CMS enrollment requirements	Jan 2023 (PDF)

Public Agency & Schools Reference Guide

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 Updates to the following: CalPERS Membership Eligibility, Processing the Reciprocal Self-Certification Form in myCalPERS, Optional Members of CalPERS, School Employment: CalPERS or CalSTRS, and Reciprocity topics	Aug 2023 (PDF)
Compensation Review Added 2023 compensation limits and new member contribution caps	Jan 2023 (PDF)
Compensation Review Updates to the General Information for All Reporting Methods topic	Aug 2023 (PDF)
Payroll Reporting Procedures Updated 1959 survivor contribution amounts and pay rate/earnings relationship topics	Aug 2022 (PDF)
Benefits Procedures Added/Revised Employment of a Retiree	Apr 2023 (PDF)
Benefits Procedures Update to Reporting an Imminent Death or Terminal Illness Power of Attorney topic	Aug 2023 (PDF)
Benefits Procedures Added/Revised Local Agency Determination Procedures	Oct 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 2023 (PDF)

State Health Benefits Guide

Topic/Summary	Revision Date
Contact Information (for Members & Employers) Updated direct pay information for Anthem Blue Cross Medicare Update to voluntary enrollment	Sep 2023 (PDF)
Health Eligibility Requirements Additional instructions for approval of a certified disabled dependent enrollment	Feb 2023 (PDF)
Medicare Updated enrollment period(s) and new CMS enrollment requirements	Jan 2023 (PDF)

State Reference Guide

Chapter/Summary	Revision Date
Introduction Added PEPRA information to service retirement topic	Jul 2017 (PDF)
General Membership Information Updates to the following: Processing the Reciprocal Self-Certification Form in myCalPERS, CBU 3 or CBU 21 School Employment: CalPERS or CalSTRS, and Reciprocity topics	Aug 2023 (PDF)
CSU-Only Membership Updates to the General Information for All Reporting Methods section	Apr 2021 (PDF)
Pay Rate & Service Credit Updated compensation limits with payroll record end date information	Jan 2023 (PDF)
Pay Rate & Service Credit Updated compensation limits with payroll record end date information	Aug 2022 (PDF)
Benefits Procedures Added/Revised Employment of a Retiree	Apr 2023 (PDF)
Benefits Procedures Update to Reporting an Imminent Death or Terminal Illness Power of Attorney	Aug 2023 (PDF)
Web Services & Publications Added/Revised Ordering Forms & Publications	Apr 2023 (PDF)
Education & Other Resources Added new educational resources	Sep 2018 (PDF)
Appendix Removed outdated forms	Sep 2013

Policies & Procedures

Resources

Forms & Publications

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.