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, 1.18 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 |
---|---|
Summary of Health Benefit Forms & Publications
Health Eligibility Requirements
Health Plan Options
Health Eligibility Requirements
Direct Payment Authorization
|
Apr 2022 (PDF) Oct 2021 (PDF) |
Chapter/Summary | Revision Date |
---|---|
Introduction Added PEPRA information to service retirement topic |
Jul 2017 (PDF) |
Contract Coverage Procedures Clarified process to initiate a new contact and updated Cost Estimate Factors for providing Two Years Additional Service Credit section |
Apr 2018 (PDF) |
Membership Updated Arrears topic and Optional Members of CalPERS and Requirements for the Retirement System Election form |
Apr 2022 (PDF) |
Compensation Review Added 2022 compensation limits and new member contribution caps |
Jan 2022 (PDF) |
Compensation Review Updated Requirements for a Publicly Available Pay Schedule section |
Jun 2021 (PDF) |
Payroll Reporting Procedures Updated 1959 Survivor Benefit contribution index levels |
Apr 2021 (PDF) |
Benefit Procedures Updates to the Retirement – General, Disability and Industrial Disability Retirement, Employment of a Retiree, and Refund of Member Contributions topics |
Oct 2021 (PDF) |
Web Services & Publications Updated Subscriptions Services section |
Nov 2017 (PDF) |
Education & Other Resources Added new educational resources |
Sep 2018 (PDF) |
Appendix Added new resolutions: Resolution No. 6 - Determination of a Retiree’s Voluntary Reinstatement from Disability Retirement by the Governing Body and Resolution No. 7 - Determination of a Retiree’s Voluntary Reinstatement from Disability Retirement by the Official Delegate Made minor updates to Resolutions 1, 2, 4, and 5 |
Oct 2021 (PDF) |
Topic/Summary | Revision Date |
---|---|
Health Event Reasons
Summary of Health Benefit Forms & Publications
Health Eligibility Requirements
Health Plan Options
Health Eligibility Requirements
Health Enrollment
Direct Payment Authorization
California COBRA (Cal-COBRA)
|
May 2022 (PDF) Apr 2022 (PDF) Oct 2021 (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 Added 2022 compensation limits and new member contribution caps |
|
Pay Rate & Service Credit Added a requirement for a Publicly Available Pay Schedule |
|
Benefits Procedures Updates to the Retirement – General, Employment of a Retiree, and Refund of Member Contributions topics |
|
Web Services & Publications Updated Subscription Services |
|
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, 1.18 MB)
- Public Agency & Schools Reference Guide (PDF, 3.04 MB)
- State Health Benefits Guide (PDF, 1.24 MB)
- State Reference Guide (PDF, 2.26 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.