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

Public Agency & Schools Reference Guide (PDF, 1.59 MB)
State Reference Guide (PDF, 1.21 MB)*

Health Benefits Guides

Public Agency & Schools Health Benefits Guide (PDF)
State Health Benefits 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
Important Contact Information for Employers and Members Update to addresses Health Eligibility Requirements Updated Eligibility & Supporting Documentation to Certified "Parent-Child Relationship" School Employers: 10-Month Work Schedule Update to Separation requirement Employee Separations Update to Separation for Disability Retirement Medicare Addition of Medicare Enrollment Information for those Under Age 65	Aug 2017 (PDF)
Contact Information Updated Health Plan Contact Information	Feb 2017
Health Enrollment Reason Codes Corrected effective date method for COBRA	Sep 2016 (PDF)
The Public Agency & Schools Health Benefits Guide has been reorganized to align with the flow of the State Health Benefits Guide. Health Benefits Officer - Roles and Responsibilities Added responsibilities of the Health Benefits Officer Health Plan Options Updated Health Plan Availability Health Eligibility Requirements Updates for Employees, Retirees, Family Members/Dependents/Spouses, Domestic Partner, and Parent-Child Relationship Health Enrollment Updates to Active Employees – Electing or declining coverage and Retirees & Survivors - Electing, changing, or cancelling coverage Direct Payment Authorization Updates to Cancellation process and a new example for Resuming Coverage Health Benefits into Retirement Update to Eligibility and Health into Retirement Non-CalPERS Medicare Update to Medicare Enrollment after turning age 65	Aug 2016 (PDF)

Public Agency & Schools Reference Guide

Chapter/Summary	Revision Date
Introduction Added PEPRA information to service retirement topic	Jul 2017 (PDF)
Introduction Added my\|CalPERS Member Self-Service information	May 2017 (PDF)
Contract Coverage Procedures Updated Reduced Workload Program for County Schools	Jul 2017 (PDF)
Contract Coverage Procedures Update to cost of providing two years additional service credit for school members	Apr 2017 (PDF)
Membership Several minor updates including the addition of my\|CalPERS Member Self-Service information	May 2017 (PDF)
Membership Substantial update to the Service Credit Purchase Options topic	Oct 2016 (PDF)
Membership Update to Election of Optional Membership section	Aug 2016 (PDF)
Compensation Review Updates to General Information for All Reporting Methods, Employers Paying Member Contributions, and Compensation Limits	Jul 2017 (PDF)
Compensation Review Updated Compensation Limit and New Member Contribution Caps for 2017	Jan 2017 (PDF)
Compensation Review Update to Requirements for a Publicly Available Pay Schedule	Aug 2016 (PDF)
Payroll Reporting Procedures Updates to Reporting Deadlines & Penalties, Pay Rate and Earnings Relationship, and Payment of Contributions Using Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT)	Jul 2017 (PDF)
Payroll Reporting Procedures Updated 1959 Survivor Contribution Index Levels	Jun 2017 (PDF)
Payroll Reporting Procedures Updates to Transaction Types, Retired Annuitants, Earned Period Reports, and Payroll Reporting Extensions and Waivers	Aug 2016 (PDF)
Benefits Procedures Added new topic regarding Social Security and Public Employees	May 2017 (PDF)
Benefits Procedures Updated Requirement for Submitting a Disability Retirement Application	Apr 2017 (PDF)
Benefits Procedures Updates to Death of an Active Member, Retirement - General, Disability Retirement or Industrial Disability Retirement, Reinstatement from Retirement, Death of a Retiree, and Forfeiture of Benefits topics	Nov 2016 (PDF)
Benefits Procedures The Employment of a Retiree topic was extensively revised and updated.	Nov 2016 (PDF)
Web Services & Publications Updated web links	Oct 2015
Education & Other Resources Updates to the CalPERS Supplemental Income 457 Plan & California Employers' Retiree Benefit Trust (CERBT) Fund topics	Oct 2016 (PDF)
Appendix Updates to Resolutions No. 1 and No. 2	Apr 2017 (PDF)
Appendix Added examples of new Employer Resolutions No. 4 and No. 5	Oct 2016 (PDF)

State Health Benefits Guide

Topic/Summary	Revision Date
Health Plan Options Update to eligibility zip code Health Eligibility Requirements Update to Eligibility & Supporting Documentation Certified Parent-Child Relationship Medicare Update to Medicare enrollment for those Under Age 65 Retiree Dental and Vision Coverage Update to Dental Eligibility for CSU retirees	Aug 2017 (PDF)
Contact Information Updated Pharmacy Contact Information	Jan 2017
Health Plan Options Update to Health Plan Availability Health Eligibility Requirements Update to active versus retired health eligibility in regards to Medicare and an update to Ineligible Family Members Health Enrollment Updates to events that qualify for special enrollment Medicare Update to Medicare Enrollment after turning age 65 Post-Retirement Health Vesting Updated bargaining units that have a 25-year health vesting schedule Survivor Benefits Update to survivor health enrollment	Aug 2016 (PDF)

State Reference Guide

Chapter/Summary	Revision Date
Introduction Added PEPRA information to service retirement topic	Jul 2017 (PDF)
Introduction Added my\|CalPERS Member Self-Service information	May 2017 (PDF)
General Membership Information Several minor updates including the addition of my\|CalPERS Member-Self Service information	May 2017 (PDF)
General Membership Information Update to Service Credit Purchase Options topic	Nov 2016 (PDF)
General Membership Information Update to Election of Optional Membership section	Aug 2016 (PDF)
CSU-Only Membership Updated information for the Reduced Workload Program - CSU Faculty	Jul 2017 (PDF)
Pay Rate & Service Credit Updates to Reportable/Non-Reportable Compensation	Jul 2017 (PDF)
Pay Rate & Service Credit Updated Compensation Limit and New Member Contribution Caps for 2017	Jan 2017 (PDF)
Benefits Procedures Added new topic regarding Social Security and Public Employees	May 2017 (PDF)
Benefits Procedures Updated Requirement for Submitting a Disability Retirement Application	Apr 2017 (PDF)
Benefits Procedures The Employment of a Retiree topic was extensively revised and updated.	Nov 2016 (PDF)
Benefits Procedures Updates to Death of an Active Member, Retirement - General, Disability Retirement or Industrial Disability Retirement, Reinstatement from Retirement, Death of a Retiree, and Forfeiture of Benefits	Nov 2016 (PDF)
Web Services & Publications Added System Access Administration information	Nov 2015 (PDF)
Education & Other Resources Complete revision to California Employers' Retiree Benefit Trust (CERBT) Fund topic	Nov 2016 (PDF)
Appendix Removed outdated forms	Sep 2013

Policies & Procedures

Resources

Forms & Publications

Public Agency & Schools Health Benefits Guide (PDF)
Public Agency & Schools Reference Guide (PDF, 1.59 MB)
State Health Benefits Guide (PDF)
State Reference Guide (PDF, 1.21 MB)

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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.