Utah retiree health: ask your employer, not URS

Does URS provide retiree health insurance?

Short answer: no. URS's booklets describe no URS health benefit: coverage after you retire depends on your school employer's benefit package, so review it with your district before you set a date. At 65, Medicare applies, and PEHP offers Medicare supplement coverage for you and your spouse (801-366-7499). Tier 1 Highlights (2026-27), p. 22; Tier 1 Retirement Guidebook (Sept. 2026), p. 15; Comparing Tier 2 Plans (2026-27), p. 20

Health costs before 65 can decide when you retire: compare the early-retirement reduction with what one more year adds, and load a Tier 1 example (60 with 27 years) in the calculator.

Before 65

Before 65, URS lists four places to look: your employer's early retiree coverage, a spouse's employer plan, COBRA (your current coverage for a limited time, at a higher premium) and the Federal Healthcare Marketplace, where financial help is available in some cases. Ask your employer about early retirement incentives too. Tier 1 Retirement Guidebook (Sept. 2026), p. 15

At 65 or older

At 65 or older: some employers help cover the cost of Medicare. You can enroll in Traditional Medicare (Parts A and B) or Medicare Advantage (Part C), with Part D drug plans from private insurers; people in Traditional Medicare may add supplemental plans. Tier 1 Retirement Guidebook (Sept. 2026), p. 15

As a URS participant you can use PEHP's services, including help with post-retirement insurance. PEHP's Medicare supplement coverage for you and your spouse helps with deductibles, co-insurance, coverage abroad, dental and vision, and a Retiree Health Counselor can answer questions. Tier 1 Retirement Guidebook (Sept. 2026), p. 15

Retiree life insurance

Retiree life insurance: in the pension plans you can buy life insurance for yourself and your spouse, only at retirement, on top of any payment option. The cost comes out of your retirement check, and you can cancel any time. It isn't available in the Tier 2 DC Plan. Tier 1 Highlights (2026-27), p. 19; Comparing Tier 2 Plans (2026-27), p. 34 It's chosen alongside your payment option.

Questions for your district

• Do you offer early retiree medical coverage before 65? At what cost, and for how long?
• Can my spouse stay on the plan?
• Do you help with the cost of Medicare, or offer early retirement incentives?
• If I go back to work after retiring, which benefits would I have to give up? (Working within a year of retiring with employer benefits can cancel your pension: see working after retirement.)

From the sources

• URS doesn't provide retiree health insurance. What you get depends on your employer's benefit package, so check with your district before you retire. At 65, Medicare supplement coverage for you and your spouse is available through PEHP (801-366-7499).Tier 1 Highlights (2026-27), p. 22; Tier 1 Retirement Guidebook (Sept. 2026), p. 15

Questions