Answers to OPERS member questions

This month, learn about vision cards, open enrollment and how to contact us

By Michael Pramik, Ohio Public Employees Retirement System

Aug. 8, 2024 – Members and retirees often ask us questions through our social media channels that others could benefit from. Periodically we post these questions and answers in our PERSpective blog.

This month we’re addressing questions about OPERS demographics, refund payments, eligibility for health care, and more.

Q: How do I print a copy of my vision insurance card with MetLife?

A: Replacement ID cards are available online at http://www.metlife.com/mybenefits. On the home page, enter OPERS as the Employer or Association within the Access my Benefits box, you will be directed to register an account and log in to your account. MetLife also is available by phone for assistance at 1-888-262-4874 from 8 a.m.-9 p.m. Monday through Friday, from 8 a.m.-9 p.m. on Saturdays, and from 9 a.m.-4 p.m. on Sundays.

Q: I have been trying to contact OPERS for a couple of days. I give my number for the call back, but the call doesn’t come. Is there another way to contact you? 

A: OPERS’ virtual hold system means we’ll call you back if you don’t choose to wait on hold. If you have a spam call blocker on your phone, it’s possible for you to not receive a callback. If you do have this feature, please add our toll-free number (800-222-7377) as an allowable caller, or add that number as one of your phone contacts.

We always recommend calling our Member Services associates early in the morning in midweek, as those are less-busy times. Of course, you can always send us a secure message through your OPERS online account, and we will respond.

Q: When is open enrollment for OPERS retirees for 2025?

A: In general, open enrollment will run from Oct. 15-Dec. 15. There will be varying enrollment dates depending on what coverage you’re seeking. Expect a lot of communication from OPERS on open enrollment 2025.

Q: Do I need to retire before a certain deadline to avoid a one-year wait to receive a cost-of-living increase?

A: There is no deadline that determines the one-year waiting period for COLAs. All new OPERS retirees currently receive the adjustment, when it’s issued, beginning one year after their retirement effective date. (COLAs are issued the month your retirement was effective – not necessarily the beginning of the year.)

Q: If I were to quit my public service job, at what point could I receive what I paid into OPERS?

A: After you have separated from employment you can use your OPERS online account to apply for a refund. Two months must pass from your termination date, as certified by the employer, before the refund can be released. Remember that by refunding you are forfeiting all of your service credit and future benefits.

Please note that you can still be impacted by Social Security’s Windfall Elimination Provision if you take a refund.

Q: I remember seeing somewhere that the benefits that OPERS pays to retirees has a big impact on the state economy. What is that impact?

A: That information is in the latest OPERS Popular Annual Financial Report, which is posted on our website:

As the largest public pension system in Ohio, and the 14th largest in the United States, OPERS is a significant economic driver for the state. The majority of our 1.2 million members and retirees live and work in Ohio, providing economic stability throughout the state. For every dollar received by OPERS from public employers in 2023, $3.14 is returned to the economy through pension and health care payments made to retirees—retirees who spend the majority of retirement proceeds on goods and services within the state.

Michael Pramik

Michael Pramik is communication strategist for the Ohio Public Employees Retirement System and editor of the PERSpective blog. As an experienced business journalist, he clarifies complex pension policies and helps members make smart choices to secure their retirement.