PERACare is PERA's health benefits program that includes health care, dental, and vision insurance plans. Eligible participants may enroll in any or all three types of coverage, and will pay a monthly premium based on the plan(s) selected. Learn more about PERACare or attend a webinar.

PERA benefit recipients (retiree, cobeneficiary, qualified child, or dependent parent receiving a monthly retirement, disability or survivor benefit from PERA) and their eligible dependents may enroll in PERACare. 

No. PERACare plans are completely separate from coverage offered by your employer.

Yes, there are other options for coverage in retirement. You are not required to enroll in PERACare and we encourage you to review all of your options.

For retirees under age 65 and not yet eligible for Medicare:

• Connect for Health Colorado or your State’s insurance marketplace
• Employer coverage through a spouse who is still working
• COBRA coverage – available as a continuation of employer coverage after termination of employment
• For retirees age 65+, or under 65 and eligible for Medicare due to disability
• Individual Medicare plans sold directly by insurance carriers
• Employer coverage through you or a spouse who is still working

Note: Coverage that is not based on current employment, such as COBRA, is not considered creditable coverage by Medicare past age 65 and could result in Medicare enrollment delays or penalties in the future.

You can enroll in PERACare within 30 days of your first retirement benefit payment, or within 30 days of certain Enrollment Eligibility Events as described in the PERACare Health Benefits Program booklets. You may also enroll, change plans, or add dependents during the annual open enrollment period each fall. 

You can submit a PERACare Enrollment/Change Form online by logging into PERA’s secure website, or download the appropriate form for you below.

Monthly PERACare premiums vary depending on the plan. Premium information can be found in the PERACare Health Benefits Program booklets or you can use the PERACare Premium Calculator to get a personalized estimate.

For PERA members under the age of 65 (Pre-Medicare), PERACare offers two PPO plan options with Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield and an HMO and High Deductible Health Plan (HDHP) with Kaiser Permanente of Colorado (Kaiser). (Please note: Beginning January 1, 2022, the Anthem Pre-Medicare plans will be replaced by UMR, a UnitedHealthcare Company.)

For PERA members 65 and older, PERACare offers three Medicare Advantage plans that combine the benefits of Medicare Parts A and B with Part D prescription coverage into one comprehensive plan. Currently the Medicare plan options are two national PPO plans with Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield (Anthem) and one regional HMO plan with Kaiser Permanente of Colorado (Kaiser). (Please note: Beginning January 1, 2022, the Anthem Medicare plans will be replaced by UnitedHealthcare.)

PERACare also offers dental plans with Cigna Dental and Delta Dental, and a vision plan with VSP.

More details on the plan options can be found in the PERACare Health Benefits Program booklets.

Yes. All of the health plans offered through PERACare include prescription drug coverage.  The list of covered medications (Formulary) can be found here.

When you turn 65 you will enroll in Medicare and will have different plan options available to you. Visit the PERACare Turning 65 page for more information and be sure to sign up to attend a webinar to learn about enrolling in Medicare and your coverage options.

You can cancel PERACare coverage with 30-days’ written notice at any point, and can reenroll as explained above.