Health Care Plan and Medicare
HEALTH CARE PLAN AND MEDICARE
The County of Orange offers a Retiree Medical Plan for retired individuals and their eligible dependents who receive a monthly Orange County Employees Retirement System (OCERS) retirement pension. The program is also available to the surviving spouse, domestic partner, or dependent of a deceased County of Orange retiree if you receive a monthly OCERS retirement pension.
The Retiree Medical Plan includes County of Orange health plans, available to both in-state and out-of-state residents. Additionally, the Plan includes a Retiree Medical Grant for eligible individuals. If you retire with at least 10 years of continuous eligible County service and are at least age 50 at the time of retirement, you may be eligible for the Grant, which offsets the cost of your retiree medical insurance rates. You may use the Grant toward County health plan rates and/or reimbursement toward your Medicare Part B premium (if eligible).
HEALTH PLAN RATES
To view the most current rates, please click here.
MEDICARE
You must enroll in Medicare if you are 65 or older . Ideally, you should enroll in Medicare 90 days before your intended retirement date to ensure that your Medicare coverage is in place by the time you retire. To learn more about Medicare or to enroll in Medicare, call the Social Security Administration at 1-800-772-1213 or visit www.ssa .gov. You may also click here to see the 2025 Medicare & You publication options.
- If you elect a Medicare Advantage Plan which requires Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) approval, failure to have Medicare enrollment in place at retirement (if age 65) may result in your paying a higher cost and being enrolled into the Wellwise Retiree PPO health plan while your Medicare is being finalized. (Medicare Advantage Plans require CMS approval and Medicare assignment prior to enrollment.)
- If you are eligible for Medicare Part B only, you can only enroll in certain plans. If you are eligible for Medicare Part B only, you should immediately call the Benefits Resource Line, My OC Benefits™, toll-free at (833) 479-2347 and advise the Benefits Center. They will require you to provide verification of your Medicare Part B only.
THE EMPLOYEE BENEFITS RESOURCE LINE – MY OC BENEFITS™
Call the My OC Benefits™ Line toll-free at (833) 476-2347 or they may be reached at mybenefits.ocgov.com