Massachusetts State Employees' Retirement System (MSERS)

The Massachusetts State Employees' Retirement System (MSERS / pension plan) is defined benefit plan under IRS Section 401(a) administrated by the Massachusetts State Retirement Board and is designed to provide life-long monthly pension payments to individuals who retire with ten (10) or more years of full-time equivalent creditable service.

For those drawing a 'regular' MSERS pension, that income is calculated based on years of full-time-equivalent creditable service toward retirement, age at retirement and the average of regular compensation paid during MSERS-covered employment.

The Retirement Board's website provides important resources:

The MSERS Retirement Guide outlines benefit eligibility and how pensions are calculated
Estimate your MSERS pension using any of the following tools:
- A pension estimate request form
- An online MSERS pension estimator
- A quick reference guide for those who became MSERS members before April 2, 2012 and for those who became members on or after April 2, 2012.
MSERS benefits for those who retire differ from those who:
- Retire due to a disability resulting from personal illness or injury
- Are survivors of a MSERS participant who passed away prior to drawing a pension (known as Pension Option D)
- Leave service of the Commonwealth prior to vesting (prior to establishing ten-or-more years of creditable service). These individuals have several options regarding their MSERS contributions.
Note: drawing an MSERS pension may impact Social Security benefits under the federal Windfall Elimination Provision and Government Pension Offset.
MSERS Beneficiary(ies)
Individuals actively employed under the Massachusetts State Employees' Retirement System (MSERS) name a beneficiary (or beneficiaries) when enrolling. Employees may change their MSERS beneficiary/ies at any time.

So long as there isn't a legal document to the contrary (eg a divorce decree or court order), if the employee passes away prior to drawing an MSERS pension, these beneficiary/ies would either:
- Receive a lump-sum payment of the balance of the deceased employee's MSERS account. If multiple beneficiaries are named those beneficiaries share the balance of the account. Employees may change their beneficiary/ies by completing and submitting a new Beneficiary Change Form (MSRB) to the MA State Retirement Board (address on the form).
- Draw a pension on behalf of the deceased employee, known as Pension Option D. Under pension Option D the employee has named one beneficiary, their parent, child, sibling, spouse or unmarried former spouse. If an employee wishes to secure an Option D pension for their survivor, in most cases completing and submitting an Option D form to the MA State Retirement Board is the best way to codify that intent. In most cases if the employee has been married for more than one year the spouse is eligible for the Option D pension even if an Option D form has not been submitted.
Retiring under MSERS overrides any prior beneficiary designations on record with the Retirement Board.
Thinking About Retirement
UMass Amherst Human Resources offers “Retiring from the State Employees’ Retirement System” workshops monthly through Workplace Learning & Development (https://www.umass.edu/wld/workshops). Workshop topics include:
- Retirement income
  - How to request an estimate of your MA State Employees' Retirement System (MSERS) pension
  - How MSERS pensions are calculated, the MSERS pension options & the impact of MSERS pensions on Social Security income (Windfall Elimination Provision and Government Pension Offset)
  - MA State Retirement Board retirement checklist, retirement application and application process
  - MA GIC Employment Status Change Form (Form 1a), which can be filed hard-copy through UMass Amherst Human Resources
  We look forward to you joining us at a workshop!
  Impact of MSERS Retirement on Benefits
  If you are retired (drawing a retirement income from the MA State Employees' Retirement System):
  - GIC Health and Basic Life Insurances: the GIC will continue to offer a non-Medicare health insurance plan to you (and your eligible dependent/s) at the retiree rate so long as you are not eligible for Medicare Part A at no cost. The GIC Retiree Benefits Decision Guide provides an overview of retiree insurance plan coverages and premiums. If you (or anyone covered under your GIC health insurance plan) is eligible for Medicare Part A at no cost, you must enroll in Medicare Parts A & B if you wish to continue any health insurance through the MA Group Insurance Commission. At that time Medicare Parts A & B become your primary coverage and the GIC will offer you a Medicare supplement plan (inclusive of prescription coverage). Contact the Social Security Administration to confirm if you or your dependent(s) will be eligible for Medicare Part A at no cost. If ineligible for Medicare Part A at no cost the GIC offers continuation of a health insurance that is not a Medicare supplement.
  - GIC Optional Life Insurance (OLI): you may continue your GIC term OLI insurance for as long as you wish, or cancel or reduce that coverage effective the first day of any future month. For most retirees (based on age at retirement) the GIC OLI premiums increase significantly upon retirement (for premiums please reference the GIC Retiree Benefits Decision Guide. Premiums approximately double when you turn 70 years of age and again each five years thereafter.
  - GIC Long Term Disability (LTD) Insurance: your GIC LTD insurance coverage ends upon retirement. If you became disabled prior to retirement and are drawing GIC LTD payments upon retirement, those payments will be reduced in the amount of your MSERS pension (minimum monthly payments may continue.)
  - HCSA: You may not incur GIC HCSA eligible expenses after your retirement (unless you continue coverage under COBRA by making post-tax contributions to that account, undermining your tax-savings for participating). If you enroll in the GIC HCSA for the calendar year in which you retire, please take this into account when estimating your annual election amount & ensure you have spent at least as much as you have contributed to the HCSA by your retirement date.
  Applying to Retire from MSERS
  To initiate your retirement application process you must:
  1. File an MSERS retirement application with the MA State Retirement Board within the 120 calendar days immediately preceding your retirement date, providing the supporting documentation referenced on the form.
  2. Complete/submit a MA Group Insurance Commission (GIC) Status/Change Form via bit.ly/MyGICLink (https://mygiclink.force.com/GenerateDocusignPage) or hard copy with UMass Amherst Human Resources. If you wish to continue purchasing health insurance through the GIC and anyone covered under your GIC health plan is eligible for Medicare Part A at no cost, the GIC will require those individuals to enroll in Medicare Parts A&B. and will write to those individuals at home offering them a Medicare supplement plan (please reference information provided earlier on this webpage). Typically in order to process the Medicare Part B enrollment form the Social Security Administration will require proof these individuals have had "qualified health insurance coverage" between age 65 and your retirement. Please contact UMass Human Resources if you require a corresponding Social Security form to be completed.