HARRISBURG, PA – The federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) awarded one of its top consumer-based honors for the prescription drug program operated by the Pennsylvania Public School Employees’ Retirement System (PSERS).
CMS awarded 4.5 Stars to the Prescription Drug Employer Group Waiver Plan offered by PSERS Health Options Program (HOP) for the upcoming 2025 calendar year.
“We are exceedingly proud to routinely earn high ratings on behalf of our members,” said Board Vice Chair Sue Lemmo, who also chairs PSERS’ Health Care Committee. “I hope that anyone considering HOP during the 2025 open enrollment period will see these ratings as the compelling testament we know them to be.”
CMS uses its Medicare Star Rating to evaluate the quality and services offered by Medicare Advantage (MA) and Prescription Drug Programs (PDP). Rating criteria is based on a 1-to-5-point system that considers consumer feedback about a plan’s service, care, and enrollment consistency, plus the number of complaints received by Medicare and data sent from medical providers.
Consumers are encouraged to use the ratings to compare plans to select the best option that meets their personal medical and financial needs.
PSERS was one of 8 PDP plans to receive 4.5 stars or higher, while the average Star Rating for the 41 PDP programs measured was 3.06. HOP’s prescription drug plan has earned a 4.5 rating or higher for overall service and quality every year since 2019. As of Sept. 30, 2024, 96,796 PSERS retirees and their dependents were enrolled in the drug plan.
Information regarding PSERS’ HOP, including eligibility, rates, and more, can be found online by visiting the Health Option Program website.
###
About PSERS Health Options Program
PSERS HOP is a voluntary, exclusive benefit for our retirees and their families. HOP is funded solely by its participating members’ premiums. As of Sept. 30, 2024, HOP enrollment exceeded 123,000 individuals, offering medical, prescription drug, dental and vision coverage & fitness program.
About the Pennsylvania Public School Employees' Retirement System
PSERS, founded in 1917, began operations in 1919 to oversee a statewide defined benefit pension plan for public school employees. PSERS' role expanded upon the passage of Act 5 of 2017 to include oversight of two new benefit options consisting of defined benefit and defined contribution (DC) components and a stand-alone DC plan. As of June 30, 2024, PSERS had total net assets of $76.5 billion and a membership of about 251,000 active, 250,000 retired school employees and 27,000 vested inactive members.