Retirement

Retirement Programs

Teacher Retirement System (TRS)

• Contact TRS 6-12 months before retirement to allow sufficient time to complete required forms. The TRS website includes checklists, forms, the TRS Benefits Handbook, and group retirement information sessions and videos to help answer your questions.
  www.trs.texas.gov | TRS Counseling Center 800-223-8778 | M-F 7 a.m. – 6 p.m. CT

Optional Retirement Program (ORP)

• Contact your ORP provider or financial advisor three months before retirement to review distribution options and beneficiary designations.  Complete the Declaration of Retirement Form and contact your ORP vendor to discuss distribution options.

Retiree Insurance

​UT insurance doesn’t automatically continue when you retire. Find eligibility information for UT retiree insurance on the Eligibility Flowchart.

Eligible retirees must take these steps to ensure a smooth transition:

• Notify your department of your intent to retire.
• TRS retirees must submit a copy of their TRS30 Application for Service Retirement, TRS25 Service Retirement Estimate, TRS7 Notice for Final Deposit to benefits@uthscsa.edu. ORP retirees must complete the Declaration of Retirement Form and email to benefits@uthscsa.edu.
• At least three-to six months before your retirement date, schedule an appointment with an HR Benefits Representative to go over your retirement benefits at (210)567-2600 or benefits@uthscsa.edu.

For employees retiring with TRS, you have two options:

• • 1. Option 1 – Deduction from TRS Annuity. To select this option. complete the Deduction from TRS Annuity Form and mail to address provided below.
    2. ​​Option 2 – Pay UT Benefits Billing via bank draft. To select this option, complete the Direct Payment/Debit via ACH Form, attach a voided check, and mail to address provided below.​​ Important: For employees retiring with ORP, only Option 2 is available.​Billing Questions?
       Contact UT Benefits Billing Department at:
    • • • Phone: 855-6UT-BILL (688-2455)
        • Fax: 512-499-4338
        • Hours of Operation: 9 a.m. – 12 p.m. and 1 – 4  p.m.​

Medica​re

The UT System urges all retirees to enroll in Medicare Parts A and B when they become eligible at age 65. Retired or soon-to-be retired employees must have Medicare Parts A and B to receive the maximum benefits available from a UT SELECT Medical plan.

Find more information about:

• Medicare Parts A and B from the Social Security Administration
• Medicare coordination with the UT SELECT plan at UT SELECT and Medicare – Retired Employees
• Importance of enrolling in Medicare Parts A and B

Social Security Benefits

Social Security​ benefits are available at age 62 or older. Retirees should contact the Social Security Administration (SSA) at least three months before the date you want benefits to start. You may apply online, in person, or by calling the SSA at 800-772-1213. Not all individuals are able to apply online or by phone.

UTSaver Prog​ram

Individuals currently or previously contributing to the TSA 403(b) and/or the DCP 457(b) should contact their provider or financial advisor at least three months before retiring to review distribution options and beneficiary designations.

Retirees can defer all, or a portion, of unused time off pay to a DCP account (contribution limits apply). If interested, please complete the Annual Leave Deferral Purchase/Change Agreement Form. Human Resources recommends submitting the form three weeks before your retirement date.

You must have a DCP 457(b) account established with an approved provider to successfully defer unused time off pay.​​

Surviving Dependents

​Dependents who are covered by medical, dental and/or vision insurance at the time of the employee or retiree’s death may continue UT Health System insurance as surviving dependents if the following occurs:

• The employee / retiree had five years of service credit with the Teacher Retirement System or Optional Retirement Program before the time of death, AND
• Three of the five years must have been within the University of Texas System

Dependents who aren’t eligible to continue insurance as surviving dependents may be eligible for COBRA insurance.​

Join the UT Health Association of Retired Faculty and Associates (ARFA) to stay in touch with collegues and be informed about UT Health San Antonio benefits and news. Membership is open to all retirees of UT Health San Antonio. Find out more.

​If you retire from the university through TRS or ORP and then return to work, you’ll continue receiving benefits as a retiree, but will never be eligible again to enroll in benefits as an active employee. You cannot contribute to TRS or ORP programs due to your retired status, but you are still eligible to contribute to the UTSaver Voluntary Retirement Programs.​

You have 31 days from the date of a qualified change of status event to update your elections. If you don’t make your changes during the 31-day period, you will not be able to make changes until the next Annual Benefits Enrollment in July, to be effective the following Sept. 1.

Login instructions to make a change to your benefits​

1.  Go to My UT Benefits
2.  Use the following username and password to log in for the first time
   1. Username: Campus abbreviation + Employee ID (note: not case sensitive). The campus abbreviation for UT Health San Antonio is UTHSCSA. Example: UTHSCSA 987654321
   2. Password: Last name (first letter capitalized) + last 4 digits of your Social Security Number. Example: Garcia2345
   3.  When you log in the first time, you will be prompted to update your password. Your username will remain the same.
3.  Select Life Event on the left navigation and follow the prompts to make the changes needed.

Need Help?

• For questions about accessing or navigating My UT Benefits, contact the My UT Benefits call center at 844-870-0044. The call center is available Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Central time.
• For questions about your benefits, email benefits@uthscsa.edu.
• For questions about UT Retiree Billing, visit the UT Benefits Billing website , email utbenefitsbilling@utsystem.edu or call 855-688-2455​

Find examples of qualified change of stat​​​us events on the UT System Office of Employee Benefits website.

​Required documents for change of status request

Refer to the Dependent Eligibility Guidelines​ and required documents for a status change request.

UT Health San Antonio employees and retirees, along with their dependents get discounts when they use UT providers or facilities with the UT SELECT medical plan.

• To schedule an appointment with our San Antonio UT Health Physicians, call 210-450-9090 or visit the San Antonio UT Health Network website for more information.
• To schedule an appointment with any of the other designated UT System Health Institutions or UT Physicians, visit the UT System UT Health Network website.​