Optional Add-on Benefits
In addition to comprehensive health insurance and a pension that pays a lifetime annuity to eligible retirees from state agencies, ERS offers a variety of optional benefits to help members and their families live healthy, productive and financially secure lives.
Optional benefits available to employees and retirees include:
- Dental insurance
- Vision insurance
- Optional life insurance:
- Optional life for employees
- Optional life for retirees
Note: Optional life insurance requires evidence of insurability, unless a new employee applies within 31 days of hire.
- Dependent Term Life Insurance:
- Dependent Term Life for employees
- Dependent Term Life for retirees
Note: Dependent life insurance requires evidence of insurability unless a new employee applies within 31 days of hire or has a qualifying life event.
- Discount Purchase Program
Optional benefits available only to employees include:
- Short-term and long-term disability insurance that provides income when you’re unable to work, through the Texas Income Protection PlanSM (TIPP)
Note: Disability insurance requires evidence of insurability unless a new employee applies within 31 days of hire - Voluntary Accidental Death & Dismemberment Insurance
- TexFlexSM flexible spending accounts (FSA)that help you save money on income taxes by letting you set aside money from your paycheck, pre-tax, to use for eligible out-of-pocket expenses including:
- health care,
- dependent care, while you're at work
- dental care and
- vision care.
- Short-term and long-term disability insurance that provides income when you’re unable to work, through the Texas Income Protection PlanSM (TIPP)
Optional benefits are paid for 100% by participants. The State of Texas does not provide funding for optional benefits or their administration.
ERS manages optional benefits, and contracts with third-party administrators to help keep costs low.