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 2026 calendar year.
“Our continued 4.5-Star Rating shows our prescription drug program is among the highest ranked in the nation,” said Board Vice Chair Sue Lemmo, who also chairs PSERS’ Health Care Committee. “We are committed to providing a high-quality prescription drug program that not only meets the needs of our members but also gives them peace of mind in retirement.”
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 seven PDP plans to receive 4.5 stars or higher, while the average star rating for the 40 PDP programs measured was 3.3. 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, 95,553 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.
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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, HOP enrollment exceeded 122,000 individuals, offering medical, prescription drug, dental and vision coverage, and 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 Dec. 31, 2024, PSERS had a total net position of about $79.5 billion and a membership of about 256,000 active, 254,000 annuitants and beneficiaries, and 27,000 vested inactive members.