HARRISBURG, PA – The Pennsylvania Public School Employees’ Retirement System (PSERS) continues to earn national recognition for its prescription drug program, ranking among a select group of prescription drug plans nationwide to receive four stars or higher from the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS).
CMS awarded four stars to the Prescription Drug Employer Group Waiver Plan offered by PSERS’ Health Options Program (HOP) for 2027, placing it among the 27% of rated prescription drug plan contracts nationwide to earn four stars or higher.
“Our four-star rating reflects the continued quality of our prescription drug program and the service we provide to our members,” said Board Vice Chair Susan Lemmo, who also chairs PSERS’ Health Care Committee. “We are proud of this recognition and remain committed to providing our members with quality coverage that meets their needs in retirement.”
CMS uses its Medicare Star Rating to evaluate the quality and services offered by Medicare Advantage and prescription drug programs (PDP). Rating criteria is based on a one-to-five-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 11 PDPs to receive four stars or higher, while the average star rating for the 41 PDPs measured was 3.22. Although PSERS’ plan received a similar score compared to last year, CMS changed the way it calculates its ratings which resulted in a slight year over year decrease in its star rating from 4.5 to four.
HOP’s prescription drug plan has earned a four-star rating or higher for overall service and quality every year since 2019. As of Sept. 30, 2026, approximately 95,600 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 Health Options Program (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, 2026, HOP enrollment covers approximately 122,000 individuals, offering medical, prescription drug, dental and vision coverage, and a 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, 2025, PSERS had a total net position of about $83.7 billion and a membership of about 262,000 active, 255,000 annuitants and beneficiaries, and 26,000 vested inactive members.