Another point of emphasis at Benefits U last month was submitting status change forms, such as leaves of absence, transfers, and terminations to MOSERS as quickly as possible. This is particularly important for employees who are retiring. To accurately calculate an upcoming retiree’s pension, we need the employee’s termination form no later than the first week of the month the employee is retiring. You can access status change forms through the secure Employer Login. Thank you for your continued assistance in reporting status changes for your employees to MOSERS.

For SAM II employers, MOSERS receives final unused sick leave balances from SAM II to calculate pension benefits for retirees. Once MOSERS has captured this information, the retiree appears on the Current Retiree Sick Leave and then the Previous Retiree Sick Leave reports within the secure Employer Login.

When a retiree appears on these reports, you can safely remove their unused sick leave balance from SAM II. Removing unused sick leave from SAM II will not remove retirees from the reports - they will drop from the Current Retiree Sick Leave Report to the Previous Retiree Sick Leave report as the next month’s retirees' cycle through the process.

Working these reports is important because a retiree reemployed in a benefit-eligible position cannot receive additional retirement credit for pre-retirement unused sick leave, including any remaining hours that did not convert to whole months of service credit at retirement.

Basic & Optional Life Insurance Handbook - December 2023

Destination Retirement Checklist (University Employees) - December 2023

Destination Retirement Checklist - December 2023

Key Facts Regarding Funding - December 2023

Legislators & Statewide Elected Officials' Retirement Handbook (MSEP, MSEP 2000, & MSEP 2011) - December 2023

Long-Term Disability Insurance Handbook - December 2023

Missouri Public Pension Exemption flyer - December 2023

MOSERS Strategic Plan - December 2023

New Employee Orientation brochure - December 2023

Pension Payment & Holiday Schedule - December 2023

2024 Education Schedule - Coming Soon!

Thank You to All Who Attended Benefits U 2023

2024 Education Schedule – Coming Soon!

We are currently in the process of finalizing our 2024 education schedule and anticipate having registration for Ready to Retire sessions open by mid-December. The schedule includes both in-person seminars and online webinars.

Newer Employees & MOSERS Webinars – Employees can start learning about the state benefits administered by MOSERS.

• For employees who are newer to the state with at least six months but less than five years of service (not yet vested)
• Speakers include MOSERS and MO Deferred Comp
• Sessions last approximately 2 hours
• Daytime sessions run from 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.
• Evening sessions run from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.

Mid-Career Webinar – Employees can learn how different career and life events may affect their pension benefit.

• For employees with at least five years of service (vested) and ten or more years until retirement eligibility
• Speakers include MOSERS and MO Deferred Comp
• Sessions last approximately 2.5 hours
• Daytime sessions are held from 9:30 a.m. to Noon
• Evening sessions are held from 5:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.

Ready to Retire Sessions – Employees can learn about the retirement process and how different decisions may impact their pension benefit.

• For employees within 5 years of retirement eligibility
• Speakers include MOSERS, MO Deferred Comp, the Missouri Consolidated Health Care Plan (MCHCP), and the Social Security Administration (SSA). 

For MSEP/MSEP 2000 members:

• Full-day webinars are from 8:30 a.m. until 4:00 p.m., with a 30-minute lunch break.
• Full-day seminars are from 8:30 a.m. until 4:00 p.m. and include a box lunch.
• Evening webinars are held from 5:30 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. and speakers include MOSERS and MO Deferred Comp only.

For MSEP 2011 members:

• Full-day webinars are from 9:30 a.m. until 4:00 p.m., with a 30-minute lunch break.
• Full day seminars are from 9:30 a.m. until 4:00 p.m. and include a box lunch.

Universities – Ready to Retire on-campus dates have been assigned. Feel free to check the calendar mid-December as well.

• On-campus events
• Speakers include MOSERS and MO Deferred Comp

Stay up to date and visit our Education page frequently for more information, including schedules and how to register.

MOSERS Benefits During Military Leave flyer - November 2023

Divorce and Your Pension Benefit brochure - October 2023

Lifetime Benefits - October 2023

2023 Benefits U Conference - Register Now!

2024 Annual Life Insurance Review & Open Enrollment Opportunity

Attention University Employers!

Welcome, Zach Burns!

Phoenix Update

The MOSERS Annual Life Insurance Review and Open Enrollment Opportunity ends at midnight on October 31^st!

If your employees have questions about their optional life insurance needs, they may schedule a one-on-one session with a life insurance specialist from The Standard on October 19th, 23rd, or 30th.

Once every four years, MOSERS, along with The Standard Insurance Company, offers optional life insurance open enrollment for actively employed MOSERS members. The open enrollment period allows you to enroll in new coverage or increase coverage amounts without proving insurability (no medical questions):

• If you currently have coverage, you can increase it in increments of $10,000 up to $100,000.
• If you don’t have optional life insurance through MOSERS, this is your chance to enroll. You may elect coverage amounts in increments of $10,000 up to $100,000.

To be eligible for the life insurance open enrollment, you must be actively employed in a MOSERS benefit-eligible position before September 1, 2023. This enrollment offer applies to member coverage only (not spouse or child coverage). If you have been previously denied coverage by The Standard or you are already carrying the maximum* coverage, you are not eligible to add coverage.

For more detailed information review the 2024 Optional Life Insurance Open Enrollment for Active Members article.

*The maximum amount of optional life insurance coverage is six times your annual salary or $800,000, whichever is less.

If there is someone else in your office who may be interested in attending the Benefits U Conference have them follow the instructions to register.

Transferring CURP Members
An employee’s transfer from CURP to MOSERS takes effect the first day of the month following your receipt of the Transfer of CURP Membership form from the employee. The receipt date should be noted in Section C of the form. Send completed transfer forms to MOSERS and enroll the employee into SEBES.

For example, if you receive the transfer form on October 20, assuming the employee meets the eligibility requirements to transfer, their CURP membership will end on October 31, and their MSEP 2011 membership will start on November 1.

Entering Contract Employees
Contract employees who are paid over 9 or 10 months but receive service credit for 12 months of employment must be entered into SEBES as contract employees instead of regular employees. The distinction is important as it will allow us to grant such employees uninterrupted service credit and keep them off monthly error reports. Submit Leave of Absence forms for regular employees who do not work when the institution is closed for extended periods during the winter or summer breaks.

We are happy to announce the newest member of the Employer Services team, Zach Burns. Zach is an employer services analyst working alongside Megan Schulte and Tricia Kliethermes. Zach has prior experience in insurance claims and mortgage lending. He is eager to put his data analysis and customer service skills to work in assisting you with your reporting duties to MOSERS. Please email employers@mosers.org or call (800) 827-1063 to reach Zach, Megan, or Tricia.

As you may have heard, we are building a new pension administration system called Phoenix! The move to Phoenix is a significant multi-year undertaking. We anticipate a go-live date during the last half of 2024.

As an employer representative from your agency to MOSERS, you will be interacting directly with Phoenix. Our goal is for you to find Phoenix to be intuitive and user-friendly.

Register for Benefits U on November 14^th to learn more about Phoenix and the training we will provide to you prior to go-live.

BackDROP for General State Employees (MSEP & MSEP 2000) flyer - September 2023

Employee Contributions (MSEP 2011 & Judicial Plan 2011) brochure - September 2023

Life Services Toolkit flyer - September 2023

Purchasing and Transferring Service Guide for MSEP (Closed Plan) Members - September 2023

Purchasing and Transferring Service Guide for MSEP 2000 Members - September 2023

Purchasing and Transferring Service Guide for MSEP 2011 Members - September 2023

Summary of Pension Benefit Provisions (All Plans) - September 2023

Summary of Pension Benefit Provisions (MSEP & MSEP 2000) - September 2023

Travel Assistance Flyer - September 2023

Benefits U Conference - Registration is Now Open!

Annual Life Insurance Review and Open Enrollment Opportunity is Coming Soon!

Registration now OPEN
Registration for the 2023 Benefits U Conference is now open! This conference is for state human resource and payroll representatives and is a great way to receive the latest news and updates for administering MOSERS-provided employee benefits. This one-day conference will provide you with information to assist you in meeting the needs of your employees as well as to continue your own professional development.

Benefits U Conference Agenda

Date and Location:
November 14, 2023
Stoney Creek Hotel
2601 S Providence Road
Columbia, MO 65203

Registration closes: November 1, 2023

To register, log in to myMOSERS (instead of Employer Login) and enter your MOSERS Online ID and password. At the top of your Member Homepage, locate the Seminar Enrollment Tab and select the Benefits U option from the drop-down menu. Enter the registration code, 111423 and choose your selections, including lunch, as you proceed through the registration process.

If you do NOT have a MOSERS Online ID, please call MOSERS at (800) 827-1063 or email us at MOSERSEducation@mosers.org. We will register you manually as well as make sure you are included in the lunch count for the day.

If you have forgotten or need to reset your password, select the Reset Your Password link on the log in page. You may also log in through the ESS portal, a trusted partner with MOSERS.

Hotel Reservations
Stoney Creek Hotel in Columbia has a discounted block of rooms available for the night before the event, November 13, to accommodate those traveling to attend the Benefits U Conference. The discounted rate of $93.00 plus tax is available through October 15. To reserve a room, visit MOSERS 2023 Benefits U - Stoney Creek Reservations or call Stoney Creek Hotel at (573) 442-6400, when promoted, select option 3 to speak with their guest services and use room block code MOSERS23-1.

Session Materials
MOSERS will provide session materials, such as PowerPoint presentations, handouts, etc., via emailed links to all attendees prior to the conference. If you wish to have printed copies at the conference, you will need to print the materials in advance and bring them that day.

At registration, we will provide each attendee with a printed schedule along with a booklet containing the session descriptions and presenter bios.

Registration Questions
If you have questions, please call (800) 827-1063 or email MOSERSEducation@mosers.org.

It’s that time of year again!

For employees who already have optional life insurance, October is their window of opportunity to increase their coverage without proving insurability (no medical questions).

Additionally, this year, employees who do not have optional life insurance and have never been denied coverage through The Standard Insurance Company can enroll during October without proving insurability (no medical questions). This enrollment opportunity only comes around every four years.

Benefit-eligible employees actively employed before September 1, 2023, can increase or elect coverage amounts (in increments of $10,000) by up to $100,000 without proving insurability, provided the coverage amount does not exceed six times their annual salary or $800,000. The opportunity to increase coverage amounts up to $100,000 only comes around every four years.

Please note this opportunity does not apply to spouse and child(ren) coverage (see FAQs). If an employee wishes to maintain their current level of coverage, no action is required.

Remind Employees to Check Their Email

In late September, MOSERS will email eligible employees instructions explaining how to increase coverage or enroll in optional life insurance. They may view their notification in their Document Express online mailbox. Please encourage them to read it carefully. If no valid email address is on file, MOSERS will mail a letter.

Note: All MOSERS members have access to Document Express. Employees may use ESS and go to MOSERS or log in to myMOSERS and follow the prompts. To create a MOSERS Online ID & password, employees must have a valid email address on file with MOSERS. If an employee cannot enroll online, please have them contact a MOSERS benefit counselor at (800) 827-1063 for assistance.

Instructions for Increases Coverage and Enrolling

If your employee wishes to increase or enroll in optional life insurance, have them go to their MOSERS Member Homepage through ESS or log in to myMOSERS between October 1 and October 31, 2023 (midnight). On the MOSERS Member Homepage, the employee must click the Update Now button and follow the steps to increase or enroll in coverage.

Confirmation of Election

If an employee increases or enrolls in new coverage, we will post a confirmation letter to their Document Express, which they can access by logging in to myMOSERS. We will send an email notification alerting them when it is posted and ready to be viewed. If the employee opted out of electronic delivery, we will send a confirmation letter in the mail reflecting any changes to their coverage.

Important Details

• We will provide eligible employees with their current 2023 coverage amount and monthly premiums (if applicable), as well as their 2024 coverage and premiums if they increase or enroll in new coverage.
• Any new elections in October will go into effect on January 1, 2024, if they meet the “Actively-at-Work” requirement. More information is available in the Life Insurance Handbook.
• Term life insurance proceeds are paid to designated beneficiaries upon death. There is no cash or loan value.
• Employees can use the Optional Life Insurance Calculator to research premiums on their own.

Life insurance through MOSERS is not available to employees of the Department of Conservation or universities (except State Technical College of Missouri & Lincoln University) because those employers provide their own life insurance benefits.

Updating Beneficiaries

The Annual Benefit Statement employees receive from MOSERS includes primary life insurance beneficiary designations. If an employee has had a life event that may affect their beneficiary designation, such as a marriage, divorce, or death, please encourage them to update their beneficiary designation as soon as possible. Beneficiary designations can be updated online as follows:

• Log in to myMOSERS.
• Click on Forms, then Life Insurance Beneficiaries in the top menu.
• Follow the instructions for completing and submitting the online form.

The new beneficiary designation will become effective upon receipt by MOSERS.

Optional Life Insurance FAQs

Q: Can employees decrease or terminate their optional life insurance coverage?

A: Yes. They must complete an Enrollment/Change - Optional Life Insurance form and submit it to MOSERS. Employees can complete and submit the form electronically by logging in to myMOSERS. This can be done at any time throughout the year. Remember, to be eligible for future annual life insurance review periods, they must maintain at least $10,000 of optional life insurance coverage.

Q: Can employees continue their optional life insurance into retirement?

A: Yes. If they retire directly from active employment or within 65 days of leaving state employment, the state will continue to provide $5,000 in basic life insurance coverage at no cost to them. They may retain up to $60,000 in optional life insurance, provided they had at least that amount while actively employed. They may retain all their coverage until age 62 if they retire under the “Rule of 80" in MSEP 2000 or under the “Rule of 90” in MSEP 2011. At age 62, the coverage amount will automatically reduce to $60,000. They may reduce or terminate their optional life coverage amount after they retire, but they may not increase it.

Q: Can employees  purchase or increase coverage for their spouse or dependent child in October?

A: They may increase or add coverage on a spouse anytime but must prove insurability. To do so, they must complete and submit the following forms by logging in to myMOSERS:

• Enrollment/Change - Optional Life Insurance
• The Standard Medical History Statement

Dependent child coverage can be requested at any time without proof of insurability by submitting an Enrollment/Change - Optional Life Insurance form. Dependent changes can be requested at any time, not just during October. The coverage amount will remain $10,000 per child with a premium of $2 per month, regardless of the number of insured children.

For coverage purposes only, a child is defined as the member's child from live birth to age 26. This includes biological children, dependent stepchildren and grandchildren, adopted children, and children for whom the member is the court-appointed legal guardian, provided they live with the member. Full-time members of the armed forces of any country, regardless of age, are not included in the definition of an eligible child.

Disabled children older than age 26 who are continuously incapable of self-sustaining employment because of developmental, intellectual, or physical disability and are dependent on the member for support are also eligible for dependent coverage. However, the member must provide proof that their child is disabled and be approved by The Standard Insurance Company for continued coverage. (They may request a Continued Dependent Life Insurance for a Disabled Child form from a MOSERS benefit counselor.)

Q: Can employees increase or add coverage for themselves outside of the annual review?

A: Yes. Eligible employees may increase or add coverage on themselves at any time, but they must prove insurability outside the month of October. To do so, they must complete and submit the following forms by logging in to myMOSERS:

• The Standard Medical History Statement
• Enrollment/Change - Optional Life Insurance

Additionally, if they have a family status change (includes marriage, divorce or legal separation; the birth of a child; adoption of a child; or death of a spouse or child) and already have optional life insurance coverage, they may be eligible to apply for additional optional life insurance coverage for themselves without proving insurability. Additional coverage must be in $10,000 increments, not to exceed $100,000. If they do not have optional life insurance coverage and have never been denied coverage by The Standard Insurance Company, they may add coverage in increments of $10,000 up to $30,000 for themselves without proving insurability. They must apply within 31 days of the event and submit proof of the event for the coverage to be effective.

New Employee Orientation brochure - August 2023

Request for Refund of Employee Contributions - Beneficiary form - August 2023

Request for Refund of Employee Contributions - Member form - August 2023

Retirement Guide - August 2023