TRS-Care Enrollment at Retirement — The 31-Day Window You Cannot Miss

TRS-Care Is Not Automatic

Retiring from TRS does not automatically enroll you in retiree health insurance. You must apply for TRS-Care coverage with the applicable Form TRS 700 or Form TRS 700EO within 31 calendar days of your retirement effective date. Miss that window and you lose your enrollment opportunity until you turn 65 and get a second chance.

The 31-day clock is strict. If your retirement effective date is May 31, your TRS-Care application must reach TRS by July 1. Contact TRS promptly if you are close to missing the deadline.

Eligibility: 10 Years of Service

To qualify for TRS-Care, you need a minimum of 10 years of TRS service credit at retirement. Some pension eligibility paths require 5 years, but they also depend on age and tier; health coverage has a higher service threshold. This catches some members by surprise — particularly those who entered teaching mid-career or who have fragmented service histories.

Verify your total credited service on your MyTRS Annual Statement before building your retirement health insurance plan around TRS-Care eligibility.

TRS-Care Standard vs. TRS-Care Medicare Advantage

TRS-Care splits into two programs based on Medicare eligibility:

TRS-Care Standard covers retirees under age 65 who are not yet eligible for Medicare. This is the plan most educators enroll in at retirement. It functions as a traditional health insurance plan with premiums, deductibles, and copays. Premiums are deducted directly from your monthly TRS annuity payment.

TRS-Care Medicare Advantage is for retirees aged 65 and older who are enrolled in Medicare Parts A and B. When you turn 65, you transition from TRS-Care Standard to the Medicare Advantage plan (or decline it). You have a 31-day enrollment window around your 65th birthday to make this transition.

The two plans have different premium structures, provider networks, and out-of-pocket maximums. TRS publishes updated plan details and premium schedules before each plan year.

The 31-Day Window at Age 65

Even if you enrolled in TRS-Care Standard at retirement, turning 65 triggers a second decision point. You have 31 days from the date you turn 65 to enroll in TRS-Care Medicare Advantage. This requires that you're already enrolled in Medicare Parts A and B — which has its own enrollment timeline.

If you're approaching 65, contact both Medicare (medicare.gov or 1-800-MEDICARE) and TRS well in advance. Missing the Medicare Part B enrollment period can trigger permanent premium penalties, and missing the TRS-Care Medicare Advantage window means losing access to the plan.

Dependent Coverage

TRS-Care allows you to cover eligible dependents — your spouse and dependent children — under your plan. Dependent enrollment follows the same 31-day window. Adding dependents increases your monthly premium, which TRS deducts from your annuity payment.

If you add a spouse and later divorce, or if a dependent child ages out of eligibility, you need to notify TRS to adjust your coverage and premiums.

Coordinating With Your Retirement Timeline

TRS-Care enrollment is one of the time-sensitive tasks in the final 30 days before your retirement effective date. It sits alongside Form TRS 7 (employer certification), direct deposit setup, and tax withholding elections — all of which need to be completed in a narrow window.

The Texas TRS Retirement Guide maps out the full 12-month countdown, including exactly when to start the TRS-Care application process and how it fits with your other retirement paperwork deadlines.

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