Sorry, you need to enable JavaScript to visit this website.
Skip to main content

TRS-Care Standard FAQs

TRS-Care Standard is the health plan available for TRS retirees who are not eligible for Medicare. This is a health plan you've paid into your entire career; you earned this benefit! To learn about eligibility and enrollment, visit TRS-Care Eligibility and Enrollment FAQs.

See below for common questions about benefits . 

General Questions

What is the difference between TRS-Care Standard and TRS-Care Medicare Advantage? 

The TRS retiree’s Medicare eligibility status determines their premium, regardless of their dependents’ Medicare status. For example:

  • If you’re a TRS retiree and not eligible for Medicare and you cover your spouse who’s eligible for Medicare, you pay the 2026 TRS-Care Standard premium of $689 per month (for retiree + spouse). This is because you, as the retiree, aren’t yet eligible for Medicare.
  • If you’re a TRS retiree and eligible for Medicare and you cover your spouse who isn’t eligible for Medicare, you pay the 2026 TRS-Care Medicare Advantage premium of $280 per month (for retiree + spouse). This is because you, as the retiree, are eligible for Medicare. 

Visit 2026 TRS-Care Plan Highlights to see all TRS-Care monthly premiums.  

For enrollment and eligibility questions, call TRS Health at 1-888-237-6762, 7 a.m.–6 p.m. CT, Mon–Fri or visit TRS-Care Eligibility and Enrollment.

For medical benefits questions, call Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas at 1-866-355-5999, 24 hours a day, seven days a week or visit TRS-Care Standard by BCBSTX.

For prescription drug questions, call Evernorth at 1-855-778-1459, TTY 711, 24 hours a day, seven days a week or visit TRS-Care Standard by Express Scripts. 

Eligibility and Enrollment Questions

The retiree’s Medicare status determines TRS-Care plan eligibility:

  • TRS-Care Standard is for retirees without Medicare (people under 65).
  • TRS-Care Medicare Advantage (bundled with TRS-Care Medicare Rx) is for retirees eligible for Medicare (people 65+ or with a disability).

Visit TRS-Care Eligibility and Enrollment for more information. 

TRS-Care enrollment is available only during specific windows of opportunity. You may enroll through the MyTRS Member Portal by navigating to the "Health" tile in the top right hand corner. Learn more about MyTRS Member Portal and TRS-Care Enrollment.

You have an initial enrollment opportunity to join TRS-Care when you retire. If you decide not to enroll in TRS-Care when you retire, you have two other potential chances to enroll:

  • When you turn 65.
  • If you have a special enrollment event. Special enrollment events may arise from an involuntary loss of comprehensive health coverage or when you get a new dependent by marriage, birth, adoption, or placement for adoption. See the special enrollment events section at TRS-Care Eligibility and Enrollment for details.
     

Visit TRS-Care Eligibility and Enrollment. 

You pay your TRS-Care premium to TRS. In most cases, TRS will withhold your TRS-Care premium from your monthly annuity payment.  

With some exceptions, you pay the full cost of your medical and prescription costs until you or your family reach the deductible. TRS-Care Standard covers certain preventive services before you meet your deductible and without cost sharing. See a list of covered preventive services at Preventive Health Services (healthcare.gov).   

Coinsurance is a percentage you pay for certain services such as outpatient surgery. For example, on TRS-Care Standard, outpatient surgery is covered at 20% coinsurance (in-network) after you meet your annual deductible. This means that once you meet your deductible, the plan pays 80% of the allowed amount and you pay the remaining 20% coinsurance.  

If a retiree or surviving dependent (including a surviving spouse) leaves TRS-Care, they have limited chances to reenroll:

  • When they turn 65.
  • When they have a special enrollment event. Special enrollment events may arise from an involuntary loss of comprehensive health coverage or when you get a new dependent by marriage, birth, adoption or placement for adoption. See the special enrollment events section at TRS-Care Eligibility and Enrollment for details.

For questions on special enrollment events, call TRS Health at 1-888-237-6762, Mon–Fri, 7 a.m.–6 p.m. CT. 

  • You may add a new dependent only during your Initial Enrollment Period or a Special Enrollment Event.  
  • Call TRS Health at 1-888-237-6762 to get an enrollment application or use the MyTRS Member Portal, which is the fastest way to complete this task. Learn more about MyTRS Member Portal and TRS-Care Enrollment.
  • The coverage starts the first of the month after TRS gets your application.
  • If a dependent who previously waived TRS-Care coverage loses other comprehensive health coverage through no fault of their own, the dependent may qualify for a special enrollment event. They may enroll in TRS-Care within 31 days from the date they lose their other health coverage. Call TRS Health at 1-888-237-6762 to get a Special Enrollment Event application.
  • A surviving spouse can’t add a new spouse. 

The following dependents are eligible to enroll in TRS-Care:  

  • Your spouse (including a common-law spouse — a common-law marriage isn’t a special enrollment event unless a Declaration of Common Law Marriage is on file with an authorized government agency).  
  • A child under the age of 26 who is:  
    • a natural child;  
    • an adopted child, or one lawfully placed for adoption;  
    • a foster child;  
    • a stepchild;  
    • a grandchild who lives with the retiree or surviving spouse and depends on the retiree or surviving spouse for at least half of the child’s support; or – any other child in a regular parent-child relationship with the retiree or surviving spouse as TRS determines.  
  • A child (regardless of age) who lives with or regularly gets care from the retiree or surviving spouse, if the child has a mental disability or physical incapacity to such an extent to depend on the retiree or surviving spouse for care and support, as TRS determines. 

You can remove dependents from your coverage at any time. Call TRS Health at 1-888-237-6762 or use the MyTRS Member Portal by navigating to the "Health" banner in the top right hand corner. Learn more about MyTRS Member Portal and TRS-Care Enrollment.

You must specify which dependent(s) you want to remove from coverage. If you don’t sign the request, TRS can’t process it. The termination starts on the first of the month after TRS gets your request.

Once you remove a dependent from your coverage, you may not get a chance to add them back later.

BCBSTX administers COBRA. Call TRS Health at 1-888-237-6762 to ask if you’re eligible for COBRA and request an application. Once enrolled in COBRA, talk to a Personal Health Guide at 1-866-355-5999 for help.  

If you’re enrolled in TRS-Care Standard, you don’t need to do anything until three months before you or your covered dependent turns 65. You’ll stay enrolled until you decide to cancel your coverage or until you turn 65 and become eligible for TRS-Care Medicare Advantage. For more information about how to enroll in Medicare, go to Are you turning 65 soon? 

A Health Savings Account, or an HSA, is a type of savings account that lets you set aside pretax money to pay for qualified medical expenses. TRS-Care Standard is an HSA-eligible plan. You can use an HSA to cover qualified medical expenses under TRS-Care Standard. However, because TRS does not offer or manage HSAs, we cannot advise TRS members on HSAs. To learn more, visit:

Whether you’re an active member, retiree, or beneficiary, this information will help you better understand the retirement plan benefits waiting for you.

To download a fully accessible PDF of these questions, click on TRS-Care Standard FAQs (pdf).