Does TFFR provide retiree health insurance?
No. TFFR pays your pension; it doesn't run a health plan. Retirees receiving a monthly TFFR benefit may join NDPERS group insurance: health insurance (Medicare-eligible only), dental, long-term care and vision, with premiums deducted from the benefit. The handbook describes no premium subsidy from TFFR.
NDPERS is a separate system with its own rules and premiums. Ask NDPERS about plans and costs. Coverage before you're eligible for Medicare isn't described in the TFFR handbook, so if you plan to retire early (see early retirement), ask your school district and NDPERS what you'd have until then.
The handbook mentions NDPERS group insurance (Medicare-eligible health only) but no premium subsidy for TFFR retirees and nothing on pre-Medicare coverage.
What we do: no subsidy modeled
What would settle it: NDPERS retiree health plan booklet or rate sheet for TFFR retirees.From the sources
- Check with TFFRTFFR retirees may join NDPERS group insurance: health (Medicare-eligible only), dental, long-term care and vision, with premiums deducted from the benefit. The handbook names no TFFR premium subsidy.Handbook p. 25, PERS Group Insurance
- Within 31 days of becoming Medicare-eligible, a TFFR benefit recipient may be able to enroll in non-NDPERS retiree insurance plans. RIO's website lists a Non-NDPERS Retiree Insurance Guide, Medicare information, the North Dakota State Health Insurance Assistance Program (help with Medicare) and ND Navigators (help finding affordable coverage), under the TFFR Member tab, Retirement Resources.Benefit presentation PDF p. 29, Health Insurance After Retirement
- Disability retirees receiving a monthly TFFR benefit can join the same PERS group insurance programs, with the same Medicare-eligible-only limit on health coverage.Handbook p. 34, PERS Group Insurance
- Insurance doesn't raise your pension: insurance premiums and benefits your employer provides, including medical, dental, vision, disability, life and long-term care, are not salary for TFFR, so they don't count in your final average salary.Handbook p. 6, Salary; NDCC 15-39.1-04
What to ask
- NDPERS: which plans you can join at retirement and when you turn Medicare-eligible, and what each costs.
- Your school district: whether it offers anything to retirees before Medicare.
- RIO: how a premium deduction will show on your statement. Your annual statement's net benefit section highlights changes such as tax withholding and insurance premiums. TFFR Retired Member News, PDF p. 2, How to Read Your Statement
Questions
Can I keep health insurance through TFFR when I retire?
TFFR itself doesn't offer health insurance. TFFR retirees may join NDPERS group insurance: health (if you're Medicare-eligible), dental, long-term care and vision.
Can the premiums come out of my pension?
Yes. The handbook says premiums can be deducted from your TFFR benefit check or bank account.
Does TFFR pay part of the premium?
The handbook doesn't describe any premium subsidy or credit paid by TFFR.
What about coverage before Medicare?
The TFFR handbook doesn't describe any. NDPERS group health is for Medicare-eligible retirees only; ask NDPERS and your school district.
Related: Social Security and TFFR, taxes on a TFFR pension and the COLA (there's no automatic one).
Source: Teachers' Fund for Retirement Member Handbook, 5/7/2026, pp. 6, 25, 34. Also: Benefit presentation (Fall 2025); NDCC 15-39.1-04. Last reviewed .