Reference
Official Links
The primary, official sources you’ll actually use — pension, health, vision, dental, and federal benefits — each with a one-line note on why you’d need it. These open on the official sites in a new tab.
CalPERS
Your pension and state health coverage. Your myCalPERS account is the source of truth for service credit, formula, and official estimates.
- myCalPERS (log in)Check your service credit and formula, get an official estimate, and file your retirement application online.
- Service & Disability RetirementHow to apply for service retirement — CalPERS accepts your application up to 120 days before your date.
- Service Retirement Election Application guide (PUB 43)Step-by-step help completing the application and choosing a survivor option.
- Forms & Publications (benefit factors)Official retirement-formula and benefit-factor tables — search “benefit factors” for your formula.
- Health Plan Search by ZIPConfirm which health plans are actually available where you'll live — availability is ZIP/county-based.
- Health Benefit SummarySide-by-side plan comparison: premiums, deductibles, and out-of-pocket maximums for the plan year.
Associations
Member associations run their own health/dental trusts, and coverage details ship via member letters — not the CalPERS rate books.
- CAHP — Cal. Assn. of Highway PatrolmenCHP members: the CAHP Health Benefits Trust plans, dental, and member updates.
- CAHP Health BenefitsEvidence-of-Coverage booklets and Summaries of Benefits for the CAHP plans.
- CCPOA Benefit Trust FundCDCR members: the CCPOA medical/dental trust plans and retiree eligibility.
Pay & Contracts
Your salary raises come from your bargaining unit's MOU (and, for CHP, an annual salary survey). Use these to sanity-check the raise assumption in your profile.
- CalHR Bargaining Contracts (all units)Find your unit's current MOU and its scheduled general salary increases — BU-5 (CHP), BU-6 (CDCR), BU-8 (CAL FIRE).
- CHP Officer Compensation Survey (BU-5)CHP only: the annual Gov. Code 19827 salary survey that sets each July's raise (100% of the lag vs five large California agencies).
Vision & Dental
Vision and dental are administered by CalHR, not CalPERS — and retiree vision has a strict enrollment deadline after you retire.
Federal
Social Security and Medicare are separate from CalPERS and have their own enrollment windows.
These are external sites operated by CalPERS, CalHR, member associations, and federal agencies. Second Wind is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by any of them, and isn’t responsible for their content. Links verified July 12, 2026; official sites change — if one moves, search the agency’s home page.