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MSEP 2011 & Purchasing Military Service

Jun 24, 2024, 10:49 AM By MOSERS

I am interested in buying some of my military time and was wondering how that works?

Purchase of prior military service is not available to members of MSEP 2011 or the Judicial Plan 2011.
However, if you are called to or volunteer for active military duty while employed in a MOSERS-covered position, the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act (USERRA) protects your employment and benefit rights, provided you meet the eligibility requirements. You may be eligible to receive credit for your active-duty service if you were employed by the state immediately before entering the armed forces, then return to state employment within the timeframe specified by USERRA and provide a copy of your honorable discharge and military DD214 (Member-4) and meet any other requirements under USERRA.
If you have additional questions, please refer to our Purchasing and Transferring Service Guide for MSEP 2011 Members or contact a MOSERS benefit counselor for more information.
Requesting a Refund of Employee Contributions

Jun 24, 2024, 10:11 AM By MOSERS

I am currently an employee with the Department of Social Services but have recently resigned from my position. I was curious: what happens to the money that I have contributed to my MOSERS plan from my paycheck for the past three years, and what steps do I need to take?

As a member of MSEP 2011, you may request a refund of your employee contributions plus any credited interest after leaving state employment. You are not required to withdraw your employee contributions if you leave the state, but you may do so if you wish. By law, there is a 90-day waiting period before we can issue a refund. By taking a refund, you forfeit all your credited service.
You can log in to myMOSERS to find your total employee contributions plus any interest. Once logged in, click on the Personal Information tab. Then, click on Contribution Calculator. Scroll all the way to the bottom for your accumulated balance.
If you decide to request a refund, complete the Member Request for Refund of Employee Contributions form. You must get it notarized and submit it to MOSERS before a refund will be processed.
A reason to NOT take a refund of your employee contributions is if you think you may return to state employment at any time in the future.
See Leaving State Employment and our Employee Contributions brochure for more information.
Reemployment and Unused Sick Leave

Jun 7, 2024, 10:58 AM By MOSERS

I just read, "A team member who separates from state service, but returns within five years will have their sick leave balance restored." So If I retire with 600 hours of sick leave, I know that I'll get 3 months of credit for 504 hours of that 600. If I came back to work for the state, would I get back the 96 that I was not able to apply toward my service credit?

No. Since the sick leave was used in the calculation of the retirement benefit for the period of service in which it was earned, any remaining unused sick leave is removed from your employer’s payroll system after you retire.
Therefore, if you are a retiree receiving a MOSERS benefit who is reemployed in a benefit-eligible position after observing the termination and reemployment rules, you cannot receive credit for pre-retirement unused sick leave, including any remaining hours that did not convert to whole months of service credit at retirement. Upon reemployment in a benefit-eligible position, a retiree is treated as a new employee.
Unused Sick Leave at Retirement

May 22, 2024, 9:14 AM By MOSERS

What’s the limit for unused sick leave at retirement? It’s never mentioned when there is a question.
State employees accrue sick leave at a rate of 10 hours per month. Beyond that, there is no limit to the amount of unused sick leave you can receive service credit for at retirement. You will receive one month of credited service for every 168 hours of unused sick leave reported to MOSERS by your employer when you leave your position.
Your sick leave is used to calculate the amount of your retirement benefit but cannot be used to determine eligibility.
For example, if you have 336 hours of unused sick leave, you will receive credit for an additional two months of service (336/168 = 2) when your retirement benefit is calculated.
Unused sick leave does NOT count towards service for retirement eligibility. In other words, it does not allow you to retire sooner. You must meet both the age and service requirements for your plan to be eligible to retire.
For sick leave to count as credited service:
- MSEP – You must be eligible to retire on the date of termination.
- MSEP 2000 – You do not have to be eligible to retire on the date of termination.
Marriage after Retirement

May 16, 2024, 3:51 PM By MOSERS

My husband retired from the state of Missouri in 2017. We were married in 2018. I was told that because we were not married before he retired, I am not eligible for any of his pension. Is this true?
Survivor benefits may be available to a member who marries after retirement under certain circumstances (see below). However, based on the information you provided, you and your spouse have missed the window of opportunity to add a potential survivor benefit for you.
In general, a retired member may re-elect the benefit payment option they chose at retirement:
- If they were single at retirement and elected the life income annuity, they may elect a survivor benefit for their new spouse if they marry after retirement.
- If a member elected a joint & survivor option at retirement and their spouse dies first, they may elect a survivor benefit for their new spouse if they remarry.
Keep in mind that a retired member has one year from the date of marriage to elect a survivor benefit for their new spouse. The member will need to contact MOSERS to provide us with their new spouse's date of birth and date of marriage. After receiving this information, we will provide an estimate of their survivor benefit options and a Designation of New Spouse form if they wish to elect a survivor benefit for their new spouse.
The survivor benefit designation will become effective on the first of the month following the date MOSERS receives the form and required proof documentation. For more information, see the Life Events page on our website.
Life Insurance Beneficiaries

Apr 16, 2024, 10:00 AM By MOSERS

In regard to beneficiaries: Do your stepchildren have the same rights as natural and adopted children?

For life insurance eligibility purposes, dependent child(ren) include: your children, dependent stepchildren, grandchildren, adopted children, and children for whom you are the court-appointed legal guardian, provided they are living with you.
You may update your life insurance beneficiaries at any time. Simply log in to myMOSERS and complete the Designation/Change of Beneficiaries for Life Insurance located under Forms. For additional information about designating beneficiaries, review the Designation of Life Insurance Beneficiaries brochure.
New Employee Benefit Enrollment

Mar 25, 2024, 2:35 PM By MOSERS

I am a new employee and I have set up my retirement. I have received one paycheck so far and my question is, is it too late to make changes? Do I need to wait for open enrollment?

As a new employee with the state of Missouri, you should have received instructions to enroll in SEBES, the Statewide Employee Benefit Enrollment System. Visit www.sebes.mo.gov and log in with your SEBES password before the deadline, which is 31 days from your hire date. After the deadline, you must contact the appropriate benefit provider(s) directly to determine eligibility.
Once you are enrolled, you have access to a defined benefit pension, life insurance, and long-term disability benefits through MOSERS. We also have webinars available for new state employees who would like to learn more about their pension, life insurance, and long-term disability benefits. You can register via GoTo Webinar for a daytime webinar or evening webinar.
In addition to these benefits, you are automatically enrolled in the MO Deferred Comp plan at the minimum of 1% contribution per pay period. Your contribution can be adjusted at any time and is made through automatic payroll deductions. If you choose to opt out of the deferred compensation plan's auto-enrollment, you must do so by adjusting your contribution to zero within 30 days of your hire date. Employees who opt out within this time frame will receive a refund of any contributions they made to their MO Deferred Comp account. Please visit www.modeferredcomp.org for more information, or if you have any questions, please call (800) 392-0925.
Life Income with Guaranteed Payments Option

Mar 18, 2024, 9:27 AM By MOSERS

Please explain the guaranteed benefit options. Is it correct that the term is only for payment to my beneficiary if I should die prior to the end of the guaranteed term? Asked another way, if I outlive the guaranteed term, do I continue to receive benefits until my death?
Your retirement benefit from MOSERS is a lifetime benefit for you, the member, regardless of the benefit payment option you elect at retirement. Depending on your marital status, you will choose between different payment options such as the life income annuity, joint & survivor, and guaranteed payment options when you file your Retirement Election form.
- The guaranteed payment options allow you to name anyone as your beneficiary(ies) (does not have to be your spouse).
- Your retirement benefit will be reduced, and if you should pass before all the guaranteed payments have been made, any remaining payments will go to your beneficiary(ies).
- You must name a beneficiary or beneficiaries (person, trust, corporation, organization, charity, or your estate) to receive any remaining guaranteed payments.
No survivor payments will be paid if you have received all payments in the guaranteed period (other than the final payment).
Purchasing Active-Duty Military Service

Mar 18, 2024, 8:57 AM By MOSERS

I am needing to see about purchasing my military time. Where do I get the forms?

Members of MSEP or MSEP 2000 may purchase up to four years of active-duty military service, including active-duty military training. You must be vested in MOSERS to be eligible to purchase military service. This information is included in our Purchasing and Transferring Service Guide for MSEP (Closed Plan) Members or Purchasing and Transferring Service Guide for MSEP 2000 Members materials. Purchase of prior military service is not available to members of MSEP 2011 or the Judicial Plan 2011.

Contact a MOSERS benefit counselor to get additional information and to request an Application to Purchase Active-Duty Military Service. Once you complete the application, MOSERS will provide you with an estimate of the cost to purchase service and how doing so will affect future benefit payment amounts.

You must complete any purchase of military service prior to applying for retirement. If you have money in your MO Deferred Comp account, you can use those funds to purchase prior military service (exception: Roth 457 assets cannot be used to purchase service credit). If you have questions about accessing your funds, contact MO Deferred Comp.
Are Retirees Eligible for Travel Assistance?

Feb 26, 2024, 8:34 AM By MOSERS

I recall that as a state employee there was some type of Travel Assistance benefit, I forget the name of the company, but it was like a traveler assistance service if you were on a trip and ran into trouble. I don't recall more details than that. Is there something like that for retirees as well?
MOSERS members who have basic life insurance through MOSERS are eligible for Travel Assistance when traveling more than 100 miles from home. Eligible spouses and children younger than age 25 are also covered. The service is provided by Assist America, Inc. For more information, check out the Travel Assistance Service Overview.

Travel assistance includes:
- 24-hour phone support with registered nurses.
- Emergency ticket, passport, and credit card replacement.
- Emergency medical evacuation, plus return travel for companions or return of dependent children during prolonged hospitalization.
- Connection to interpreters, consular office, and local attorney.
- Pre-trip services, such as passport and visa assistance.
Travel Assistance is not travel insurance. Travel Assistance provides specific support services while traveling. Travel insurance provides monetary compensation for losses that occur while traveling.

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We strive to provide the most accurate information possible in our answers to Rumor Central questions. However, occasionally, laws, policies or provisions change and individual circumstances may vary. Please contact a MOSERS benefit counselor or see the handbooks in our website Library for more detailed information. If there is any difference between the information provided in this blog or on the MOSERS website and the law or policies that govern MOSERS, the law and policies will prevail. See our Privacy, Security & Legal Notices for more information.

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