OP&F Health Care Reimbursement: What You Receive and How It Works
How the Ohio Police & Fire Pension Fund's health care stipend works in 2026, and how much your household receives.
Published October 18, 2026 · By Terry W. Posey, Esq.
Health insurance can be a major retirement expense. The Ohio Police & Fire Pension Fund, commonly called OP&F, helps eligible retirees and survivors pay certain health care costs through a Health Reimbursement Arrangement, or HRA.
Think of the HRA as a special health care budget. OP&F provides an allowance called a stipend, which reimburses approved expenses. Your insurance provides coverage; the HRA helps you pay eligible costs. Alight Retiree Health Solutions and Your Spending Account administer the arrangement.
How much does OP&F provide?
The following table reproduces the amounts in OP&F’s 2026 stipend chart. All figures are monthly amounts, and eligibility requirements apply. “Non-Medicare” means the person is not yet eligible for Medicare.
| Eligible household | Retiree’s Medicare status | Spouse’s Medicare status | HRA stipend | Separate Part B reimbursement | Total monthly support |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Retiree only | Medicare | Not applicable | $143 | $107 | $250 |
| Retiree only | Non-Medicare | Not applicable | $685 | $0 | $685 |
| Retiree and spouse | Medicare | Medicare | $239 | $107 | $346 |
| Retiree and spouse | Medicare | Non-Medicare | $525 | $107 | $632 |
| Retiree and spouse | Non-Medicare | Medicare | $788 | $0 | $788 |
| Retiree and spouse | Non-Medicare | Non-Medicare | $1,074 | $0 | $1,074 |
| Retiree and dependent child or children | Medicare | Not applicable | $203 | $107 | $310 |
| Retiree and dependent child or children | Non-Medicare | Not applicable | $865 | $0 | $865 |
| Retiree, spouse, and dependent child or children | Medicare | Either status | $525 | $107 | $632 |
| Retiree, spouse, and dependent child or children | Non-Medicare | Either status | $1,074 | $0 | $1,074 |
| Surviving spouse only | Medicare | Not applicable | $143 | $107 | $250 |
| Surviving spouse only | Non-Medicare | Not applicable | $685 | $0 | $685 |
Source: OP&F, Member’s Report, Winter 2026, page 5.
How to read the chart
First, find your household type. Next, match the Medicare status of the retiree and spouse.
The HRA stipend column shows the household’s reimbursement allowance. For a couple, that figure is the combined amount, rather than an amount for each person. Ordinarily, eligible family members share one HRA in the member’s name. If both spouses are independently eligible OP&F retirees, the rules provide for separate HRAs.
The Part B reimbursement is separate. It is added to the eligible recipient’s monthly pension benefit. The final column combines that payment with the HRA stipend to show total monthly health care support. The total is not the amount deposited into your HRA.
What does that mean for a couple?
Consider a retired officer and spouse who are both on Medicare. Their HRA allowance is $239 monthly, equivalent to $2,868 for a full year. The separate $107 monthly Part B reimbursement brings their combined support to $346 monthly.
Now consider a Medicare retiree whose spouse is not yet Medicare eligible. Their HRA allowance is $525 monthly, equivalent to $6,300 annually. With the separate Part B reimbursement, total support is $632 monthly.
These annual figures assume eligibility for the entire year. Retirement dates, enrollment dates, and changes in Medicare status can affect the actual allowance.
How do you receive the money?
You pay a qualifying expense and receive reimbursement from the available HRA balance. Approved expenses can include medical, dental, and vision insurance premiums. A premium is the payment required to keep insurance active.
For example, if your available HRA balance is $2,868 and you receive reimbursement for a $200 qualifying premium, $2,668 remains. Reimbursement cannot exceed your available balance or duplicate an amount already paid by insurance.
Although the chart expresses stipends monthly, OP&F generally credits the annual allowance at the beginning of the year. That makes it important to budget: using the balance early can leave you paying later expenses yourself. Initial reimbursements may take several weeks.
Eligibility and deadlines matter
Receiving a pension does not automatically qualify someone for the stipend. Access to other group coverage can affect eligibility. Medicare participants must have Parts A and B and enroll in qualifying medical or prescription coverage through Alight. New retirees generally have a 60-day enrollment deadline after losing employer coverage.
Unused HRA funds do not carry into the next year. A later claims window permits reimbursement for eligible expenses incurred during the previous year but does not extend the spending year. Keep supporting records and confirm submission deadlines with Alight at 844-290-3674.
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