Chapter 8: Transmittal Reporting
The Reporting Process
Plan Choice Reporting - January Transfer Option
A Plan 2 member may have the option to transfer to Plan 3 during the open enrollment period each January. Members who entered eligible employment in PERS, SERS, or TRS prior to creation of Plan 3 (and after Plan 1 was closed to new PERS and TRS members) were automatically enrolled in Plan 2. These members received an initial transfer window when Plan 3 was created. Those who did not exercise this option continue to receive the option during the month of January each year.
The employer must verify that the member has a January transfer option using Member Reporting Verification (MRV). MRV will display a red message indicating if the member is eligible for the January Transfer Option.
In this MRV example, the member has prior PERS Plan 2 membership and has a January transfer option if hired into an eligible PERS position. If hired into another retirement system, refer to Reporting an Employee in the New Hire Pyramid for how to report the member.
Members who entered eligible employment in one of the retirement systems after creation of Plan 3 and during a valid plan choice period had 90 days to choose between membership in Plan 2 or Plan 3 or be enrolled in Plan 3 by default. If the member made a choice or defaulted, MRV will note this in a red message. This member has already chosen PERS Plan 2, and therefore has no PERS January transfer option.
Complete the Plan Choice Record
If the member has a January transfer option, provide the Member Information Form (MIF) to the member if they express an interest in exercising this option. The completed MIF must be submitted to the employer during the month of January.
Valid transfer requests should be transmitted to DRS during the months of January or February. To report the transfer date, complete the following information on the Plan Choice Record:
- The Choice Date - date the member signs the Member Information Form (Section 2).
- Plan Choice field - Report "3X"
It is the employer's transmittal that records the member's plan choice and moves the member's data to Plan 3 if applicable. However, whenever a plan choice is transmitted, the employer must mail the original MIF to DRS. DRS images the form to document the member's irrevocable plan choice decision.
Employers should report a plan transfer as soon as possible after receipt of the MIF; however, it is possible to report a transfer at anytime during the year as long as the transfer date entered is a January date.