RETIRED MEMBER

Q.What is the difference between StanCERA and RESCO?

A. StanCERA is the Stanislaus County Employees' Retirement Association. This is the retirement system in which you pay your contributions to from your paycheck and that pays out your monthly retirement benefit upon retirement.

The StanCERA office is open Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and can be reached at 209-525-6393.

RESCO is the Retired Employees' of Stanislaus County. This is an organization that you can join to keep in touch with what is happening with the retirees (i.e., luncheons, trips, etc.).

The RESCO office can be reached at 209-521-1666.

Q.Will I receive a cost-of-living (COLA) adjustment on my retirement benefit?

A. Yes. If you are retired on or before March 31, you will receive an annual cost of living increase/decrease of up to 3% (based on the Consumer Price Index/San Francisco area). The COLA is paid effective on April 1st and appears in the May 1st retirement payment. Except for Tier 3 members, who are not entitled to receive any cost of living adjustments during their retirement.

Q. When I become Medicare eligible, does my insurance automatically switch to the Medicare plan?

A. No. A few months prior to your 65th birthday, you should contact StanCERA so that we can send you the Medicare plan information packet that your current insurance company offers. You will need to fill out the application and send it back with a photocopy of your signed Medicare card. Once received, your Medicare Insurance Plan will go into effect the day your Medicare Parts A & B (both parts are required to be eligible for these plans) does.

If you wait to submit the application, it can delay your enrollment into the Medicare Insurance Plan until the following month.