ERS operations and benefits during COVID-19

The ERS Contact Center is available by phone and email.

Demand for service is extremely high. You may experience a long wait to speak with a counselor or get an email response. Additionally, our phone lines are often engaged to capacity. When this happens you may hear a busy signal or get disconnected. Please continue to redial. You WILL get through, and we WILL assist you. We apologize for the inconvenience.

ERS operations

  • Our customer service representatives are available from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. CT, Monday through Friday. You can make some changes and do other business in your self-service ERS OnLine account—24 hours a day, seven days a week.
  • We apologize if you have experienced long wait times and understand how frustrating that can be. Please know that our representatives are working to attend to every caller’s needs as completely and efficiently as possible.
  • As always, we are conducting scheduled retirement counseling sessions over the phone. Scheduled phone appointments are the best and most efficient way to get information on your retirement annuity and benefits, and to advance the retirement process. Virtual meetings via videoconference are also available. For those who want to meet with us at our office, we are now open again for scheduled in-person appointments. Schedule a retirement counseling session.

As the COVID situation continues to evolve, we may make additional changes to ERS’ customer service. We’ll post updates to this page as needed.

Your health plan

ERS is working with health plan administrators to assist State of Texas employees, retirees and their families who may be affected by the virus. Learn more about COVID-19 and your health plan.

COVID-19 Vaccination

All ERS health plans cover COVID-19 vaccination, including recommended booster shots, at 100%. That means health plan participants should not have to pay anything out of pocket to be vaccinated against COVID-19, when the vaccine is available to them. (Currently, everyone, whether or not they have health insurance, should be able to get the vaccine at no cost when it is available to them.) Contact your health plan, primary care provider or other health care provider to discuss your options for getting vaccinated for COVID-19. Learn more about the vaccine and find links to helpful resources. 

ERS and our health plan administrators encourage everyone to get vaccinated as soon as they can.

Coverage of At-home COVID-19 Tests

Effective January 15, 2022, the HealthSelectSM Prescription Drug Program will cover a limited number of certain over-the-counter, at-home COVID-19 antigen tests at no cost to participants. Learn more about coverage of at-home tests. 

This coverage of at-home tests does not apply to HealthSelect Medicare Rx participants.