Social Security & Medicare
The University of Alaska withdrew from participation in Social Security in 1982. This may affect your Social Security earnings/retirement. Below is some brief information on both Social Security and the required Medicare portion of Social Security.
The University withdrew from Social Security on January 1, 1982. PERS, TRS, and ORP are all considered full replacements of Social Security. All employees hired after March 31, 1986, are required to contribute to the Medicare portion of Social Security. For more information, please review the Statement Concerning Your Employment in a Job Not Covered by Social Security.
| Employee Status | Dates Worked | Current or Former PERS/TRS/ORP Participant? | Participates in Social Security? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Temporary employee | After retirement age | Yes | No |
| Temporary employee | Before retirement age | Yes | Yes |
| Temporary employee | After retirement age | No | Yes |
| Temporary employee | Before retirement age | No | Yes |
| Benefit eligible employee | Before 1982 | Yes | Yes |
| Benefit-eligible employee | After 1982 | Yes | No |
When you work in a job not covered by Social Security, your future Social Security benefits could be affected.
The Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) applies if you earned retirement (such as PERS, TRS or ORP) in any job where
you did not pay Social Security taxes and you also worked in other jobs long enough
to qualify for a Social Security retirement or disability benefit. TIAA has partnered
with UA to provide an informational flyer on the WEP.
For more more information on the WEP, please contact the Social Security Administration through their website.
The Government Pension Offset (GPO) applies to your spouse or widow/widower benefits if you receive retirement (PERS, TRS or ORP) from a government job where you were not covered by Social Security. For more information on the GOP, please contact the Social Security Administration through their website.
All employees hired after March 31, 1986, are required to contribute to the Medicare portion of Social Security. For specific Medicare questions, please contact the Medicare Office through their website.