Blog | Florida Retirement Resources

FRS Retirement and Health Insurance: What Happens Before Medicare?

Wed, 22 Jul 2026 11:00:00 GMT

For many Florida Retirement System (FRS) members, reaching retirement eligibility feels like crossing the finish line. You've spent years building your pension, chosen a retirement date, and started thinking about what life will look like after your career. Then someone asks a simple question: "What are you going to do for health insurance until Medicare?" It's a question that catches many people off guard. While Medicare becomes available for most people at age 65, many FRS members retire earlier. That creates a gap that needs to be planned for, sometimes for just a few months and sometimes for several years. Understanding your options before your last day of work can help make that transition much smoother.

The Administrative Side of Retirement Nobody Talks About

Tue, 14 Jul 2026 13:06:52 GMT

When most Florida Retirement System (FRS) members think about retirement, they naturally focus on the big questions. Have I saved enough? When should I retire? What will my pension be? Should I enter DROP? When should I claim Social Security? Those are all important questions, but there's another side of retirement that often catches people by surprise. Retirement isn't just a financial transition, it's also an administrative one. After working with many FRS members over the years, I've noticed that one of the biggest surprises isn't the retirement decision itself, it's everything that happens after that decision has been made. There are forms to complete, timelines to understand, benefits that begin at different times, and periods where you're simply waiting for various parts of the process to work their way through the system. None of these steps are particularly difficult, but they can feel overwhelming if you aren't expecting them. Let's look at an overview of how this all often comes together.

What FRS Retirees Often Wish They Had Done One Year Earlier

Wed, 08 Jul 2026 13:32:10 GMT

One of the advantages of working with Florida Retirement System (FRS) members is having the opportunity to hear their reflections after they've retired. While every retirement is different, certain themes tend to come up again and again. Interestingly, those conversations are rarely about wishing they had worked another overtime shift or earned one more paycheck. More often, retirees talk about the things they wish they had understood, organized, or simply started thinking about earlier. The good news is that most of these aren't major financial mistakes. They're planning opportunities. Many can be addressed with a little preparation during the final year before retirement, making the transition smoother and allowing retirees to spend less time managing paperwork and more time enjoying the next chapter.

The Shift From Building Your Pension to Using Your Pension

Wed, 01 Jul 2026 11:00:03 GMT

For most of an FRS member's career, retirement planning is focused on building. You're accumulating service credit, increasing your salary, monitoring your retirement estimate, and looking ahead toward a future date when work eventually becomes optional. Then, almost overnight, the focus changes. Once retirement arrives, the conversation is no longer about building your pension. It's about using it. While that may sound like a simple transition, many retirees discover that the mindset shift is larger than expected. After spending decades accumulating benefits and preparing for retirement, it can take time to become comfortable actually relying on those benefits to support your lifestyle. In many ways, retirement isn't just a financial transition. It's a transition from accumulation to utilization.

Florida's New FRS Special Risk COLA Starts July 1, 2026 — But Retirees Must Wait 5 Years to Receive It

Wed, 24 Jun 2026 13:52:51 GMT

Florida lawmakers have approved a major retirement benefit enhancement for eligible Florida Retirement System (FRS) Special Risk members, restoring a minimum 1.5% annual Cost-of-Living Adjustment (COLA) for qualifying retirees beginning July 1, 2026. (Here is a link to the bill)

How Long Does It Take To Get Your DROP Money?

Wed, 10 Jun 2026 11:00:02 GMT

For many Florida Retirement System (FRS) members, the DROP balance represents one of the largest financial assets they'll receive at retirement. After years of participation in the Deferred Retirement Option Program, it's natural to start wondering when those funds will actually become available. One of the most common misconceptions is that the DROP payment arrives immediately after your last day of work. In reality, several administrative steps must occur before the distribution can be processed. While the process is generally straightforward, understanding the timeline can help set realistic expectations and prevent unnecessary frustration during the transition into retirement.

Why Some FRS Members Work Longer Than They Originally Planned

Wed, 03 Jun 2026 10:30:00 GMT

For many Florida Retirement System (FRS) members, retirement begins as a very specific target: "I'm retiring as soon as I hit eligibility", but something interesting often happens as that date approaches. Even members who have spent years confidently talking about retirement sometimes begin reconsidering the timing once it becomes real. A retirement date that once felt certain suddenly becomes flexible. “One more year” starts sounding reasonable. Then sometimes that turns into another year after that. This is far more common than many people expect. Retirement decisions are rarely just financial calculations. As the transition gets closer, emotional, lifestyle, healthcare, and psychological factors often become just as important as the numbers themselves.

How the FRS Pension Formula Rewards Longevity

Wed, 20 May 2026 10:59:59 GMT

One of the most important things to understand about the Florida Retirement System (FRS) Pension Plan is how time in service impacts your monthly benefit. While many retirement plans are driven mostly by employee contributions and market performance, the FRS pension works differently. The structure of the formula itself places significant value on longevity.

FRS Retirement and Medicare: What Changes at Age 65?

Thu, 14 May 2026 10:30:00 GMT

For many Florida Retirement System (FRS) retirees, turning age 65 represents more than just a birthday, it marks a major transition in healthcare coverage. Whether you retired years earlier through Special Risk, recently left employment, or are still working past retirement eligibility, age 65 is typically whenMedicare eligibility begins. This transition can affect:

What Happens to Your FRS Benefits If You Die Early?

Wed, 06 May 2026 11:00:00 GMT

It’s not the most comfortable topic to think about—but it’s one that is important to consider.