PSPRS is in the process of building its STARS pension administration system that will be unveiled in several phases. Named after the PSPRS “Serving those who serve others” motto, the STARS system will improve user experience and provide new, easier ways for employers, members and retirees to access accounts and perform necessary tasks.
“What employers can expect is a versatile and convenient self-service portal that will be the means of making all payments for the pension system and related services like the PSPRS Cancer Insurance Program,” said Deputy Administrator Mike Smarik. “The system will also handle the submission of court fees for the counties’ EORP employers and additional employer contributions.”
Phase 1 of the project will launch new employer and local board portals with self-service contribution reporting, demographic, and health insurance functions that will replace hard copy forms for member enrollments and emailed termination notices.
The information below is being provided to help users understand the changes. If you have specific questions about your account, please contact your account manager.
PAS Milestones for Employers
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MAJOR EMPLOYER REPORTING MILESTONES |
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File Type |
Employer File Testing |
Employer Training on Employer Self-Service Portal |
Go-live of PSPRS PAS System |
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Employer Wage and Contribution |
Completed October 2023 |
Early 2025 |
July 2025 |
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Member Enrollment and Demographic Changes |
Completed October 2023 |
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Retiree Health Insurance Enrollment, Coverage Changes and Terminations |
Completed August 2024 |
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FAQs
Yes, but credits will not be separately distinguished between employer and member contributions. They will all be classified as pension contributions.
When Phase 1 is live, any credits created in the system will be approached on a “first in, first out” basis, following this hierarchy:
- Fire insurance premium tax credit (applied to both employer and member contributions)
- Prepaid credit contribution
- Work report adjustment credit contribution
As credits become available, they will be applied to any open invoices or work reports, then applied to the next upcoming invoice/work report.
Any unused prepaid credit account or contribution prepayment credits at year’s end (June 30) will be automatically applied to the employer’s unfunded liability or reserve balance(s) based on the new application of credits mentioned above (FIPTC, prepaid credit, work report adjustment). The incoming PAS cannot carryover prepayment balances from one fiscal year to the next.
Once the new portal is live, PSPRS will no longer accept paper payments (e.g., checks). Employers will be able to easily complete an Automated Clearing House (ACH) payment in the new Employer Self-Service (ESS) portal. Wire transfers and checks are being discontinued. In the new system, late payment penalties will be applied automatically to any invoice past due at the end of the month (i.e., the system will automatically apply a late payment 15 business days past pay period end date). Payments not made in the new ESS portal risk not arriving or not being processed before the due date.
In October 2023, PAS project liaisons Joann Lowey and Harold Greene began outreach to employers to establish initial employer and local board administrators for the new ESS portal. At go-live for the new PAS, these identified portal administrators will have the capability to maintain user access into the portal.
BI-WEEKLY ZOOM MEETINGS
Designated employer point-of-contact staff members are encouraged to participate in bi-weekly meetings on Zoom to stay up to speed with file testing and other PAS developments.
“The meetings are easy and at the same time every other week,” said PSPRS local board relationship manager and meeting host, Joann Lowey. “We’ve been covering contribution and demographic reporting file specifications, project deadlines and helping our employers prepare for the PAS transition.”
Contact Joann Lowey at [email protected] for meeting information.
Recordings:
October 23, 1 p.m. – STARS Demonstration for Employers & Local Boards
RESOURCES
Review Your Employer Group Number/STARS Point of Contact
Review PAS Common Errors and Solutions
Contribution File Specification Document
Contribution Import File – Errors and Warnings
Demographic File Specification Document
Demographic Import File – Errors and Warnings