 Molly Spitler lives with purpose.
The 70-year-old Erie resident beams about helping others and engaging with people.
She retired early at age 54 after 30 years with the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) as an eligibility specialist.
She then worked as a senior resource advocate with AgeWays’ Monroe County Opportunity Program before retiring again in December 2025.
Molly enjoys time with her grandson and daughter’s family, line dancing, and quilting.
She’s volunteered for 14 years as a Medicaid/Medicare counselor in MDHHS’ MI Options program and is active with St. Paul’s Evangelical Lutheran Church in Temperance.
“I was able to take care of myself and find something very flexible,” Molly said of her state retirement benefits. “I’m enjoying where I’m at.”
Learn more about volunteering in the MI Options program by emailing MDHHS-MIOPTIONS@Michigan.gov.
As of Sept. 30, 2025, the retirement system had $88.5 billion in assets for pension benefits and other post‑employment benefits (OPEB). OPEB includes things like retiree health insurance. The retirement system expected to need $108.6 billion to pay future costs, so it had an unfunded liability of $20.1 billion. An unfunded liability is the amount the retirement system expects to pay in the future, minus the amount it has right now.
In fiscal year 2025, the retirement system’s assets grew by $5.2 billion. This increase came mainly from employer and employee contributions and strong investment returns. The amount the retirement system expects to pay in the future went up by $2.0 billion.
The pension funding ratio went up by 3.40 percentage points because of contributions and positive investment income. A funding ratio compares how much money is saved to how much is needed for future benefits. The OPEB funding ratio went down by 1.28 percentage points. This decrease was due to higher premium costs, but it was mostly balanced out by good investment results and better‑than‑expected demographic trends.
Statement of assets and liabilities
FY 2025
|
Pension
|
OPEB
|
|
Actuarial accrued liability
|
$98,795,578,985
|
$9,842,493,751
|
|
Present value of assets
|
$73,677,430,627
|
$14,826,789,167
|
|
Unfunded actuarial accrued liability
|
$25,118,148,358
|
$(4,984,295,416)
|
|
Funding ratio
|
74.60%
|
150.64%
|
FY 2024
|
Pension
|
OPEB
|
|
Actuarial accrued liability
|
$97,397,319,645
|
$9,211,833,410
|
|
Present value of assets
|
$69,352,583,701
|
$13,994,794,513
|
|
Unfunded actuarial accrued liability
|
$28,044,735,944
|
$(4,782,911,103)
|
|
Funding ratio
|
71.20%
|
151.92%
|
ORS and our insurance vendors will again offer the online Retiree Healthcare Plan Seminar. This seminar gives important information about your insurance benefits.
From Oct. 13 through Dec. 18, you can visit the Retiree Healthcare Plan Seminar website to review online presentations about changes to your insurance coverage. The presentations cover information and updates for the new year from Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan, Delta Dental, EyeMed, and Optum Rx. Each company also provides PDFs you can download to learn how to use your benefits.
If you miss the seminar, all presentations will be in a playlist on our YouTube channel after the seminar ends in December.
As the year comes to a close, it’s a good time to make sure you’re prepared before the busyness of the holiday season starts. A few quick check-ins can help you stay on top of your benefits. Here are three simple things to do before Dec. 31.
- Review your insurance coverage for the next year. Look over your health, dental, vision, and prescription plans to make sure they still fit your needs.
- Check your contact information in miAccount. Confirm that your physical and email addresses are up to date so you keep getting important ORS updates and tax documents.
- Take a moment to plan for tax season. Review your pension payment history and withholdings in miAccount to see if you want to make changes.
Spending a few minutes now can make the start of the next year much easier. ORS is here to support you every step of the way.
|
