ERS
- Company typePublic
- Founded1947
- HeadquartersAustin, United States
- Headcount251–500
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
ERS firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- ERS
- Legal name
- Employees Retirement System of Texas
- Website
- https://ers.texas.gov
- Company type
- Public
- Founded year
- 1947
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 251–500 employees
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
ERS industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Government Pension and Benefits Administration
- NAICS
- Health and Welfare Funds (525120), Pharmacy Benefit Management and Other Third Party Administration of Insurance and Pension Funds (524292), Other Insurance Funds (525190)
- SIC
- Accident & Health Insurance (6321), Hospital & Medical Service Plans (6324), Life Insurance (6311)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Self-Funded (ERISA) Employer Plans (HLAEAAAC)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Benefits Administration & Enrollment Support (BPAAAIAB), Flexible Benefits Administration (FSA/HSA/HRA) (HLAEALAK)
Keywords
Where ERS is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Austin
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
ERS business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels10 records
ERS product offering
Product offeringCore offering
ERS administers retirement and health benefits for State of Texas employees, retirees, and their dependents. Its portfolio includes health insurance plans (HealthSelect of Texas, Consumer Directed HealthSelect, HealthSelect Medicare Advantage, and prescription drug programs), a defined benefit retirement plan with lifetime annuities, the Texa$aver 401(k)/457 deferred compensation program, dental and vision coverage, life and AD&D insurance, disability coverage through TIPP, and TexFlex FSAs/HSAs. ERS contracts with third-party administrators (BCBSTX, UnitedHealthcare, Express Scripts, Delta Dental, EyeMed, Empower, Alight, Inspira, Optum Bank, Minnesota Life, Beneplace) to deliver these programs.
Product overview
ERS (Employees Retirement System of Texas) is a state agency administering comprehensive employee benefits for Texas state employees, retirees, and their dependents. The portfolio includes health insurance products (HealthSelect of Texas, Consumer Directed HealthSelect, HealthSelect Medicare Advantage, and prescription drug programs), retirement plans (State of Texas Retirement defined benefit plan and Texa$aver 401(k)/457 Program), dental coverage (State of Texas Dental Choice PPO and DeltaCare USA DHMO), vision (State of Texas Vision), life and AD&D insurance, disability coverage (TIPP), and tax-advantaged accounts (TexFlex FSAs). ERS partners with third-party administrators including Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas, UnitedHealthcare, Express Scripts, Delta Dental, EyeMed, Empower, Optum Bank, Alight Solutions, Inspira Financial, Minnesota Life/Securian, and Beneplace to deliver these benefits.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- HealthSelect of Texas: Statewide point-of-service health plan administered by Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas
- Consumer Directed HealthSelect
- Texa$aver 401(k) / 457 Program
- TexFlex
- Texas Income Protection Plan (TIPP)
- State of Texas Dental Choice
- DeltaCare USA DHMO
- State of Texas Vision
- HealthSelect Medicare Advantage
- HealthSelect Medicare Rx
- Texas Employees Group Benefits Program (GBP)
Products and services
- HealthSelect of Texas Statewide point-of-service health plan administered by Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas, providing comprehensive medical coverage for active employees and non-Medicare retirees of the State of Texas.
- Consumer Directed HealthSelect High-deductible PPO health plan paired with an optional health savings account (HSA), administered by Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas with HSAs through Optum Bank, for active employees seeking lower premiums and tax-advantaged savings.
- HealthSelect Medicare Advantage Plan Medicare Part C preferred provider organization (MA PPO) plan administered by UnitedHealthcare, covering medical services for Medicare-eligible State of Texas retirees and their dependents.
- HealthSelect Medicare Rx Medicare Part D prescription drug plan administered by Express Scripts Medicare (PDP) for Medicare-eligible State of Texas retirees.
- HealthSelect of Texas Prescription Drug Program Comprehensive prescription drug plan administered by Express Scripts for non-Medicare participants enrolled in HealthSelect of Texas, including mail-order pharmacy services.
- State of Texas Retirement Defined benefit retirement plan with mandatory participation for eligible State of Texas agency employees, providing stable lifetime annuity payments and service-credit-based retirement benefits.
- Texa$aver 401(k) / 457 Program Voluntary deferred compensation program administered by Empower, offering 401(k) and 457 plan options with low-fee investment choices for personal retirement savings by active and retired state employees.
- State of Texas Dental Choice Plan Self-funded Preferred Provider Organization (PPO) dental plan administered by Delta Dental (Group Number 20010), offering in-network and out-of-network dental benefits to state employees and retirees (transitioning to Humana Dental in September 2026).
- DeltaCare USA DHMO Dental Health Maintenance Organization plan administered by DeltaCare USA, providing comprehensive dental coverage through a network of contracted providers for state employees and retirees.
- State of Texas Vision Vision insurance plan administered by EyeMed Vision Care, covering eye exams, glasses, and contact lenses through a vision provider network for state employees and retirees.
- Life Insurance Life insurance program insured by Minnesota Life/Securian Financial Group, including Basic Term, Optional Term, Dependent Term, and Retiree Fixed Optional Life Insurance for active employees and retirees.
- Accidental Death & Dismemberment (AD&D) Insurance Voluntary AD&D insurance insured by Minnesota Life/Securian Financial, providing benefits for accidental death and dismemberment to active state employees.
- Texas Income Protection Plan (TIPP) Disability insurance program administered by Alight Solutions offering both short-term and long-term disability coverage to protect income for state employees.
- TexFlex Flexible Spending Accounts Tax-advantaged flexible spending accounts administered by Inspira Financial, including health care FSA, dependent care FSA, and limited-purpose FSA options for state employees.
- Discount Purchase Program Employee discount program administered by Beneplace offering discounts on various products and services with no fees or membership requirements for state employees and retirees.
Companies that use ERS
Customer profileSegments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
ERS technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration13 records
ERS partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core, standard and minor.
- Humana DentalcoreNew third-party administrator for State of Texas Dental Choice PPO and DHMO plans starting September 1, 2026 through August 31, 2032. Awarded six-year contract in August 2025 Board meeting for large network access and broad provider availability.
- Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas (BCBSTX)coreAdministers HealthSelect of Texas (point-of-service plan), HealthSelect Secondary (for Medicare participants), and Consumer Directed HealthSelect (high-deductible PPO with HSA). Also provides HealthSelect Prescription Drug Program and manages provider networks.
- UnitedHealthcarecoreInsures HealthSelect Medicare Advantage Plan PPO (Medicare Part C plan) beginning January 1, 2021. Covers most medical services for Medicare-eligible retirees and dependents working with Medicare Parts A and B.
- Express Scripts / Express Scripts Medicare (PDP)coreAdministers HealthSelect Prescription Drug Program for non-Medicare participants and HealthSelect Medicare Rx for Medicare-eligible participants. Provides comprehensive prescription drug coverage and mail-order pharmacy services.
- Delta DentalcoreCurrently administers State of Texas Dental Choice Plan (PPO) and DeltaCare USA DHMO through August 31, 2026. Transition to Humana Dental begins September 1, 2026.
- EyeMed Vision Care, LLCstandardAdministers State of Texas Vision program, providing vision coverage including provider networks, benefits, and claims processing.
- EmpowercoreAdministers Texa$aver 401(k) and 457 Program, providing low-fee deferred compensation options for active and retired state employees. Manages account balances, fund transfers, and investment fund information.
- Alight SolutionsstandardAdministers Texas Income Protection Plan (TIPP) providing short-term and long-term disability coverage. Also administers dependent eligibility verification program.
- Inspira Financial (formerly PayFlex)standardAdministers TexFlex flexible spending accounts including health care, dependent care, and limited-purpose FSA options.
- Minnesota Life / Securian Financial GroupstandardInsures Basic Term Life, Optional Term Life, Dependent Term Life, and Accidental Death & Dismemberment (AD&D) insurance for active employees.
- Optum BankstandardAdministers Consumer Directed HealthSelect health savings accounts (HSAs) for participants in the high-deductible health plan option.
- BeneplaceminorAdministers Discount Purchase Program providing state employees and retirees discounts on various products and services with no fees or membership requirements.
Scale indicators2 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
ERS competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- CalPERS (California Public Employees' Retirement System): The largest U.S. public pension fund, administering retirement and health benefits for California public employees, retirees, and dependents. Structurally and functionally analogous to ERS as a state-mandated benefits system with defined benefit pensions and self-funded health plans.
- Teacher Retirement System of Texas (TRS): Texas's parallel state retirement system serving public education employees. Operates within the same Texas regulatory environment, administers defined benefit retirement and health benefits, and serves a similarly captive Texas public-sector workforce.
- CalSTRS (California State Teachers' Retirement System): California's teacher retirement system offering defined benefit pensions and health benefits to public education retirees. Comparable in mandate, scale, and benefit structure to ERS, with similar reliance on third-party administrators.
- New York State Common Retirement Fund: Manages pension and retirement benefits for New York State employees and retirees. Highly comparable to ERS as a state-level mandatory public pension system with significant AUM and defined benefit obligations.
- Florida Retirement System: Florida's state-administered pension system providing retirement benefits to state and local government employees. Operates a similar model of mandatory participation, defined benefit pensions, and supplemental deferred compensation programs.
- Pennsylvania State Employees' Retirement System (SERS): Administers retirement benefits for Pennsylvania state employees with a defined benefit pension structure. Comparable to ERS in serving a single state's public employee base with a captive, mandatory participation model.
- New Jersey Division of Pensions and Benefits: New Jersey's state-level administrator of multiple public pension plans and health benefits for state and local government employees. Functions as a direct parallel to ERS in administering retirement and health benefits under state authority.
- Washington State Department of Retirement Systems (DRS): Administers retirement benefits for Washington State public employees across multiple plan structures, including defined benefit pensions. Closely mirrors ERS's role as a centralized state retirement and benefits administrator.
- Ohio Public Employees Retirement System (OPERS): One of the largest U.S. public pension funds, providing retirement and health benefits to Ohio public employees. Highly comparable to ERS in scale, defined benefit pension structure, and captive state-employee membership.
Broad incumbents
- U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) - Federal Retirement & Insurance Service: The federal-level equivalent that administers retirement (CSRS/FERS) and health benefits (FEHBP) for U.S. federal civilian employees. Broader scope and scale than ERS, but functions as the closest structural analog at the federal tier.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
ERS social profiles
Digital presenceERS financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
ERS leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
ERS funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
ERS M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about ERS
What does ERS do?
ERS administers retirement and health benefits for State of Texas employees, retirees, and their dependents. Its portfolio includes health insurance plans (HealthSelect of Texas, Consumer Directed HealthSelect, HealthSelect Medicare Advantage, and prescription drug programs), a defined benefit retirement plan with lifetime annuities, the Texa$aver 401(k)/457 deferred compensation program, dental and vision coverage, life and AD&D insurance, disability coverage through TIPP, and TexFlex FSAs/HSAs. ERS contracts with third-party administrators (BCBSTX, UnitedHealthcare, Express Scripts, Delta Dental, EyeMed, Empower, Alight, Inspira, Optum Bank, Minnesota Life, Beneplace) to deliver these programs.
Is ERS a public or private company?
ERS is a public company. It is classified as state government owned and is currently operating.
When was ERS founded?
ERS was founded in 1947. It employs 251 to 500 people.
Where is ERS based?
ERS is headquartered in Austin, United States, in the North America region.
Who are ERS's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are CalPERS (California Public Employees' Retirement System), Teacher Retirement System of Texas (TRS), CalSTRS (California State Teachers' Retirement System), New York State Common Retirement Fund, Florida Retirement System, Pennsylvania State Employees' Retirement System (SERS), New Jersey Division of Pensions and Benefits, Washington State Department of Retirement Systems (DRS) and Ohio Public Employees Retirement System (OPERS). U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) - Federal Retirement & Insurance Service is listed as a broad incumbent.
Does ERS have an API?
No public API is recorded for ERS.
What industry is ERS in?
ERS's product category is Government Pension and Benefits Administration. Its primary akta.pro industry code is HLAEAAAC, Self-Funded (ERISA) Employer Plans, with a secondary code of BPAAAIAB, Benefits Administration & Enrollment Support. Its NAICS code is 525120 and its SIC code is 6321.