United States
Office of
Personnel Management
The Federal Government’s Human Resources Agency
Benefits Administration Letter
Number: 17-303 - Revised Date: September 2018
Subject: Fiscal Year 2017 Cost Factors for Calculating Imputed Costs
This Letter provides the fiscal year (FY) 2017 cost factors for the Federal civilian benefit
programs. Agencies will use these factors to calculate their imputed costs relating to the Civil
Service Retirement System (CSRS), the Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS),
the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program (FEHB) and the Federal Employees’ Group
Life Insurance Program (FEGLI). The imputed costs are used to determine the actuarial liabilities
which are included in Governmental financial statements.
Benefits Administration Letter (BAL) 03-309, dated September 15, 2003, provides detailed
instructions for the computation and accounting for imputed costs related to the Federal civilian
benefit programs; see http://www.opm.gov/retire/pubs/bals/2003/03-309.pdf for more information.
COST FACTORS
Pensions. The economic assumptions used to calculate the FY 2017 cost factors under Statement of
Federal Financial Accounting Standard (SFFAS) 33: Pensions, Other Retirement Benefits, and
Other Postemployment Benefits: Reporting the Gains and Losses from Changes in Assumptions and
Selecting Discount Rates and Valuation Dates are based on 10-year historical averages. These
economic assumptions differ from those established by OPM under guidance from the CSRS Board
of Actuaries for the determination of certain statutory funding payments for CSRS and FERS.
For most CSRS-covered employees, the FY 2017 cost factor is 32.8 percent of basic pay. The
FY 2017 cost factors for all categories of CSRS coverage are attached. While agency payments
under CSRS are not affected by the CSRS normal cost percentages for the vast majority of agencies,
the CSRS normal cost percentages determined under SFFAS 33 are used to determine the actuarial
liabilities which are included in Governmental financial statements.
The FY 2017 cost factors reported in this BAL also differ from the normal cost percentages used to
determine the employer contributions agencies pay for FERS employees. For most FERS-covered
employees, the FY 2017 cost factor is 14.7 percent of basic pay. The cost factors for all categories of
FERS coverage are attached. Since the cost factors reported under SFFAS 33 are determined on a
different basis than are the actual FERS normal cost contributions, agencies should expect to continue
to report future imputed retirement costs for their FERS employees.
FEHB Program. For FY 2017, the cost factor is $5,980.00 per enrolled employee. Please note that
the cost factors shown below are based on the actuarial assumptions required by SFFAS 33, as
calculated by the FEHB actuary.
Quarter
1
st
2
nd
3
rd
4
th
FY 2017
Factor
$1,465
1,485
1,505
1,525
$5,980
FEGLI Program. The FY 2017 cost factor for the FEGLI is 0.02 percent of basic pay, the same
as in previous years.
STATEMENT FOR AUDITORS
The FY 2017cost factors provided in this letter are being issued before an opinion by OPM’s
independent public accounting firm can be received for FY 2017. Nonetheless, the FY 2016 cost
factors for “regular” CSRS and FERS coverage, as well as those for the FEHB and FEGLI Programs
were disclosed in the footnotes accompanying OPM’s consolidated FY 2016 financial statements.
These statements received an unqualified audit opinion. The policies, procedures and controls
pertaining to the calculations of the FY 2017 cost factors did not change from FY 2016.
Consequently, auditors of FY 2017 financial statements can rely upon the disclosures in Office of
Personnel Management’s FY 2016 financial statements and the related audit opinion.
INQUIRIES
If you have any questions regarding this information, feel free to email us at
FinancialBALs@opm.gov. You may also phone us at (202) 606-0606.
Tonya R. Johnson
Associate Chief Financial Officer
Financial Services
Attachment
Attachment
2017 COST FACTORS FOR THE CSRS AND FERS
CSRS
CATEGORY
COST FACTOR (%)
Regular 32.8
Regular Offset 24.2
Law Enforcement Officers 56.4
Law Enforcement Officers - Offset 48.5
Air Traffic Controllers 51.5
Air Traffic Controllers Offset 43.9
Members of Congress 40.9
Members of Congress Offset 37.6
Congressional Employees 45.9
Congressional Employees Offset 37.8
FERS
CATEGORY COST FACTOR (%)
Regular 14.7
Law Enforcement Officers 32.5
Air Traffic Controllers 34.3
Members of Congress 23.1
Congressional Employees 20.9
Military Reserve Technicians 19.2
FERS-Revised Annuity Employees (RAE)
CATEGORY COST FACTOR (%)
Regular - RAE 15.3
Law Enforcement Officers - RAE 33.2
Air Traffic Controllers - RAE 35.0
Military Reserve Technicians - RAE 19.6
FERS-Further Revised Annuity Employees (FRAE)
CATEGORY COST FACTOR (%)
Regular - FRAE 15.4
Law Enforcement Officers - FRAE 33.3
Air Traffic Controllers - FRAE 35.0
Military Reserve Technicians - FRAE 19.7