This visualization covers the funding status of California's non-pension retiree benefit plans (also known as Other Post-Employment Benefits (OPEBs)). Start by selecting which variables to show in the graphs from the drop down box. The graph on the left shows how the values of these variables have changed in California since 2008 and the graph on the right shows how these values compare to other states (the nine biggest states by GDP). Hover over a particular line or bar to see the explicit values or click to highlight. Both graphs will change upon selection of different variables. The variables are:

UAAL vs Assets: The Unfunded Actuarial Accrued Liability (UAAL) represents the unfunded long term costs of providing OPEBs that have already been earned by state employees and retirees. Assets refer to any monies that have been set aside to fund future OPEB costs. The graph on the right compares California's UAAL (as a percent of general fund expenditure) to other states.

Annual Required Contribution vs. Actual Contribution: The Annual Required Contribution (ARC) refers to a suggested payment that, if paid each year, will pay off the unfunded liability and any costs for newly earned benefits. The actual contribution refers to what the state actually paid. The graph on the right compares California's ARC (as a percent of general fund expenditure) to other states.

State Contribution vs Percent of General Fund Expenditure: Here, California's contribution towards OPEBs is compared to its value as percent of general fund expenditure. The graph on the right compares California's contribution toward OPEBs (as a percent of general fund expenditure) to other states.

For more background information and the implications of the values shown in the visualization, see our report, "California's Neglected Promise: How California has Failed to Prepare for its Accumulating Retiree Health Care Obligations."

Source: For California, these values were obtained from the OPEB Actuarial Valuations performed by Gabriel Roeder Smith & Company for years 2008 through 2011. These can be found on the state Controller's website. For the other states, these values were obtained from the FY 2010-2011 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report (CAFR) for each state in the Other Post-Employment Benefits section, which is typically located in the notes to financial statements. These can be found on each state's website under the finance department.