The Ochsner 401(k): What Ochsner physicians should know before retirement

If you’re a physician at Ochsner and retirement is getting closer, you’ve probably spent plenty of time looking at your 401(k) balance.

But the balance is only part of the story.

You also want to know what Ochsner is contributing, how much of those contributions you’re entitled to keep, and how everything fits into your larger retirement plan.

Here are four questions we commonly hear:

1). What is the phone number for the Ochsner 401(k)?

The phone number for the Ochsner Clinic 401(k) Plan Sponsor is:

504-842-1895

They can help with questions about restoring account access, where to get the plan documents and where you can learn more about distribution terms of the Ochsner 401(k).

2). What is the Ochsner 401(k) match?

We believe that Ochsner matches 50% of your contributions, up to 4% of your pay, to our knowledge.

So, for example, if you put in 4% of your pay we'd expect, Ochsner to contribute 2% of your pay.

These numbers can be reduced somewhat but the Internal Revenue Code 401(a)(17) limits which is the maximum amount of compensation that can be considered for retirement benefits - which is $360,000 in 2026, to our knowledge.

For a physician earning $360,000, that 2% would be $7,200 a year.

It may not sound like much in percentage terms, but employer contributions can add up over a long career—and the money has an opportunity to compound along the way.

3). Does Ochsner contribute more than the match?

In our experience, the answer is typically yes. Ochsner has recently provided an additional 2% of your compensation (up to the IRC limits) non-elective contribution in some years.

In plain English, that means you can receive the contribution even if you don't put your own money into the 401(k), so for a physician earning $360,000 that can be additional $7,200 contribution by Ochsener.

4). What is the vesting schedule on employer contributions in the Ochnser 401(k).

To our knowledge, as of the time this article was writing on 8/27/26, the vesting schedule on employer contributions on the Ochsner 401(k) is as follows:

Years of Service	Vested
Less than 2	0%
2	20%
3	40%
4	60%
5	80%
6+	100%

So, after six years, you're fully vested.

If you're nearing retirement and have been with Ochsner for many years, you're likely already fully vested. But if you're considering retiring early or changing jobs, it's worth checking before you make a decision.

Your Ochsner 401(k) Is Only Part of Your Retirement Picture

For physicians approaching retirement, the bigger question usually isn't simply, “How much is in my 401(k)?”

It's how that money fits with everything else.

Your other retirement accounts, taxable investments, Social Security, taxes, healthcare costs, and retirement income all have to work together.

And the decisions you make around retirement—when to retire, which accounts to draw from, and how to manage taxes—can have a much bigger impact than whether you contribute another percentage point to your 401(k).

If retirement is within the next few years, it may be worth having someone look at the whole picture with you.

You've spent your career taking care of your patients. Now it's time to make sure your retirement plan takes care of you.

To schedule a call with D.R. Harris & Co. please fill out the following form

Note: As of the time of this writing of this article on 8/27/26, D.R. Harris & Co. does not charge fees for financial advice given to physicians in the state of Louisiana. You can still schedule a introductory call with us if you like - but we don't currently charge for financial advice (as of 8/27/26) for residents of Louisiana.

Disclaimer: The information in this article is provided for educational and informational purposes only. Neither Daniel Harris nor D.R. Harris & Co. are your financial advisor. While we believe the information in the article is accurate as of the time of its writing on 8/27/26, we provide no warranties of its accuracy. We highly encourage to do your own independent research and talk to your own professional advisors before acting on any information you learned about in this article. Ochsner Clinic can provide the plan document for the Ochsner 401(k) and can provide details about matching, employer discretionary contributions and vesting terms. You are not a client of D.R. Harris & Co. nor Daniel Harris unless you have a signed written advisory agreement with us. As of 8/27/26, D.R. Harris & Co. does not charge for advice for residents of the State of Louisiana that we may choose to work with. The information in this article may not be updated and can become outdated with time. To confirm any information you read about in this article, we highly recommend that you run it by HR or the benefits people at Ochsner Clinic and/or your own professional advisors.