Not 100% true. Employees put in 3% of their pay and the federal govt is supposed to put in an amount equal to 27% into the fund.
The payout on the backside really isn't that much. 20 years as a law enforcement officer gets you 34% of an average of your high three. Non-law enforcement get 1% for every year of service. Even after 30 years you are only getting 30%.
Lifetime medical equals being able to buy into the fed program for the same amount as when you were working until you become Medicare eligible then you are on that plan.
Not quite sure what retirement system you are under.
BTW, USPS folks pay 10%, so when they retire and it darned near triples to 25% it’s a killer. Other federal retirees find it difficult to believe the impact!