Articles about Local Insurance that may be useful to Massachusetts retirees
11,000 New Municipal Enrollees
MAY 2012 VOICE: Lowell is not the only municipality whose retirees and employees will be enrolled in the state’s Group Insurance Commission (GIC) beginning July 1 (see March Voice). Seven other communities have also notified the GIC that they will be transferring their retirees and employees this July.
Presents Report To Special Commission
JUNE 1, 2012: The Special Commission on Retiree Healthcare held its second meeting on Thursday, May 31. Similar to its inaugural meeting in April, the Commission used this meeting to continue its fact-finding inquiry into both state and local retiree healthcare benefits.
3% COLA Approved & GIC Rates Maintained
APRIL 25, 2012: This week, debate is underway in the House of Representatives over the Fiscal Year 2013 State Budget. The weeklong debate will consider over 850 amendments to the $32 billion budget proposal.
Recent Insurance & Pension Reforms May Lower Costs
APRIL 6, 2012: On Thursday, the Special Commission to Study Retiree Healthcare held the first of its seven scheduled meetings at the State House. With 9 of its 11 members present, the Commission heard from a series of experts who outlined the complex issues under consideration.
Focus On Retiree Insurance Cost
APRIL 3, 2012: As we have previously reported, the Association will take part in the Special Commission on Retiree Health Care that gets underway Thursday, April 5.
The eleven-member Commission, created within Chapter 176, Acts of 2011 (Pension Reform), is tasked with further exploring various means by which retiree health insurance costs might be lowered.
Boston Globe
March 20, 2012
A taxpayer group said Monday that Massachusetts cities and towns have saved $80 million on health care since the state enacted a controversial law last year that forced teachers, firefighters, and other municipal employees to give up some of their collective bargaining rights.
The Massachusetts Taxpayers Foundation, a business-funded watchdog that advocated for the law, said in its report that the overhaul was likely to save more than the $100 million annually that had initially been projected by the group.
15 Statewide Health Fairs Scheduled
MARCH 19, 2012: The Commonwealth’s Group Insurance Commission will hold its annual Open Enrollment period from April 9 through May 7, 2012. During this period, all retirees and employees insured under one of the GIC plans may switch their insurance coverage.
During this time period, the GIC will hold a series of Health Fairs across the state - fifteen in all.
MARCH 19, 2012: Massachusetts cities and towns have reached nearly $80 million in first-year savings from municipal health care reform and are on pace to exceed by far the initial estimate of $100 million, according to the most recent data compiled by the Massachusetts Taxpayers Foundation.
Focus On New Municipal Insurance Law
FEBRUARY 14, 2012: Association members were among the over 200 attendees at a recent forum on the new Municipal Health Insurance (MHI) law, that was held at Boston Fire Local 718’s Florian Hall in Dorchester. They gathered together as the retiree designees on the Public Employee Committee (PEC) for their community or school district.
FEBRUARY 1, 2012: Over 100 employees and retirees attended today’s annual public hearing of the Commonwealth’s Group Insurance Commission (GIC) held in Minihan Hall at the Lindemann Center.
Dolores Mitchell, Executive Director of the GIC, presented an extensive update of all commission activities and an estimated projection of future needs and costs.
Mitchell started by pointing out that the Commonwealth could be under some pressure from the added costs of Federal health care reform.
Since 1968 the Retired State, County and Municipal Employees Association has been the leading voice for Massachusetts public retirees and their families. Join with our 52,000 members as we continue the fight.
