Articles about the State GIC that may be useful to Massachusetts retirees
Retirees Support Safe Patient Limits
Few, if any, ballot questions in recent memory have brought about more confusion than Question 1. Mass Retirees supports Yes on 1 and hopes to bring clarity to the issue.
Brought to the ballot by the Mass Nurses Association (MNA) for direct action by voters, Question 1 seeks to establish Safe Patient Limits in Massachusetts hospitals and other healthcare facilities. Simply put, it would establish the maximum number of patients assigned to a single nurse at a given time.
Review Comes at Request of Mass Retirees
AUGUST 7, 2018: Following several years of increased healthcare costs paid by retirees in their insurance through the state’s Group Insurance Commission (GIC), Mass Retirees called upon the Commission to consider affordability prior to any further increases in cost.
Budget Amendments Rejected
For more than a decade, Mass Retirees has fought for an increase in the state’s basic life insurance benefit for retirees and active employees. Our goal is to increase the benefit to $10,000.
As members know, the current $5,000 benefit was established in 1985. After 33 years, the benefit no longer satisfies its original intent – to cover retirees’ funeral and burial expenses. According to the National Association of Funeral Directors, costs in Massachusetts well exceed $5,000 and can easily surpass $10,000, even for modest arrangements.
Formal Legislative Session Ends July 31st
JUNE 25, 2018: Despite the best efforts of our legislative team, as well as a wide array of union lobbyists, Mass Retirees’ amendments to the House’s Health Care Reform bill (H4617) failed to be adopted. Of the 171 total amendments filed, only 25 were successfully adopted during last week’s debate in the House.
Mass Retirees Call on House to Increase Basic Life Insurance: Adopt Amendment #99
State retirees and active employees are urged to contact their State Representative and ask that they support AND vote to adopt Amendment #99 to H4617. This proposal would increase the state’s Basic Life Insurance benefit to $10,000, utilizing a small portion of the Group Insurance Commission’s projected $99 Million surplus as a funding source.
Last Raised In 1985 – Retirees Urged to Call State Reps
April 23, 2018 – Mass Retirees has launched an all-out push to increase Basic Life Insurance benefits for state retirees and employees. The current $5,000 benefit was established 33-years ago in 1985.
Governance, Transparency and Affordability Top Issues
April 5, 2018: Open enrollment is now underway for retirees enrolled in the state’s Group Insurance Commission. All changes take effect on July 1, 2018. The open enrollment period runs through May 2nd and coincides with GIC’s thirteen regional health fairs.
Legislature & Governor Take Quick Action to Avoid Premium Spike
March 27, 2018: At the urging of the Group Insurance Commission and Mass Retirees, the State Legislature and Governor Baker worked together to quickly head off a pending nightmare for the 10,000 teachers participating in the state’s Retired Municipal Teacher (RMT) Program.
Urgent legislation required to spare a group of retired public employees, mostly teachers, from a spike in health care costs next year sped through the legislative chambers on Monday and Gov. Charlie Baker quickly signed his name to the bill he filed just over a week ago. The new law will merge roughly 10,000 retirees into the main pool of Group Insurance Commission members, enabling them to avoid cost spikes, according to the governor and GIC officials.
Mass Retirees Joins GIC in Calling For Swift Action
March 20, 2018: The closing minutes of winter 2018 marked a joint effort by the Group Insurance Commission and Mass Retirees to pass emergency legislation to merge the GIC’s two insurance pools.
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.
