Working to protect and improve retired teachers’ pension and health benefits.
Social Security Fairness Act!
Even while under duress, Social Security has been acting quickly to disburse funds for back payments to eligible recipients. Understanding just what amount a person should receive can be complicated for several reasons. First, payments for a month are received in the following month, so keeping track of how many months payments a person is due is tricky. Then, an individual might have received a smaller payment from Social Security, so that amount already received has to be accounted for in making the determination. Additionally, some people have made Medicare payments directly and that may not have been accurately represented in the payment they received. Review the information you received to see if it appears to be accurate and if not, you can file for a review at ssa.gov/forms/ssa-561-u2.pdf
Here are a few things to consider when you review the one-time payment you have received and any letters of explanation. That payment covers what you should have received January 2024 through February 2025, a total of 14 months, but at slightly different rates because a COLA took effect and checks received in a given month are for the previous month’s payment. Confused yet?
Most likely, the payments are correct except in the case where an individual made direct payments to Medicare and the Medicare payment amounts were also deducted from the one-time payment. In that instance Medicare is supposed to issue a reimbursement that might happen in the second week of June. However, letters about payments state that any issues have to be raised within 60 days of receiving the letter, or before the June time frame. You can try contacting Medicare, file an appeal with Social Security, or wait to see if it is cleared up without your intervention. Regular monthly payments for the correct amount are to begin in April and cover benefits due for the month of March. Please take note that taxes were not withheld for the one-time payment, but you will have to pay federal and state tax on the money you received. For future monthly payments, you can ask Social Security to withhold money for federal tax, but not for state tax. Only a few states tax Social Security payments, so there is no provision to withhold money for state taxes. ssa.gov/manage-benefits/request-withhold-taxes
It’s Always Something—-Health Insurance Support
In his recent budget proposal, Gov. Lamont reduced the State’s contribution to our Health InsuranceFund from 33% to 25%. The reduction is concerning as precedent, and also because the Fund is still below desired levels due to the years that the State made no payments into it. Additionally, as our health insurance costs have risen, so have the contribution amounts from the Health Insurance Fund. If you want to know lots more about the situation, you may read the Actuary’s Report on the TRB web site. Are you curious to know how the Health Insurance Fund coverage is distributed across members and spouses? Approximately 8500 people receive health insurance through their last Board of Education, with a $440 per month per person subsidy from the TRB Health Insurance Fund. From the ARTC: “The current membership counts are 28,401 members on the Medicare Advantage plan and 4,330 on the Medicare Supplement plan. Regarding the 33% to 25% reduction by the State that has caused concern for members, those concerns are based on some of the historical issues that have preceded us in the past that everyone is aware of so we will see what happens with how that moves forward.”
Everyone is encouraged to contact his or her state legislators to explain the need for maintaining the State’s contribution at the expected one-third level. You can find them here.
cga.ct.gov/webapps/cgafyl.asp
Note- our present health insurance contract ends Dec. 31, 2025, so we will be hearing about a new plan before the year ends. So far, a Request for Proposal has not been posted. That step begins the process by soliciting plans for consideration.
To find the Actuarial report and lots of other information, go to the TRB Web site at ct.gov/trb. Look under Agency Resources, then select Statistics and Research where you will find Actuarial Valuation of the CTRB Retiree Health Care Plan (OPEB)
Reimbursement for eye glasses is said to be $500, but this does not mean costs up to $500 will be fully reimbursed. A person who opted to keep his current frames and only upgrade lenses, found the total cost of lenses at $374 was not reimbursed. When calling UHC to inquire, the call was redirected to the TRB and the response was “That is all Medicare allows.” Curiously, Medicare doesn’t have any coverage for eye glasses, so the response should have been that is all your plan allows. We don’t have a $500 budget to spend toward glasses, but will be reimbursed according to what the plan allows, up to $500.
The TRB
The Teachers’ Retirement Board oversees aspects related to our pension and health insurance. They meet virtually during the school year and retirees are encouraged to sign in and watch the meeting because our attendance reminds the Board of our interest in their actions. At the end of each meeting, there is an opportunity for public comment. This curious event means just that- you are allowed to comment. No questions will be addressed. On occasions when someone does ask a question, they are greeted with silence.
Is there any way to get an answer from the TRB during a meeting? Yes! One of the newest Retired Teacher Representatives, Edwin Vargas, is making good on his campaign promise to ask questions on behalf of retired teachers. He has done so during meetings and he is providing his email address for us to circulate so that he may ask questions on our behalf. On the TRB site, there is a mechanism for submitting questions or information to TRB Members, but he has learned that some information submitted for him via that method has not gotten to him, so please use his personal email to reach him: edvargas49@gmail.com
SFCRTA Book Grant Awards for Future Educators
Each year five Book Awards of $2,000 each are given by our local chapter of retired teachers, The Southern Fairfield County Retired Teachers Association (SFCRTA). Applicants attending high schools in Darien, Greenwich, New Canaan, Norwalk, Stamford, Weston, Westport, and Wilton should be those students who are pursuing a career in education. Applications are available on our website (SFCRTA.com) and are due no later than May 1, 2025. Please spread the word and encourage students to apply.