Chair Talk

January 2014

State Employees Charitable Campaign (SECC)

The SECC 2013 campaign is over and retirees donated $8,220.00 this year to their favorite charities. The donations made by state retirees for 2012 were $7,605.00. Thank you to all who participated.

Aetna Litigation

We have been made aware that some state employees/retirees have been contacted about a settlement involving people that had Aetna as their health care provider between March 1, 2001 and August 30, 2013. Those people that had Aetna as their provider for the State Health Plan were moved to the BC/BS plan on July 1, 2005. If you were an Aetna subscriber you may have a claim in this settlement action. The settlement apparently involves those people that paid out-of-pocket for an out-of-network provider. For more information concerning Aetna UCR Litigation, MDL NO. 2020, MASTER DOCKET NO. 07-3451: The settlement notice and settlement agreement can be found under the documents link on the Aetna website.

Impasse Panel Recommendations and Civil Service Commission Meeting

The Civil Service Commission meeting is scheduled for 10:00 a.m. on Wednesday, January 15, 2014 in the conference room in the basement. At the last CSC meeting in December the commission voted to postpone any decisions on the Impasse Panel Recommendations and extended the union contracts until January 15th. We have not been made aware of any formal meetings between the Unions and the Office of the State Employer. Whatever the Commission decides on the 15th may impact retirees. I will be attending the CSC meeting next week and will inform Chapter Presidents by e-mail as to the decisions made. Notice of their action will also be posted on the website (mi-sera.org).

Editor’s note: Bob Kopasz is Chair of the Michigan SERA Council. He may be reached at P.O. Box 692, Mt. Morris, MI 48458; phone 810/240-8380.