Category: Chair Talk

By Bob Kopasz The Coalition of Secure Retirement (CSR) has scheduled a Legislative Lobby Day for Wednesday, May 22, 2024 (9:00am to 2:30pm). Breakfast and Lunch are provided. CSR will schedule individual meetings with your Representative and Senators. This Lobby Day is centered around Public pensions. You will be given information about Public Pensions and… Read more

By Bob Kopasz SERA has been busy the past 5 or 6 months on 2 issues that affect all retirees. Those issues are: Regaining SERA’s ability to receive contact information of new retirees.About 3 years ago we were no longer receiving lists of new retirees from ORS. Apparently, the AG’s office determined that that information… Read more

By Bob Kopasz Welcome to 2024! Hope you all had happy holidays. This Chair Talk will be brief as the legislature is not in session yet. There seems to be nothing earth-shattering about our benefits. Two HMO’s will no longer offer health benefits to active employees, retirees and/or dependents. Those health plans are Physicians Health… Read more

By Bob Kopasz At our November 3, 2023 Coordinating Council Meeting we had Bethany Beauchine, Keri Rust and Alexis, a new staff member from Employee Benefits give the program. We learned that rates for Health, Dental and Vision were not going up. Recently you should have received the Retiree Benefits Bulletin. HANG ON TO IT!… Read more

By Bob Kopasz I would like to thank all the SERA members, and friends, that sent me get well cards in the past couple of months. I am still in therapy and am getting better and stronger each day. Again, thank you for the cards, they have brightened my days. I have heard that some… Read more

By Bob Kopasz A couple weeks ago I received an email from Kathie Vaught (Lansing Chapter) suggesting that I do an article about the difference between the Medicare “Wellness visit” and an annual physical examination in our Preventive Care list we have in our Medicare Advantage PPO. Lo and behold a few days later I… Read more

By Bob Kopasz The Coordinating Council held their first meeting in a new location (Delhi Café) last Friday the 7th of April. The room was smaller than the previous location that we had held our CC meetings, but the new location is large enough for our needs. The food and service was excellent. We will… Read more

By Bob Kopasz Based upon the Financial Report from Jane Wallin indicating that we may have 4 years before we face not being able to fulfill our obligations, I propose the following changes to the CC bylaws and Council policies (effective January 1, 2024) as a means to save money: Legislative Rep: $750 Alternative: ?… Read more

By Bob Kopasz There has been a lot of activity on the Legislative Front in the past couple of weeks. Legislative activity is moving so fast that you can’t keep up with it. Refer to the subjects in Mary Pollock’s Capitol News article in an attempt to keep up with the news. If we need… Read more

By Bob Kopasz Well, here we are ending another strange year. COVID-19 is still here with many new variants that are requiring us to take more boosters/shots to fight off the disease. It’s my belief that the COVID-19 boosters will be another annual vaccination just as the flu shot is. Hopefully no State Retirees have… Read more