Category: Chair Talk

By Bob Kopasz I have been receiving complaints (email, telephone and letters) from retirees about all the brochures and information from the States Blue Cross PPO MA program. Retirees would like to have all the mail they receive about the States MA Health Plan stopped. I must be the odd-man-out because I believe the more… Read more

By Bob Kopasz I have been contacted by ORS to recruit some retiree volunteers to help with the MI-Login issues. Below is the email I received on March 3, 2022 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. Read more

By Bob Kopasz Biden-Harris Administration Will Cover Free Over-the-Counter COVID-19 Tests Through Medicare CMS Developing Initiative to Enable Access to Eight Free Over-the-Counter COVID-19 Tests for Medicare Beneficiaries in Early Spring As part of the Biden-Harris Administration’s ongoing efforts to expand Americans’ access to free testing, people in either Original Medicare or Medicare Advantage will… Read more

By Bob Kopasz Most retirees that have email received the below notice from the Office of Retirement Services. ORS has received many calls and emails because of the changes made in the sign-in process for MI-ACCOUNT. The process is called MultiFactor Authorization (MFA). The process for signing into your MI-Account may take a little longer… Read more

By Bob Kopasz The past 2 years has not helped much to increase membership. In the past 2 years many Chapters have not had meetings (zoom or conference calls), nor have they printed newsletters informing members of legislation and activities that will have a direct effect on their retirees. As an organization, where have we… Read more

By Bob Kopasz Many State Employees/Retirees may have received a postcard with the below highlighted statement: IF YOU PURCHASED OR WERE ENROLLED IN A BLUE CROSS OR BLUE SHIELD HEALTH INSURANCE OR ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES PLAN BETWEEN 2008 AND 2020, A $2.67 BILLION SETTLEMENT MAY AFFECT YOUR RIGHTS. This settlement claims that BC/BS plans violated antitrust… Read more

By Bob Kopasz The Coordinating Council has determined that the rest of the Executive Board Meetings for 2021 will be done by conference call. The Board meeting dates remaining are at 10:00 am: Fridays June 4, September 3 and October 1. The numbers to call are:1-602-580-9409 Access Code 497894# We have 2 Coordinating Council meetings… Read more

By Bob Kopasz FYI: Death Death of the retiree. Upon your death, your personal representative (family member or executor) should contact ORS as quickly as possible. We will need your social security number and a photocopy of the death certificate. See What Your Survivors Should Know for information to give to your survivors.  Death of a pension beneficiary. If you elected… Read more

By Bob Kopasz Notices have been sent informing Chapters that I have scheduled a SPECIAL COORDINATING COUNCIL MEETING (conference call) for 10:00 am on Friday January 15, 2021. We have requested that the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services provide a representative to speak about/and answer questions regarding the Covid-19 vaccines. MDHHS has provided… Read more

December 2020 By Bob Kopasz I received this poem today (12/6/2020) from Tom Johnson (906 Chapter 10). The poem was sent to him from “Jeff Ware”. It pretty much sums up the year 2020. T’was a month before Christmas T’was a month before Christmas, And all through the town, People wore masks, That covered their frown.The frown had… Read more