Category: Chair Talk

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

By Bob Kopasz Physician’s Health Plan (PHP) Medicare Advantage Retirees were notified in the Retiree Benefits Bulletin that Physician’s Health Plan would be offering a Medicare Advantage Plan starting January 1, 2021. PHP then sent out a mailing to Retirees with information about the plan. In that mailing was an opt-out letter that created a… Read more

By Bob Kopasz The Michigan Civil Service Commission and Michigan Department of Technology, Management And Budget (DTMB) have approved another Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for Retiree Health Benefits. The pertinent language/section is: “2. Cost-sharing waivers for primary-care and behavioral health office visits, telehealth medical and behavioral health services, in-office diagnostic laboratory testing and X-ray services,… Read more

By Bob Kopasz 2020 CENSUS Another reminder to complete the 2020 Census if you have not already done so: Online: my2020census.gov By phone: 844-330-2020 2020 SECC RETIREE CAMPAIGN The 2020 State Employee Charitable Campaign (SECC) for Retirees is accepting donations (checks or Credit card). Go to the SECC website at misecc.org to learn about the SECC… Read more

By Bob Kopasz On July 13, 2020 an Interagency Memorandum of Understanding for Retiree Health Benefits was approved by the Civil Service Commission. The MOU had changes in the current Medicare Advantage Plan that were beneficial to Medicare-eligible retirees. Cheryl Streberger and I had discussed these changes with Jan Winters (State Personnel Director) and Bethany Beauchine (Director,… Read more

By Bob Kopasz The Friday, August 7, 2020 Coordinating Council meeting will be a conference call: Call-in Number: 1-248-304-7182Participant code: 163-7182# The meeting/call will start at 10:00 a.m. There will be an abbreviated agenda consisting of:Treasurer’s reportChair ReportLegislative ReportMembership/Hantz ReportNomination Committee ReportCouncil Coordinator ReportNew/Old Business If there are any plusses to this pandemic and stay… Read more

By Bob Kopasz MEDICARE AND NO-FAULT AUTO INSURANCE I have been researching this issue extensively to try and provide some direction/suggestions to SERA members and retirees who are on Medicare as to what decisions you will need to make by July 1st when this law goes into effect. I looked (and listened) to the following:… Read more