Category: Retirement Matters

By Joanne Bump Health Care Crisis — If you or your family are experiencing long delays to get a medical appointment, you’re waiting a long time in the doctor’s office at your appointment, or the provider doesn’t answer the phone and you’re not sure the request will be answered, realize that you are not alone. It’s… Read more

By Joanne Bump Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) — August 16 marked the one-year anniversary of the IRA signed by President Biden. This new law includes historic prescription drug provisions that are providing benefits to Medicare beneficiaries already, plus adding new benefits in the future. Seniors may not need to choose between essentials like food and medicine.… Read more

By Joanne Bump State of Michigan Retirement Board (SMRB) — In May, the board met to present findings from the annual actuarial reports on the health benefits for the State Employee Retirement System (SERS). This report was prepared by Gabriel, Roeder, Smith & Company (GRS) and was based on September 30, 2022, data, the latest available.… Read more

By Joanne Bump Save SERA — Recently, SERA successfully advocated for the repeal of the pension tax on State employee benefits. We have received many thanks for our effective influence. However, we have more vital work to do like maintaining retirees’ pensions and health care benefits which are being eroded by inflation and bad policy choices.… Read more

By Joanne Bump Assisted Living Evictions — During the early years of retirement, most middle-income seniors don’t assume they will ever need Medicaid. However, Medicaid (health care for those with low incomes) is the primary payer of long-term care (LTC) services in the United States. Nearly 4.4 million Americans have LTC that is paid for by… Read more

By Joanne Bump Nurse Shortage — As retirees age and develop chronic health conditions, they depend on staff from all phases of the health care system. According to a new University of Michigan study 39 percent of Michigan nurses plan to quit in a year. Hospitals have been struggling for years to hire sufficient health care workers to… Read more

By Joanne Bump Debt Ceiling Limit — Last month’s SERA-Nade discussed how the 2023 GOP-controlled U.S. House of Representatives is insisting on steep cuts to Social Security and Medicare, in exchange for their vote to increase the U.S. debt ceiling. But the U.S. Treasury may be able to keep sending out retirees’ Social Security benefit checks and Medicare… Read more

By Joanne Bump Debt Ceiling — You may have heard about the debt ceiling controversy on the news but are interested in how it could affect retirees. The debt ceiling was already reached on January 19, 2023, the federal government having spent up to the limit of $31.4 trillion. To buy time until June 2023, the… Read more

By Joanne Bump Saving Enough? — “The Real Deal for the Public Sector” is a recent report from the National Institute on Retirement Security (NIRS) and Aon. Their research finds that pension plans alone are not providing an adequate retirement income for state and local government employees. This analysis assumes the retiree receives the typical public… Read more

By Joanne Bump The Stars Align — Over the past decades, the thought of driving over Michigan roads free from potholes has been music to our ears, if not to our car repairs. But, fixing the roads has seemed nearly impossible for decades. Michigan’s GOP-led Legislature didn’t enact Governor Whitmer’s 2019 proposed 45-cent motor fuel tax… Read more