Medical Insurance for Children Ages 23 to 26 Available for Children of Retirees

Public Act 08-147 requires group health plans to provide coverage for unmarried children up to the age of 26, regardless of the child’s student or dependent status. A Comptroller's  memorandum explains how the Public Act will be implemented under the State of Connecticut Employee Health Plan. The effective date of implementation is January 1, 2009. To download the Comptroller's Memorandum on this insurance use this link. For the rate chart use this link. To download the agreement SEBAC signed to get pharmacy added to the coverage (only medical was required by statute) use this link.

Please read the Memorandum and rate chart carefully and completely. The Fair Market Value of the insurance for the child who is not a dependent under §152 of the Internal Revenue Code is taxable income to the retiree, and the retiree is required to include the Fair Market Value for this benefit in their taxable income. Retirees with questions as to the tax impact of the inclusion of the Fair Market Value of health benefits for non-qualified children are advised to consult their personal tax advisor.

RA Approves Free Holiday Party for Recent Retirees (posted 8/22/08)

At the A&R Representative Assembly meeting on August 11, it was agreed to give any A&R member who retired from 12/1/07 through 12/1/08 a free ticket to the Holiday Party.

The Representative Assembly would like to congratulate recent retirees on the completion of their state service and welcome then into the A&R Retirees' Chapter.

More details will be provided in the Fall.

Lawsuit Filed for Recalculation of Retirement for Those Who Retired before the Longley Decision (posted April 30)

Filed in the United States District Court, District of Connecticut, on behalf of Brian Belanger, Albert Sheary, Richard Judd and all others similarly situated, the suit claims:

It is not known how long it will take for the Courts to hear and decide the case.

For a complete copy of the original Longley decision click on this link.

Pension, healthcare and other issues such as these are important to A&R and its retirees. We want to be sure that we keep and strengthen the benefits that we have won.

Toward that end, the A&R Retiree Council will hold political education meetings at 10 A.M. on a Wednesday each month.

A&R Retiree Council political education meetings will be held at the union office on the following Wednesday mornings.

In an interview appearing in the March 3 edition of The Wall Street Journal, John McCain restated his support for the privatization of Social Security, saying, "As part of Social Security reform, I believe that private savings accounts are a part of it -- along the lines that President Bush proposed."

Privatization would mean a 30-50% cut in benefits, with the average retiree losing $134,000 in payments over 20 years of retirement. Arizona Alliance for Retired Americans members gathered outside a Phoenix Social Security office this morning to protest Sen. McCain’s support for privatization, which he has consistently favored and voted for in 2006. "Don't be fooled, John McCain is, was, and always will be a privatizer," said George J. Kourpias, President of the Alliance for Retired Americans." While he fancies himself a maverick, he has long championed the Bush plan to gamble away Social Security on the roulette wheel of the stock market. In a Bush-McCain world, seniors' risk would be Wall Street's reward."

AFT has sent national membership cards to A&R (AFT Local 4200) retirees. Each membership card has a unique ID number that will be your entry to AFT+ member benefits via the members-only web site.

Retirees activated their cards by logging in at www.aft.org/members . Retirees without web access called 888-AFT-JOIN. Card activation is required to access AFT+ member benefits and members-only parts of the site.

Questions about the AFT national membership cards may be addressed to AFT membership deputy director Yvonne Freeman at 1-888-238-5646 or via e-mail at membership@aft.org.

If you are retiring in the near future or are already retired A&R Retirees need your help. Interested in social activities? Come join us. Interested in politics? Come join us. Interested in your benefits? Come join us. Interested in running for Union offices?