MORE Bad News for Retired Teachers and All Public Ed Employees in Texas

            For once, I would love to be able to write about GOOD news for Texas’ public education employees/retirees.  But today, we received this news alert from the Texas Retired Teachers Association regarding this Friday’s meeting of the Teacher Retirement System of Texas Board.  (Remember that TRS actually covers ALL Texas public education employees, although the name indicates it is only for teachers.)

            AS IF we are not facing enough financial devastation already because of the TRS healthcare decisions the Texas Legislature made during the 2017 Legislative Session, now we have this to worry about.  For those who are new to the discussion, here are the key points regarding the TRS healthcare nightmare:

¨      The deductible for TRS retirees under the age of 65 was increased from $400 to $1500 ($3000 for married, under-65 retirees covered by TRS Care) during the 2017 Legislative Session.

¨      Meanwhile, the Texas Legislature kept the deductible for ALL OTHER state employees who are retired, including retired legislators, at $0.  (They are covered by the state’s OTHER retirement system, the Employees Retirement System of Texas, known as ERS.)

¨      We used to have a choice between three different levels of coverage, with an increasing premium as we moved up the coverage ladder.  Now we have one choice---the high-deductible, poor-coverage plan.

¨      ERS retirees continue to enjoy excellent healthcare benefits.

¨      This year, our monthly premium is $200.  It will increase over the next four years until it is close to $400 a month.

¨      ERS retirees continue to get their healthcare for free.  Their monthly premium is $0.

¨      As mentioned above, TRS retirees now have a $1500 deductible.  We must now pay 100 percent out of pocket until that deductible is met.  That means no co-pay for any doctor/hospital visits. For married couples covered by TRS, they must reach the $3000 deductible (NOT $1500 per person) before one penny of their healthcare costs is paid.

¨      ERS employees, as mentioned above, have no deductible.

¨      The $1500 deductible for TRS retirees also pertains to prescription drug costs, except for a list of standard, generic drugs.  Like with our healthcare, there is no longer a prescription-drug copay for all of us who are retired teachers, school bus drivers, cafeteria workers, librarians, classroom aides, maintenance workers, police officers, custodians, nurses, social workers, counselors, administrators, or sign language interpreters.

¨      ERS retirees have a $50 prescription-drug deductible.

¨      During the 2017 Legislative Session, Texas legislators appropriated double the amount of money for ERS than for TRS, although ERS has half the number of members.

¨      Throughout our careers, we were promised affordable healthcare when we retired.  That promise has been shattered.

¨      ERS retirees were promised the same thing.  Their promise continues to be fulfilled.

¨      For seven months, we have called, emailed, mailed, and tweeted messages to Governor Greg Abbott to let him know how we are suffering.  To date, he has not even acknowledged our pleas.  Not even acknowledged, which shows his complete disrespect for public education employees who dedicated our lives to the children of this state!

            In the TRTA alert this afternoon, we were reminded of more staggering statistics:

¨      The Texas Legislature “has not authorized any pension increases for retirees since 2013.”

¨      In 2013, the Legislature provided a pension increase for retirees who retired on or before August 31, 2004.  They received a three-percent increase in their annuity, though they could not receive more than an additional $100 per month.

¨      Those of us who retired on or after September 1, 2004, have never received a pension increase.

¨      “Thousands of retired school employees have seen reduced Social Security benefits (if they receive them at all), increased health care costs, and no pension increases for as long as 14 years in their retirement.”

¨      “Ninety-five percent of Texas school districts don’t contribute to Social Security.”  What this means is that those who worked their entire careers in Texas public schools will not receive any SS benefits.  Those of us who have worked outside of the public schools will receive benefits, but they are far less than we would be receiving if we were not members of TRS because of a federal loophole.

¨      “The pure state budget general revenue contribution to Texas TRS is the absolute lowest percentage of payroll contribution to a state TRS pension plan in the nation.”

            This Thursday at 11 a.m., Texas AFT and retired school employees from across the state will hold a news conference on the steps of the TRS building in Austin to emphasize what the board’s decision the next day means for all of us who are already suffering at the hands of the Texas Legislature. 

            Friday, the TRS board will make a critical decision regarding lowering the rate of return assumption.  I urge ALL active and retired public education employees to read, in its entirety, the TRTA alert at the beginning of this blog post AND to respond to the call to action at the end of the alert by marking your calendars and watching the TRS Board’s meeting this Friday online, if you can’t be there in person. 

CALL TO ACTION!  
July 25, 2018

The TRS board meeting is THIS FRIDAY!  I just heard from board secretary Katherine Farrell. We can send emails for the board to her email (click on "her email"), and the entire board will get it!
I urge your to remain respectful and professional.  In my opinion, four of the board members have sincerely been listening to our concerns and feeling our pain.  Three of them are in the boat with us as active/retired educators!
Now is our chance to send emails urging them to think about THEIR teachers, bus drivers, school secretaries, classroom aides, librarians, nurses, maintenance workers, cafeteria workers, counselors, sign language interpreters, social workers, police officers, and administrators as they make this difficult decision Friday!

ACT NOW!!!!!

Chris Ardis retired in May of 2013 following a 29-year teaching career. She now helps companies with business communications and social media and works as a sales coordinator for Tony Roma's and Macaroni Grill. Chris can be reached at cardis1022@aol.com. (Photo by Linda Blackwell, McAllen)