This blog
post is definitely a bullet-point post because so much has been happening that
we all need to know about. Click on the links for more information on each
topic. Here goes:
· In case you didn’t hear, after
heavy-duty public outcry, as well as pushback from several Texas legislators,
TRS scrapped
its plans to move into Indeed Tower in Austin at a cost of $326,000 per MONTH. This, my TRS counterparts, is a PERFECT EXAMPLE
of what can be done when we join VOICES and FORCES to fight!
· When are Texas legislators
going to change the name—not the acronym, which would likely complicate things
more than we care to imagine—of TRS? It is
one of the greatest misnomers in education in our state because it belies who
its members are. TRS is NOT just about teachers,
though its official name is TEACHER Retirement System of Texas. TRS is actually
the retirement system for our bus drivers, cafeteria workers, counselors,
secretaries, librarians, maintenance staff, custodians, classroom aides, all other
auxiliary staff, and administrators.
Which legislator can we count on to submit a bill for the 2021 Legislative
Session to change this? Who has ideas
what TRS can stand for that will be true to ALL of the system’s members? (I find it strange that even the TRS website
is not clear about who its members are, rather having only this on its “About TRS” page
(italics and bold mine)): The
Teacher Retirement System of Texas is the largest public retirement system in
Texas, serving more than 1.5 million people. Innovation, technology, and
collaboration make the difference as we strive to continue earning your trust
every day. This may seem like a
technicality; however, when I think of the effect making my health care UNaffordable
and receiving no COLA has had on me, I can only imagine what it has been
like for my colleagues who receive much less than I do in their pension
checks. Changing the name—again, not the
acronym—for this system would serve as a constant reminder of who its members
are.
· Both retiree organizations to
which I belong—Texas AFT Retiree Plus and Texas Retired Teachers Association—have
identified health care and a COLA (Cost-Of-Living Adjustment) as our top priorities
in the 2020 General Election and in the 2021 Texas Legislative Session. At the very least, the Texas Legislature needs
to ROLL BACK the health-care plan for TRS retirees under the age of 65. It is a
classic case of bait and switch. I retired in 2013 and signed on to TRS-Care. You see, throughout my 29-year teaching
career, I was promised affordable health care when I retired. I paid $285 per month because I chose the
high plan. I had a $400 deductible and
had affordable co-pays when I went to the doctor or I had a prescription to
fill. I had budgeted for this before I retired, so like most of my retired
colleagues, I did fine. But that all
changed during the 2017 Texas Legislative Session when Gov. Abbott, Lt. Gov.
Patrick, and the majority of the Texas Legislature robbed us of the
promise. My premium was reduced to $200
per month because all of us under 65 (remember—TRS is NOT just about teachers)
were forced into a high-deductible plan.
My deductible went from $400 to $1500, and I was stripped of
my co-pays. I have to pay 100 percent of all medical costs
(doctor/hospital visits AND prescriptions—unless the prescription is on a list
of “standard, generic drugs) out of pocket until I reach the entire $1500. For my colleagues who have a spouse on their plan,
they must pay $3000 out of pocket—NOT $1500 per person—before their TRS insurance
for retirees under 65 pays a penny. And
if this slap in the face were not enough, they made the mark from that slap indelible
by keeping the insurance
for retired LEGISLATORS more than affordable! Their premium is $0
per month. Their deductible
(and check out their co-pays on this link, too) for health care is $0 and
for prescriptions, $50 (I cannot find a link for this?). We are going to be
LOUD AND CLEAR this November and during the 2021 Legislative Session because so
many of us have stopped getting the medical exams we need because we cannot
afford them. ROLLBACK
OUR HEALTH CARE!
· Only the Texas
Legislature can authorize a COLA, and a pension fund must be actuarially sound
before it can do so. As of the 2019 Legislative
Session, TRS has been made actuarially sound. (Although it was long overdue, most of us remain
grateful.) As you may know, people on
Social Security receive an automatic annual
COLA. Not so for TRS retirees. The last COLA was provided in 2013. It was a three-percent increase but was
capped at an additional $100 per month, AND it was only provided to TRS members
who retired before August 31, 2004. Do
you see what that means? That means
anyone who retired after August 31, 2004—16 years ago—has NEVER had a COLA! Now take a look at the Consumer
Price Index for that period. How in the world are retirees expected to make
ends meet? (Remember—in Texas, public-education
employees are not allowed to pay into Social Security unless we have jobs outside
of education, so the TRS pension is the only retirement income for most TRS
members.) I received a letter from TRS
dated January 17, 2020, to let me know I would see a 30-CENT increase in my
2020 pension check, and I am not kidding!
TRS retirees are calling upon our legislators to ROLLBACK our
AFFORDABLE health care and to provide us with a long-overdue COLA during the
2021 Legislative Session. All current
candidates should be asked about this before the General Election in November,
and all members of the Texas Legislature should be asked—by us and those who
support us—if THEY are going to sponsor the bills to accomplish this!
There’s more to come soon.
Stay tuned….and STAY INFORMED!
In the next blog post, coming soon—The announcement last
week from TRS that the providers will change January 1, 2021, for all of us on
TRS-ActiveCare, TRS-Care Standard, and TRS-Care Medicare Eligible, as well as
details about the federal Social Security Fairness Act.
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)
