Monday,
February 24, I filed an Open Records Request with the Teachers Retirement
System of Texas regarding the 2021 health-care changes for both active and
retired public-ed employees who are covered under TRS health-insurance
plans. My questions are based on questions
TRS members began posing when the announcement was made two weeks ago that TRS
retirees under the age of 65 would be moving from Aetna to Blue Cross Blue
Shield and those over 65 would move out of Humana and into United Healthcare in
January of 2021.
Below are
the questions (Q) I asked in my ORR and the responses (R) I received today from
TRS:
Q: Are these plans already fully developed? (ATTENTION ALL
CURRENT PUBLIC-ED EMPLOYEES ON TRS ACTIVECARE!!!)
R: TRS-Care and TRS-Care Medicare Advantage rates and
benefits will not change through 2021. The 86th Texas Legislature appropriated
$231 million to keep TRS-Care premiums the same through 2021, and the added
savings from the contracts allows TRS to support this commitment.
The TRS board will hear recommendations for
TRS-ActiveCare benefits and rates at its meeting on April 16-17, 2020. While we
were able to secure considerable savings for TRS-ActiveCare from the vendor
transition, the program, like most other employer groups in the U.S., faces
rising health care prices. We are currently reviewing the past year’s claims
experience to project future health care expenses and will take those
projections along with the contract savings into account as we finalize rates
and benefits for TRS-ActiveCare. We encourage you to tune into the board
meeting to hear the discussion. The agenda will be posted a few weeks in
advance so you can determine which day the discussion will occur.
(MY NOTE: Those of
you who currently work in districts covered by TRS-ActiveCare, THIS IS YOUR OPPORTUNITY
TO BE HEARD! Contact TRS board members NOW, before their board
meeting April 16-17. Tell board members
your stories now! Contact TRS Board
members through their secretary, Katherine Farrell at katherine.farrell@trs.texas.gov.
Q: Were current and retired TRS members part of the
selection process?
R: Current and retired TRS members are not directly part
of the vendor selection process; however, the evaluation team that reviewed
proposals considers our members’ needs across a broad range of categories
including financial savings, provider networks, customer service,
communications, disease management, and clinical programs.
TRS goes through a rigorous process to select vendors.
The process to select medical plan administrators was complex and took more
than a year. Our goal was to select medical plan administrators who could meet
our enhanced requirements for member satisfaction and care, accessibility, quality,
and value. Ultimately, the team recommended to the board the administrators we
knew could bring the most value and highest quality of care to our members.
Throughout the contract term, these administrators will
conduct participant satisfaction surveys to make sure our members are satisfied
with the plans. Following the board’s vendor awards announcement, the TRS staff
work with the vendor the board selects to execute a contract that reflects the
board’s decision, which is how major procurement processes are conducted.
Q: Were/Are current
and retired TRS members playing a role in developing the plans?
R: See above regarding TRS-Care – rates and benefits will
be staying the same through 2021.
Over the past several months, TRS’ has met with school
district chief financial officers, human resource directors, and assistant
superintendents to engage in a dialogue about how we can
transform TRS-ActiveCare. This major effort is the first
of its kind in the program’s near-two-decade existence. We are listening to our
stakeholders and providing them with financial and health insights that paint a
clear picture of the challenges facing the program. We will present
recommendations for TRS-ActiveCare to the board in April that reflect the
feedback we’ve received from districts as part of this initiative. We believe
that, together, we can make this the program public school communities across
Texas value.
Q: If they are NOT fully developed, how can TRS members
provide PROACTIVE advice/feedback?
R: TRS members and retirees can always send us feedback
to healthcarecomm@trs.texas.gov.
TRS-ActiveCare participants can also communicate the
information to their district leaders or benefit administrators.
The TRS-Care Retirees Advisory Committee (RAC) holds
public meetings on group coverage, recommends to TRS minimum standards and plan
features, and recommends to TRS changes to rules and legislation affecting
TRS-Care. The RAC periodically has open seats available for nomination. The
committee meets at least twice a year in Austin and provides updates to the TRS
Board of Trustees.
CALL TO ACTION!
SPEAK UP or REMAIN SILENT!
The choice is OURS!
TRS ActiveCare Members
Read the first question and answer above. The TRS Board meets April 16-17 and will
discuss YOUR plan!
·
Send an email
·
Attend the meetings and sign up to speak
·
Submit letters to the editor of your local
newspaper(s)
·
Tell your stories to your local television news
stations
·
Speak up about your current premiums, benefits,
and out-of-pocket costs
TRS Retirees, under and over 65:
Look at the last question and response. This is our chance to provide feedback before
our plans are set in stone.
I am submitting a second ORR to TRS this evening with a few
other questions that have arisen. This
is how to file one. I always go the
email route. Stay tuned for the
responses I receive.
In the meantime, LET’S GET TO WORK!
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The announcement that our insurance provider will be changing has presented another obstacle for many of us who are turning 65 in the next few months. Now we TRULY do not know what route to go. Do we gamble and stay with TRS for 65 and over, or do we get out like so many have and go the medicare/supplement route? Again, public school teachers have to make uninformed choices and then live with them. How fair is it that we cannot SEE the policy BEFORE we opt in or out.
ReplyDeleteREALLY? All we know is the premium will stay the same! So, the premium is the same, but WHAT will the premium be paying for? If it is anything like the below 65 retirees, I do not want any part of it. We deserve better than this. This reminds me of all the years we signed our teaching contracts without knowing what our salaries would be. What other professions or businesses sign contracts with the salary blank?
What I find insane is that if you choose to leave--for a better option--you can never go back. If you leave another company for a better deal and then decide to return, you can. But the "company" we trusted throughout our careers, and the legislative system we trusted to keep that promise, expect us to stay in regardless of what it costs? How?
DeleteLike so many others, I feel our current and retired legislators should have to live with the benefits they give us! THEN we will see a difference!
The message from TRS did say the benefits would remain the same for 2021, too, so you would not have to deal with the UNaffordable health care we have!
As for the contracts--NONE that I know of! For so many years, we were respected and we trusted the promises told to us. It is so sad to me that those days are gone.
BUT....I FIRMLY BELIEVE that if many more of us would GET IN THE GAME, it would change. Look at what happened to Indeed Tower!
As a retiree on Medicare this really concern me. All we know is premiums will remain the same, we already saw outpatient as well as inpatient hospital cost double as well as our year deductibles. I really think like the lease deal something smells here too.
ReplyDeleteWe know premiums will remain the same for 2021 but not beyond! I urge you to send an email to the Board secretary--for her to send to them--about your concerns!
DeleteAs for me, when I turn 65 later this year, I'm leaving TRS insurance for good. I have a much better policy lined up with Medicare and a supplemental policy.
ReplyDeleteGood for you! So sad that we have to do that...but we must take care of ourselves since the state certainly isn't keeping their career-long promise to do so!
DeleteAfter it's all said and done TRS retirees will really get the screws put to them. After all the state funds are depleted from this tragic virus we are all going through,Abbott,Patrick,TRS,and the state legislators will really have an excuse to cut our pension and healthcare even more not to mention no action on WEP.But guess what? They will still have their free healthcare and a generous pension.I have been calling,writing and block voting to no avail,looks like things will only get worse for TRS retirees in the near future.Thanks for everything you do Chris.
ReplyDeleteSorry it has taken me so long to respond. Although my hope for a significant improvement in our health-care coverage and cost is waning, I have not given up all hope, and I cannot imagine them reducing our pension. They have talked, over the years, of changing the pensions for those who have not yet retired to defined contribution rather than defined benefit. We must remain vigilant to be sure THAT doesn't happen.
DeleteOur battle cry needs to continue to be HEALTH CARE AS GOOD AS YOURS (to all of our legislators!)!!!