Paul Boyer to STRS Board: Another run on our money?

From Paul Boyer, November 8, 2006
Subject: Medicare reimbursement
Board members and Damon:

With not all of the votes counted yet, it looks pretty certain that we retired teachers have helped to send Betty Montgomery into retirement. I am waiting until the final results and if what we see now still stands, I intend to write her a letter congratulating her on her retirement, with the help of active and retired teachers across the state..

Now, it has just come to my attention that you board members are contemplating another run on our money, which is not yours to "spend as you see fit." We older retirees on Medicare are getting a raise in premium of about $5.00 but I understand you are considering cutting our reimbursement by $10.00 which means we will have to spend $15.00 per month out of pocket than we did this year.

Who do you think you are playing with. Again, I remind you that this is not your money but the retirees. With all of the money you save by us having our bills first paid by Medicare, you should be giving us a 100% reimbursement as a couple of the other state retirement systems are doing. Sometimes I wonder how you sleep at night when you contemplate things like this.

As a member of CORE, I, along with other members, will be watching diligently and will let you know loud and clear how we feel.

I have already written to you about the raise in co-pays and the raise from $1500.00 to $2000,00 in maximum co-pays and I reiterate that you are out of line with what you are receiving from Medicare and what most of the large drug chains are doing to lower drug prices.

Get busy and talk to Caremark about revisiting their drug costs in light of all this.

Paul L. Boyer

Retired since 1985

Life member OEA/OEA-R,

NEA, ORTA, CORE

Proud to be named

“Core” of CORE