Molly to active teacher Cindy Strader on Health care legislation

From Molly Janczyk, December 18, 2006

Dear Cindy,

The amount of misspending we presently address will not come close to paying HC costs for one day since STRS is self insured and pays $1.5 million a day for our HC. While we abhor any misspending for just doing the rt thing, we must find solutions to fund it for you and other active educators. Yes, your % did just go up approx. $30 per ck for the first increase in quite a while and retirees premiums rose from $0 - $150 in just the last few years while their spouses went from $31 to nearly $700. The system has relied on retirees to save HC short term and we will never recoup our losses but we fight for you.

The problem is not the laptops or dinners and we are holding them responsible for that attending monthly meetings chastising them and bringing it to light for change. The problem is STRS NEVER secured a legislative change to increase contributions decades ago to keep up with HC costs which have become totally out of hand. To ask persons to go to other countries seems extreme to me as I would not know the Dr.'s or standards or be able to afford flights for my family to care for me after procedures let alone uprooting family from jobs and school to go.

You would experience a loss of approx. $50 per ck while receiving a raise annually of approx. $80-100 clear. So you do still gain while we lose more every year. I receive as a 30 yr retiree a straight 3% COLA and clear about $70 each year monthly to overcome soaring HC costs and premiums. So each year, I have less and less to pay bills. Retirees who are able must work and spouses cannot retiree. We have been robbed of our retirements due to this crisis which is: STRS never secured a stream of revenue for HC and relied too heavily on the market. WE ALL know that the total misspending would never have paid for HC but we were outraged due to spending any of our money cavalierly and feel the system should be modest as is their constituency.

Cindy, retirees have their bed and it won't change as we made irrevocable decisions, have lost our financial stability, and in some cases homes, unable to afford meds and treatments. We fight for this legislation for you actives so you will never have to endure what we do. If you don't pay a bit now for your future, you will absolutely NOT have HC for your retirement. A little now or none. There is no retirement without HC. This is your best chance to have a secure retirement, I promise you. I have fought hard for 4 yrs. to lower expenses at STRS and for change. BUT, I have always known these indiscretions would never have paid for health care. They were just wrong and part of an entitled mentality which we will never tolerate again. We will continue that fight, but don't for your sake, confuse the 2 issues. This legislation is your ONLY shot to have HC in your retirement which is WHY we all are fighting for it. To not do so, is counterproductive for your future.

Write your legislators for reform in HC costs and for HC legislation to increase contributions. People are not going to fly out of the country for treatment. There are families and costs far greater to the patient to consider with travel and lodging. Now there are out of pocket limits and then STRS pays 100% over $1500 medical costs and $500 deduc.

Sincerely, Molly Janczyk

Ask anyone my name and they will tell you I have been among the loudest and longterm of those fighting for reform. But, I want you to have HC when you retire.

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From Cindy Strader, December 15, 2006

Subject: RE: ***CORE ALERT*** - December 15, 2006 Ohio STRS health-benefits fund drying up

John,

I am not happy about sending any additional money to STRS until I feel confident that they are truly working in our best interest and in a frugal manner with our money instead of the board's interest and the STRS employees' interests. Also, it is not surprising that the OEA supports more money for STRS as Michael Billirakis was the OEA president and on the STRS Finance Committee during the excesses. Finally, the percentage was just raised for us a few years ago to support those same excesses and the retirees are already having to pay much more for their health care premiums.

School boards and STRS may be able to save money by offering a carrot to employees and retirees to leave the country for surgery as many businesses are starting to do. They could fly people to Mexico or Costa Rica for some surgeries for a third of the cost, while still paying all expenses plus an amount for their trouble.

Perhaps, our government will finally get a clue and form national healthcare. Then this would be a moot point.
Mrs. Strader

Lexington High School