Fulton County notified affected retirees in the February
2012 pension check that the County would continue to provide the
Medicare Supplement payment.
Fulton County Attorney's Office replied to Austin Ramsey's December 29,
2011 letter in a letter dated January 18, 2012. Association
members can log into the site and view the letter on the "Current
Issues" page.
The
following changes were proposed by the Finance Director for the FY2012
budget with regard to the non payment of the Medicare Supplement
previously announced by letter to retirees who currently receive this
payment as a part of their pension benefit.
The FY2012 Proposed Budget includes a
recommendation to stop the County practice of subsidizing one half of
the Medicare premium through monthly pension benefit payment for some
retirees. From the new information just received via an existing consent
order relating to the benefit, there might be a possibility of the
County being precluded from stopping the benefit. The
County
Attorney's
office is currently reviewing the matter.
In
the meantime, the Board of Commissioners
approval is being requested to restore the $628,000 that was excluded
from the proposed budget which can be used to continue the benefit in
the event the County Attorney's
office opines as such.
On
December 29, 2011, Austin Ramsey submitted a letter to the Fulton County
Attorney's Office which presented our position that discontinuing the
Medicare Supplement payment violated the 1998 Federal Consent order.
Association members can log into the site and view letter on the
"Current Issues" page.
On
December 28, 2011 the Association's Health Benefit Oversight Committee
met to discuss the county's recently announced plan to discontinue the
payment of half of the Medicare premiums for those retirees on Medicare.
The Committee decided to refer the matter to the attorney involved in
the original federal lawsuit. The following committee members
attended the meeting: Horace Copridge, Joe Drolet, Bob Meyers,
Marion McDonald, Sally Smith, and Jim Stephens.
On December 20,
2011, the Association submitted a letter to the Fulton County budget
commission requesting that a COLA raise be approved for the Fulton
County retirees who retired under a pension plan that does not have a
COLA provision.
The 2012 Fulton County Health Insurance Plan was approved on October 5,
2011 by the Board of Commissioners.
Changes included new rates and a separation of active and
retirees into separate risk pools. Association
members can log into the site and proceed to the “Current Issues” page
to view a summary of the approval process and the Association’s
objections to some of the proposed changes to the 2012 Plan.
The Health Benefits
Oversight Committee on March 10, 2011 submitted to the Association board
its report on the findings and recommendations concerning the review of
Fulton County documents related to retiree health benefits. The
report was also presented at the the April 12, 2011 association meeting.
The report can be read by logging into the web site and following the
link on the Current Issues page.
The Health Benefits Oversight Committee met on February 22, 2011 to
discuss the results of the recent document reviews and to formulate a
future plan of action. The following individuals attended the
meeting: Horace Copridge, Joe Drolet, Gordon Flippo, Belinda Gay,
Steve Gay, Marion McDonald, Peg McDonald, Wanda Messina, Bob Meyers,
Barbara Plunkett, Chester Plunkett, and Jim Stephens.
Judy Hudson, Wanda
Messina, and Barbara Plunkett reviewed documents at the County
Finance Department on January 27, 2011. The county provided the
committee with a CD reportedly containing documents. The members
of the committee attempted to view the documents on the CD but no one
could get the CD to open. No documents of value were obtained in
this review.
After numerous
exchanges of correspondence between the County Attorney's Office and the
Committee between August 24, 2010 and January 21, 2011 to work out the
logistics of another review, the dates of January 27 and January 28,
2011 were finally agreed upon for another review.
Based on the
inadequacies of the documents furnished in the August 4, 2010 review, a
verbal request to renew this request for documents was made by committee
chairman Bob Meyers to the County Attorney's Office. The County
Attorney's Office responded by letter dated August 24, 2010.
Association members can view letter by logging in to the web site.
On August 4, 2010 the
following members of the Health Benefits Oversight Committee, Judy
Hudson, Marion McDonald, Barbara Plunkett, reviewed the documents
requested in the committee's March 29, 2010 letter, Association
members can view a summary of this review by logging in to the web site.
On March
29, 2010 the
Association's Health Benefits Oversight Committee mailed a letter to the
Fulton County Finance Department requesting access to documents related
to the topics discussed at their March 11, 2010 meeting.
Association members can view letter by logging in to the web site.
The
Association's Health Benefits Oversight Committee met on March 11, 2010.
The main topics of discussion concerned an issue with the Fulton County
Insurance Stabilization Fund and the recent problems retirees have
been experiencing with the prescription drug plan. Recent feedback
received from retirees concerning problems and changes encountered with
their health insurance coverage was also discussed. Strategies were
developed to pursue a resolution to these issues. The following
individuals attended the meeting: Joe Drolet, Belinda Gaye, Steve
Gaye, Marion McDonald, Peg McDonald, Wanda Messina, Bob Meyers, and Jim
Stephens.
On
March 9, 2010, President Wanda Messina met with the Pension Board
Research Committee to discuss the directives developed by the
Association offices at their January 15, 2010 meeting. Edward
"Skip" Platt was elected Chairman of the Pension Board Research
Committee.
On January 15, 2010
the FCREA officers met to formulate directives for the Pension Board
Research Committee. The directives developed at this meeting can
be viewed by Association members by logging in to the web site.
At
the October 13, 2009 meeting a
Pension Board Research Committee was appointed. The purpose of the
committee is to investigate the pension board membership makeup of other
closed pension plans. Members of the committee are Cynthia Duhart,
Marc Henson, Tom Malone, Neal McDaniel, Edward "Skip" Platt, Barbara
Plunkett, Brenda Scott, Gaye Stewart.
On
August 18, 2009 the Health Benefits Oversight Committee met to analyze
the information received from the Finance Department and to plan further
strategies to resolve the issues addressed in the committee's
correspondence with the Finance Department. The following
committee members and interested association members attended this
meeting: Horace Copridge, Joseph Drolet, Gordon Flippo, Belinda
and Steve Gay, Marion McDonald, Wanda Messina, Bob Meyers, and Barbara
Plunkett.
The Finance Department in a letter
dated August 5, 2009 replied to the Oversight Committee's letter dated
June 1, 2009. Association members can view the letter by logging
into the site.
The Health Benefits Oversight
Committee submitted a letter dated June 1, 2009 to the Finance
Department requesting clarification on the transfer of funds in the
Insurance Stabilization Fund to the Risk Management Account.
Association members can view the letter by logging into the site.
The Fulton County Attorney's Office
in a letter dated April 14, 2009 replied via law firm Rumsey and Ramsey
to the Health Benefits Oversight Committee's letter dated November 17,
2008. Association members can view the letter by logging into the
site.
Law firm Rumsey and Ramsey submitted
a 2nd letter dated April 2, 2009 to the Fulton County Attorney's Office
requesting a reply to the Health Benefits Oversight Committee's letter
dated November 17, 2008. Association members can view the letter
by logging into the site.
Law firm Rumsey and Ramsey
submitted a letter dated February 27, 2009 to the Fulton County
Attorney's Office requesting a reply to the Health Benefits Oversight
Committee's letter dated November 17, 2008.
Association members can view the letter by logging into the site.
The Fulton County Board
of Commissioners recently passed a resolution establishing a Fulton
County Other Post-Employment Benefits (OPEB) Trust Agreement.
Further information and details regarding this resolution and trust
agreement can be viewed by Association members by logging into the site
and following the links on the Current Issues page. Additional
information can also be found on the first page of the April, 2009 Prime
Times Newsletter.
The Health Benefits Oversight Committee submitted a follow up
letter to the Finance Department dated January 5, 2009 requesting a
reply to the Committee's letter dated November 17, 2008 which had not
been forthcoming. Association members can view the letter by
logging into the site.
An issue involving beneficiary life insurance coverage after
the death of the retiree has come to the attention of the Association.
On December 4, 2008 a letter was sent by the Association to the Board of
Commissioners asking for a change in the current policy. The
Association's letter and the County Manager's reply may be viewed by logging in to the site and
following the link on
the Current Issues page.
The
Association's Benefits Oversight Committee submitted a letter to the
Fulton County Finance Department on November 17, 2008 requesting further
clarification of data previous furnished to the committee regarding the
County's Insurance Stabilization Fund. Association members can
view the letter by logging into the site.
The Association's Benefits Oversight Committee met on November 10, 2008
to discuss the information received from the County finance department
regarding the County's Insurance Stabilization Fund. The following
members attended the meeting: Horace Copridge, Judy Hudson, Marion
McDonald, Wanda Messina, Bob Meyers, and Jim Stephens.
The Association's Benefits Oversight Committee submitted a letter to the
Fulton County Finance Department on September 9, 2008 requesting data on
the Fulton County Insurance Stabilization Fund. Association
members can view the letter by logging in to the site and following the
link on Current Issues link.
The
Association's officers, pension board representative, and newsletter
editor met on Friday August 22, 2008 to discuss current issues.
Andy
Weathers resigned as Association attorney due to personal considerations
on August 20, 2008. The Association is seeking another attorney.
It was announced at the June 19, 2008 Association luncheon that the
Fulton County Board of Commissioners had approved the a new retiree
position on the Fulton County Pension Board.
On June 19,
2008 Mr. Jim Edens of the Fulton County Pension Office made a
presentation at the Association's luncheon regarding the new
Retiree Medical Savings Plan. Association members can log in to
the web site and view the power point portion of that presentation.
On June 16, 2008 the Georgia Court of
Appeals dismissed Fulton County's appeal of the April 14, 2008 ruling
because all issues in the suit had not been addressed at the Superior
Court level. Association members can log in to the web site to
view ruling.
On May 20, 2008 several members of the association's
Health Benefits Committee met with association attorney Andy Weathers to
brief him on past activities and to obtain input on future committee
activities.
On April 14, 2008 a Fulton County Superior Court judge
ruled in favor of a group of county retirees who filed a suit in
connection with how our pensions are calculated under the 1991 Pension
Plan. Association members can log in to web site to obtain further
details.
James W. Stephens has
won reelection to the retirees' Position #6 on the Pension Board
Association members can login to the web site and view additional
details regarding the election.
On February 18, 2008, Retired Senior Assistant
District Attorney Robert A. (Andy) Weathers agreed to serve as the
association attorney. Association members can login to the web
site and view more information about this appointment.
On February 14, 2008 the Health Benefits
Oversight Committed directed a letter to the pension office outlining
two health benefit issues which did not comply with the pension law or
court and requested that steps be taken to correct this. More
information on the results of this inquiry will be published later.
On February 12, 2008, Association members voted unanimously to endorse
the candidacy of James W. Stephens for the retirees' position (Position
#6) on the Pension Board in the election to be held on March 12, 13, and
14, 2008.
Heath Benefits
Oversight Committee met on January 14, 2008 to further evaluate the
documents received from the pension office.
Health
Benefits Oversight Committee met on January 8, 2008 to evaluate the
documents received from the pension office.
On
November 1, 2007 the Health Benefits Oversight Committee directed a
letter to the Pension Office requesting 2007 health insurance financial
and insurance carrier reports. Association members can login to
the web site below and view the text of this letter on the Current
Issues link.
Health Benefits Oversight Committee met on September 20, 2007
On
September 10, 2007, the Association directed a letter to the
members of the Fulton County Board of Commissioners expressing our
concern over the disparity in retiree representation versus active
employee representation on the Pension Board. Association members
can login to the web site below and view the text of this letter on the
Current Issues link.
On August 27, 2007,
President Wanda Messina appointed association members to serve on the
Health Benefits Oversight Committee. Association members can login
to the web site below and view on the Current Issues link, a sample of
the letter send to the appointees which outlines their responsibilities
in more detail.
On August 14, 2007 Association members voted to create a Health Benefits
Oversight Committee. This committee is charged with the
responsibility to monitor the county's compliance with the health
insurance benefit levels for retirees mandated by the pension law and
the federal court order issued as a result of our litigation with the
county on this issue