VoluME XVIII IssuE III oCToBER 2014

p2 Chapter News

p3 Candidate Responses

p4 Medicare & AlaskaCare RPEA

Reporter www.rpea.apea-aft.org President’s Candidates Respond to Message Questionnaire on Retiree Issues By Jay Dulany, President Below are the questions that were included money up-front, which creates a shorter on the questionnaire sent to all legislative amortization period saving billions of On November 4, we’ll have an and gubernatorial candidates regarding dollars and making the pension plan opportunity to help decide the areas of interest to RPEA members. Yes stronger for the future? If not, why? direction our state will take during and no responses can be found on the table the next few years. on page 3, and full responses are posted on 3. Would you support legislation which the RPEA website, www.rpea.apea-aft.org. will allow State of employees hired In an effort to educate our members since 2006 to choose a cost-neutral defined about candidates’ positions on areas 1. When Tier IV was created in 2006 benefit retirement system? If not, why? of interest to retirees, a questionnaire the Public Employee Retirement System was sent to all legislative and (PERS) and Teacher Employee Retirement 4. PERS and TERS retirees who choose gubernatorial candidates. The System (TERS) retirees’ oversight boards Dental, Vision and Audio (DVA) and Long questions asked are detailed in the were disbanded. Currently there is no Term Care (LTC) coverage as part of their article to the right. The yes or no board to advocate or liaison with the health insurance pay the total cost of the answers are in the table on page 3, Division of Retirement and Benefits insurance. The State of Alaska (DR&B) represented by “Y” for yes and “N” for (DR&B) to facilitate retiree health care controls the financial management of no. A “?” means that the answer was plans or other retiree issues. Would you the DVA, LTC, and the medical health not exactly on point, was qualified, or support legislation which authorizes the insurance plans. The Alaska Retirement was too complex for a yes or no. creation of an oversight board made up Management (ARM) Board manages the of PERS and TERS retirees. If not, why? investment of the pension funds. Would The complete questionnaires are on the you support transferring the financial RPEA website, www.rpea.apea-aft.org, 2. HB 385 passed the Legislature management of the medical, LTC and DVA for those who want to see the unanimously and $3 billion is scheduled funds to the ARM Board? If not, why? complete answers. Please remember to be transferred from the Constitutional to vote! Budget Reserve account (CBR) to 5. The governor’s state revenue correct an unfunded liability issue for the projections for the next decade show PERS and the TERS. The plan that was that the state will be in deficit spending. used to transfer funds into the pension The has ruled trusts resulted in less money being that PERS and TERS retirees’ pension transferred up-front, which extended the plan and health care benefits cannot amortization period making the trust less be diminished. Would you support robust. Would you support additional actions to ensure that this constitutional legislation to transfer a larger amount of obligation is met? If not, why? Continued on page 3 RPEA 3310 Arctic Blvd., suite 200 Anchorage, AK 99503 MEMBERsHIP APPlICATIoN 274-1703 or (800) 478-9992 Clip and mail to: RPEA, 3310 Arctic Blvd., suite 200, Anchorage, AK 99503 [email protected] or join online at http://rpea.apea-aft.org/membership/membership_comm.html. www.rpea.apea-aft.org Questions? Call 274-1703 or (800) 478-9992 www.facebook.com/rpea.alaska _____ New Member _____ $35 for 1 Year

Want to help RPEA save money and _____ Renewal of Membership _____ $65 for 2 Years the environment? sign up for an _____ Non-Member subscription $35 _____ $145 for 5 Years e-mail version of the newsletter. Call or e-mail the RPEA offi ce today! _____ Change of Address, Phone or E-mail _____ $400 for lifetime Name ______RPEA Executive Board spouse ______President: Jay Dulany Executive Vice-President: Ted Moninski Mailing Address ______Treasurer: Vicki Pedersen ______secretary: susan super Home Phone ______other Phone ______Vice-President Northern Region: Charles Gallagher E-Mail ______Vice-President southcentral Region: Bob Madigan send my newsletter by e-mail. Vice-President southeast Region: Gary Miller legislative Affairs Director: count is now at 19. If you did not write Robert Grove yet, please do so. Senators have nothing to Medical Information Director: gain or lose this late in the session. Maybe sharon Hoffbeck if we get a few more to sign on, there will Membership Director: Fred Traber be more support next session. Communications Director: Ruby Ketola southeast Aetna is saving the State of Alaska money Important Phone Numbers by reducing our health benefi ts. With Chapter News 38,000 retirees plus their family members, Aetna’s Health Concierge: (855) 784-8646 we are talking millions of dollars. RPEA Moda Health/Delta Dental: (855) 718-1768 By Gary Miller, Vice President univita: (888) 320-5824 is fi ghting this through our attorneys. Each member can help with the fi ght by Retirement & Benefi ts, Juneau 465-4460 or (800) 821-2251 Th ose of us who wear prescription medical appealing denials that should have been socks can get the same socks for less at paid. It is unfair we have to do this but it is Meeting schedule Sun Medical. My socks cost $200 apiece part of the battle with this administration. from the Juneau provider. Research lower I urge all Southeast Chapter members to southeast Chapter cost options at www.sunmedmedical.com, continue doing this. second Thursday, september – May, call (855) 477-4507 ext. 148, or 11:30 a.m., in the Aurora Room at the airport contact Sun Medical, 36 W. Route To be able to appeal and to help our southcentral Chapter 70, Suite 214, Marlton, NJ 08053 or attorneys, I copied all of my HealthSmart second Tuesday each month, 11:30 a.m., [email protected]. EOBs onto my computer. I set up one Anchorage senior Activity Center Email me if you have questions at folder for each year. After December 31 Northern Chapter [email protected]. of this year, access to our HealthSmart Third Thursday each month, 12:30 p.m., accounts will end. Are you ready when Princess Hotel Th anks to those of you who wrote your you need to fi le an appeal? I fi led two RPEA Executive Board senators asking support for federal appeals when we were under HealthSmart Third Tuesday each month, 10 a.m., legislation S.896, the Social Security and won both. It can be done. I am more Anchorage APEA/AFT Field Offi ce fairness act that would fi x WEP and GPO than willing to help you anyway that I (via teleconference) 274-1720 (reductions in Social Security because we can and so are members of our medical Contact the editors through the RPEA offi ce. have public retirements). Th e cosponsor information committee.

2 RPEA Reporter • October 2014 • www.rpea.apea-aft.org RPEA Reporter • October 2014 • www.rpea.apea-aft.org

1. When Tier IV 2. $3 billion is scheduled 3. Would you support 4. The State of Alaska 5. The governor’s state was created in 2006 to be transferred from legislation which will controls the financial revenue projections for the Public Employee the Constitutional allow State of Alaska management of the the next decade show Retirement System Budget Reserve account employees hired since Dental, Vision and that the state will be (PERS) and Teacher to correct an unfunded 2006 to choose a cost- Audio (DVA), Long in deficit spending. Employee Retirement liability issue for PERS/ neutral defined benefit Term Care (LTC) and The Alaska Supreme System (TERS) retirees’ TERS. Would you retirement system? If medical health insurance Court has ruled that oversight boards were support additional not, why? plans. The Alaska PERS and TERS disbanded. Would you legislation to transfer a Retirement Management retirees’ pension plan support legislation which larger amount of money (ARM) Board manages and health care benefits authorizes the creation of up-front, which creates the investment of cannot be diminished. an oversight board made a shorter amortization the pension funds. Would you support up of PERS and TERS period saving billions of Would you support actions to ensure that retirees. If not, why? dollars and making the transferring the financial this constitutional pension plan stronger for management of these obligation is met? If the future? If not, why? funds to the ARM not, why? Board? If not, why?

SEAT 1 (Incumbent) Y Y Y ? Y SEAT 7 Verne Rupright Y Y Y Y Y SEAT 10 Neal lacy Y Y Y Y Y SEAT 11 shelley Hughes (Incumbent) ? ? ? ? Y SEAT 16 Max F. Gruenberg (Incumbent) Y Y Y ? Y SEAT 17 “Andy” Josephson (Incumbent) Y Y Y ? Y SEAT 18 Harriet A. Drummond (Incumbent) Y N Y ? Y SEAT 19 Geran Tarr Y Y Y Y Y SEAT 22 Marty McGee Y Y Y Y Y SEAT 24 Mike Fenster Y Y Y ? Y SEAT 26 Bob lynn (Incumbent) Y Y Y Y Y Bill Goodell Y Y Y Y Y SEAT 27 Matt Moore Y Y Y Y Y SEAT 29 Rocky Knudsen Y Y Y Y Y SEAT 30 shauna l. Thornton Y Y Y Y Y SEAT 33 sam Kito (Incumbent) Y Y Y Y Y SEAT 34 Cathy E. Muñoz (Incumbent) Y Y Y Y Y SEAT 36 Chere l. Klein Y N ? N Y “Dan” H. ortiz Y Y Y Y Y SEAT 38 Bob Herron (Incumbent) Y ? Y ? Y SEAT A Tamara Kruse Roselius Y Y Y ? Y SEAT C Dorothy J. shockley Y Y Y ? Y SEAT F Patricia R. Chesbro Y Y Y N Y SEAT I Berta Gardner (Incumbent) Y N Y ? Y SEAT K (Incumbent) ? Y Y Y Y SEAT K Clare Ross Y Y Y Y Y SEAT M (Incumbent) Y Y Y Y Y SEAT N Harry T. Crawford Y Y Y Y Y SEAT Q Dennis Egan (Incumbent) Y Y Y ? Y SEAT Governor sean Parnell (Incumbent) ? N ? ? Y SEAT Governor Bill Walker Y ? Y ? Y

RPEA Reporter • October 2014 • www.rpea.apea-aft.org RPEA Reporter • October 2014 • www.rpea.apea-aft.org 3 RPEA Reporter Retired Public Employees of Alaska 3310 Arctic Blvd., suite 200 local 4900R APEA/AFT Anchorage, Alaska 99503

Protecting & Enhancing Your Retirement Years

ADDREss sERVICE REQuEsTED

How Medicare Coordinates with AlaskaCare By sharon Hoffbeck, Medical Information Director

With few exceptions, PERS/TRS retirees If a service is covered by AlaskaCare but Upon learning of this, RPEA immediately are required to enroll in Medicare at age not Medicare, AlaskaCare will pay at 80 met with the Division of Retirement and 65. From that point on, Medicare is the percent, as it did before age 65. Benefits (DR&B), bringing this error to retiree’s primary insurance and AlaskaCare their attention. DR&B has notified Aetna becomes secondary (supplemental). RPEA was recently informed by two of the mistake, and instructed them to retirees that after Medicare paid their reprocess any Medicare/AlaskaCare claims When a service is covered by both claims as their primary insurance, and that have been incorrectly processed. Medicare and AlaskaCare, Medicare pays after a determination by Medicare that 80 percent of the approved Medicare there was medical necessity and that the Any RPEA members who find that fee, and AlaskaCare pays the 20 percent treatment was not experimental, Aetna they have a Medicare/AlaskaCare claim balance without regard to Aetna’s internal denied the claims, refusing to pay the that has not been processed correctly policies, less any deductible not yet met. 20 percent balance. In both cases, Aetna should contact Aetna or the Division of The state has instructed Aetna to follow stated that the services were experimental Retirement and Benefits to be sure their the Medicare determination of medical per their Clinical Policy Bulletins. claims are reprocessed. Members with any necessity and not apply a second clinical questions can contact Sharon Hoffbeck at review. [email protected].

4 RPEA Reporter • October 2014 • www.rpea.apea-aft.org