Retiree Benefit Guide
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RETIREE BENEFIT GUIDE (518) 785-1900 or (800) 342-4306, ext. 243 www.pefmbp.com ABOUT PEF RETIREES Retire from your job, not from life! Stay in touch, stay involved…Join PEF Retirees! The PEF Retirees is a group of public employee retirees who, like you, dedicated their lives to public service. We are an organization concerned about a variety of retiree issues ranging from the well-being of our retired colleagues to the protection and enhancement of benefits. We actively lobby for improvements in our pension system, health care benefits, tax liabilities, and other important matters/issues through the legislative process. Membership in the PEF Retirees allows you to participate in a number of PEF retiree provided programs and benefits provided by the PEF Membership Benefits Program (PEF MBP), a Trust and separate entity from the PEF Retirees and the Public Employees Federation (PEF). You must be a member of the PEF Retirees to take advantage of these benefits. Two membership classifications are available: • Membership for retired individuals who were prior active, dues-paying PEF union members.1 With this level of membership, you are entitled to take advantage of all programs provided by PEF Retirees, as well as the PEF Membership Benefit Program benefits found in this brochure. • Membership for retired individuals with no prior dues- paying member participation in PEF.1 With this level of membership, you are entitled to take advantage of the PEF Retiree dental program, the PEF Retiree vision program, and the family hearing program. You may also take advantage of the following PEF Membership Benefits Program benefits: Auto/Home/Renters discounts, the Voluntary Legal Service Plan, and any regional vendor discounts. (Benefits for this level of participation are denoted with an asterisk*.) For more information on the PEF Membership Benefits Program offerings listed in this brochure, please visit pefmbp.com. PEF Retiree membership includes the communication of information of interest through specific PEF MBP emails, PEF’s monthly digital magazine, the eCommunicator, PEF Retirees mailings, and PEF Retiree Chapter Meetings hosted in your area. 1 Retired individuals are individuals who are collecting a pension from the New York State Local Retirement System. 2 HOW TO JOIN: First year membership is FREE! Year two and thereafter, membership dues are only $36 annually ($3 per month) via automatic pension deduction, or you may write a $41 check, annually. To join the PEF Retirees, complete the enrollment form available at pefretirees.org, or pefmbp.com. MAKE PAYMENT CONVENIENT WITH PENSION DEDUCTION: Complete the Member Enrollment/Pension Deduction Authorization form located at pefretirees.org, or pefmbp.com. NEED HELP WITH RETIREMENT PLANNING? Looking for valuable retirement planning information? Visit: • NYS Retirement System (osc.state.ny.us/retiree) • Stacey Braun Associates, Inc. (pefmbp.com) • Work-Life Services (worklife.ny.gov) 3 TABLE OF CONTENTS PROGRAMS PROVIDED BY THE PEF RETIREES PEF Retiree Vision Discount Plan ............................................................................ 5 Hear In America ................................................................................................................ 5 PEF Retiree Dental Insurance .................................................................................... 6 PEF MBP INSURANCE BENEFITS Auto/Home/Renters Insurance ............................................................................... 6 Continuation of Group Term Life Insurance ................................................... 7 Identity Theft Protection ............................................................................................. 7 Pet Insurance ....................................................................................................................... 8 PEF MBP LEGAL, FINANCIAL & EDUCATIONAL SERVICES Voluntary Legal Service Plan ..................................................................................... 8 Financial Planning & Credit Counseling ............................................................. 8 Free & Low Cost College Degree Programs ...................................................... 8 Educational Seminars & Webinars ......................................................................... 9 Defensive Driving Course ............................................................................................ 9 PEF MBP ENTERTAINMENT DISCOUNTS Attractions ..........................................................................................................................10 Baseball Teams .................................................................................................................10 Concerts ...............................................................................................................................10 Entertainment/Sports Arenas ................................................................................11 Football Teams .................................................................................................................11 Golf ..........................................................................................................................................11 Hockey Teams ...................................................................................................................11 Performing Arts ...............................................................................................................11 Ski Resorts ...........................................................................................................................11 Theme & Water Parks ..................................................................................................11 PEF MBP EVERYDAY SAVINGS Connect America ...........................................................................................................12 Dignity Memorial Funeral Benefit .......................................................................12 Members Mortgage Corp. ........................................................................................12 Discounted Gift Cards/E-Gift Cards ...................................................................13 Electronics ...........................................................................................................................13 Health & Well-Being .....................................................................................................13 Home Savings ...................................................................................................................13 Liberty Travel .....................................................................................................................14 Movie Theaters ................................................................................................................14 Other Discounts ..............................................................................................................14 SaveAround Coupon Books ....................................................................................14 Travel & Auto Discounts ............................................................................................14 Wholesale Clubs ..............................................................................................................14 Important Telephone Numbers & Websites .................................................15 4 PROGRAMS PROVIDED BY THE PEF RETIREES PEF RETIREE VISION DISCOUNT PLAN* Davis Vision has been providing comprehensive vision care benefits for over 50 years. Their national network of over 93,000 points of access provides you with the flexibility and confidence to know that you will find a vision provider who can meet your vision needs. This vision discount plan helps you care for your eyes while saving you money! The Davis Vision discount benefit entitles you to an annual eye exam at no cost. This discount plan is an annual program that begins each November 1 and ends October 31 of the following year, no matter when you purchase the plan during the year. If you choose to continue to participate in the plan the following year (it is not mandatory to renew), you will need to purchase it again. Renewal notices are mailed to participating members each October for the November 1 program start date. For a complete benefit overview, current annual retiree contributions/rate plan, to enroll, or to locate a provider, visit pefmbp.com or call PEF Retirees at (800) 342-4306, ext. 288. Dependent children under 19, or under 25 and a full-time student, are eligible to be enrolled under your plan. HEAR IN AMERICA* PEF retirees and their families are able to take advantage of the valuable discounts offered through the Hear In America hearing plan. Hear In America works in conjunction with the PEF Retiree member’s New York State Health Insurance Plan (NYSHIP)– Empire plan, to ensure that PEF retirees and family members who are considering the use of hearing instruments, can be confident they are dealing with reputable providers who will provide an honest evaluation of their needs. 5 PEF RETIREE DENTAL INSURANCE* Active, dues-paying PEF retirees can elect to participate in the New York State PEF Retirees Dental Plan made available by Sun Life. As a PEF retiree member, when you visit an in-network dentist, you can benefit from a plan that pays some, or all of your dental expenses for covered services after you satisfy your annual deductible—$25