ARSEA/APEAL REPRESENTATIVES ON SEIB BOARD BLOCK PREMIUM AND SURCHARGE INCREASES WITH SUPPORT OF DR. BRONNER
The executive staff of the State Employees Insurance Board asked its members at Wednesday’s meeting to approve a series of premium and surcharge increases for retirees covered by the plan, but ARSEA/APEAL representatives on the board blocked the effort with help from Retirement Systems of Alabama Chief Executive Officer David Bronner.
William Ashmore, CEO of the SEIB, said retiree premium increases are necessary as a result of rising healthcare costs and decreasing federal support for the Medicare Advantage program that covers the vast majority of retired workers, and he predicted that SEIB could face a large deficit as early as Fiscal Year 2026
Currently, SEIB imposes a $25 surcharge for retiree spousal coverage, but many couples under the plan qualify for waivers that include the spouse being ineligible for other coverage, the spouse being unemployed or retired, and others.
Ashmore proposed eliminating the waivers altogether and requiring all couples to pay the $25 spousal surcharge even if they were previously exempted, and he requested increasing single monthly premiums for Medicare-age retirees covered by SEIB from $15 to $25 a month.
Retired State Comptroller Bob Childree, a former president of ARSEA/APEAL who sits on the SEIB, instead made a motion to keep premiums and surcharges in place and at current levels, use reserves to address any shortfall, and ask the Legislature to increase its monthly budget appropriation for active members to $1,065 per member.
Carolyn Middleton, a retired state budget officer who sits on both the ARSEA/APEAL board and the SEIB, supported Childree’s motion.
Bronner agreed with Childree’s motion but suggested keeping the legislative request at $1,055 per month, which was approved. He also stressed it is important to contact House and Senate members in the Legislature and educate them on the needs and financial realities of public retirees, who have not received a cost-of-living adjustment since 2006.
ARSEA/APEAL is proud that our SEIB representatives stood tall for their fellow members, and we appreciate Dr. Bronner for standing with us, as well.
44th ARSEA/APEAL CONVENTION TAKES PLACE ON SEPTEMBER 24th and 25th
FULL RECAP IN NEXT WEEK’S ARSEA/APEAL UPDATE
ARSEA/APEAL will hold its 44th Annual Convention in Birmingham on Tuesday and Wednesday of next week, and it promises to be a fun, informative, and exciting event.
Our on-going efforts to pass legislation that will resume regular cost-of-living adjustments for both state and local retirees without adversely affecting the finances of the Retirement Systems of Alabama will be a central topic throughout the convention.
The annual FOREPAC Dinner will allow our members the opportunity to interact and speak with influential state and local elected officials, and a live episode of the “In the Weeds” podcast, which is hosted by “Alabama Daily News” editors Todd Stacy and Mary Sell, will be recorded and provide attendees with valuable insight about the political machinations in Montgomery.
A special reception being held this year will pay tribute to Liane Kelly, who retired from ARSEA/APEAL in March after serving our association for 17 years as executive director and 32 years overall.
The Foundation Benefits Fair features a come-and-go walking breakfast that allows members to enjoy their meals while visiting informative booths set up by our sponsors and exhibitors.
The business meeting that follows features a look back at the past year, a look forward to the next year, and a keynote speech by Gov. Kay Ivey, who has attended and addressed previous ARSEA/APEAL conventions held in Prattville, Huntsville, Montgomery, Tuscaloosa, and Mobile.
For those who have not registered and will be unable to attend, we will provide a full recap of the convention along with a highlights video in next week’s edition of the ARSEA/APEAL Weekly Update.
