Illinois Retired Teachers Association President Gary Elmen addresses TRIP and Medicare issues.

IRTA President Gary Elmen.

Given the concerns about the Teacher Retirement Insurance Program and Medicare, I asked IEA President Cinda Klickna some questions in an earlier post. She offered a prompt response.

I also offered Illinois Retired Teachers Association President Gary Elmen the same opportunity.

Full disclosure: I am a member of both organizations.

President Elmen responded:

Thanks for asking, Fred.

First, congratulations for organizing an active group of retirees to protect mutual interests!

I will be much briefer than Cinda. It is important to note that IRTA, IFT, IEA, and the other members on that TRIP advisory committee are endeavoring to cooperate. As a matter of fact, the initial email to members of IRTA and IEA are the same because they agreed that would be helpful.

Because that TRIP advisory committee had not met in years, I was fed up and wrote two registered letters this summer to both the Governor and CMS Director decrying the communication problems that has created and urging them to see that the meetings resumed quarterly. That prodding seems to have worked. We will see over time.

Aside from Cinda’s defense of the We Are One coalition backing of the bill to trade off pension rights for some vague unenforceable health insurance promise (which IRTA publicly opposed and is willing to fight in court), her outline of the statute creating the TRIP advisory committee was helpful in showing that it is indeed advisory.

This is very important for retirees to understand. Many falsely believe that TRS or the advocacy groups control the insurance provisions.

IRTA has been monitoring the “below the radar” law enacted this year that called for the state to seek bids on a Medicare Advantage program. The initial view was that this would be aimed at state employees as a pilot program, not those retirees in TRIP. But that has changed.

This new direction does not make sense from a strategic point of view from the legislative leaders’ perspective. Previously they wanted us to trade our COLA for access to health insurance. Now a different direction???

At the recent TRIP committee meeting when the new Medicare Advantage plan was mentioned, there were no significant details. CMS will release those later, even though they must know some parameters because of the bid solicitation. But given the changes this year in copays/deductibles (e.g. Cigna) that confused retirees and prompted many calls to CMS, it is not surprising that CMS wants to have their act together.

Yes, I agree that the decision period for the new Illinois Medicare Advantage should be longer. Even if CMS holds meetings around the state after October 1, insurance can be confusing and changes can frighten retirees. I am sure all the affected groups would push for more time.

On top of this all is the Federal Affordable Care Act. Every couple weeks we hear of changes in the timelines and guidelines. Shifting sand! It remains to be seen how that will affect us all.

But retirees can take some comfort in knowing that their organizations are monitoring and sharing what little information they have with their members. But they cannot share information they do not yet have, and it is not smart to share conjecture.

Best wishes.

Gary Elmen

President, IRTA