Tag: State employees

General Assembly

Maryland Owes the Promised Prescription Drug Coverage to Its Retirees

By Peta Richkus. To quote the Governmental Accounting Standards Board (GASB)”.. the GASB believes that the government has an obligation to pay Other Post-Employment Benefits (OPEB)* based on the level of retirement benefits promised to an employeein exchange for his/her services.” The judge agrees; now its time for the General Assembly to do likewise. Former DGS Secretary Peta N. Richkus updates the status of MD … Continue reading Maryland Owes the Promised Prescription Drug Coverage to Its Retirees

Forward Baltimore Admin5 Comments
General Assembly

State Retirees’ Rx Drug Benefit Redux

By Peta Richkus. Older retirees from State service remain in a hellacious limbo about their futures. Thanks only to a federal court injunction, and the handful of employees and their attorney who filed for it (Thank you, Ken Fitch, Deborah Heim, Mary Frye, and Deborah Holloway Hill, Esq.), Medicare-eligible State retirees continue to receive their prescription drug benefit. But for how long? Unfortunately, many legislators, … Continue reading State Retirees’ Rx Drug Benefit Redux

Elizabeth Brown9 Comments
General Assembly

Time is of the Essence for Retirement-Eligible State Employees

By Peta Richkus. Subsequent to publication of Ms. Richkus’  Commentary in Maryland Matters and The Daily Record, the MD State Retirement Agency (SRA) removed all reference to SB 946 from its web page (a Search for “SB 946” currently yields no results). The Department of Budget & Management (DBM) link to expanded SB 946 information can be found at the top of the DBM Home page. … Continue reading Time is of the Essence for Retirement-Eligible State Employees

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Health

Plan to Rob State Retirees of Prescription Drug Benefit on Hold; Next Steps?

Fact: The State had a contract with its employees; the terms of the contract, including the scope of the work (the job description) and the compensation (salary and benefits), were agreed to by both parties. The State has violated that contract. Fact: 40% of the cost of retirees’ prescription drug plan is paid for by the retirees themselves plus federal funds paid to the State. … Continue reading Plan to Rob State Retirees of Prescription Drug Benefit on Hold; Next Steps?

Elizabeth Brown7 Comments
Health

Last Chance Missed to Rectify State Retiree Drug Benefit Theft?

by Peta Richkus. Editor’s note: This piece is a follow-up to our earlier post “Don’t Use Inaccuracies to Sell A Bad State Retiree Drug Plan,” which was an open letter from Peta Richkus outlining how data was being used inaccurately to justify changes to prescription drug coverage from the State’s Medicare-eligible retired employees. The State Senate and House subsequently passed a bill (“SB946”) that did … Continue reading Last Chance Missed to Rectify State Retiree Drug Benefit Theft?

Elizabeth Brown5 Comments
Health

Don’t Use Inaccuracies to Sell A Bad State Retiree Drug Plan

by Peta Richkus. Note from editors: What if you retired from your job with the State of Maryland with all your retirement ducks in a row, only to learn later that your drug prescription benefits were being taken away? Benefits that were negotiated in good faith? This menacing scenario is not a “what if” after all, but a saga playing out over the last eight … Continue reading Don’t Use Inaccuracies to Sell A Bad State Retiree Drug Plan

Elizabeth Brown4 Comments