We are starting our Spring Membership Drive! Please show your support by joining or renewing with the ONLY organization that’s advocating for your TRS retirement plan, the Texas Retired Teachers Association!
The Teacher Retirement System of Texas (TRS) Board of Trustees is developing a plan to lower health care premiums for retirees who are age 65 and older participating in the state-run health care program, TRS-Care Medicare Advantage. The board will decide how much premiums will be reduced at their July 2024 meeting, and the reductions will go into effect in January 2025 when the new plan year begins.
Additionally, the board will approve an open enrollment period for the program. The open enrollment will run from October 1, 2024 through March 31, 2026.
Members may keep up with information about these upcoming changes as they are implemented by visiting the TRS website en este enlace.
The TRS-Care program experienced significant changes in 2017 in response to a shortfall in the program’s fund balance. These changes included premium hikes that caused tens of thousands of retirees to leave the program. Once out of the TRS-Care program, retirees are not allowed to re-enroll barring two exceptions; turning 65, or a special enrollment event like marriage or death of a spouse.
“TRTA’s work with the Legislature helped preserve TRS-Care when it was facing its darkest hour in 2017. Now, we are pleased to see that TRS-Care is in a much better situation and that these positive changes will benefit TRS retirees,” said Tim Lee, the Texas Retired Teachers Association’s (TRTA) Executive Director.
TRS Executive Director Brian Guthrie said that “as a result of some very difficult changes… the program has turned a corner.” He described the current TRS-Care plan as having “a very healthy fund balance.”
“Being able to provide something like this back to our members is a dream come true,” Guthrie said.
While TRS has yet to outline specific figures for the premium reductions, Guthrie stated at the TRTA’s convention (TRTA) that they would be “significant.”
Texas Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick and Senator Joan Huffman (R – Houston) recently released statements requesting TRS to create these changes.
TRTA is grateful to the Board of Trustees, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, and Sen. Joan Huffman for their support of retired educators in improving the health care benefits! TRTA will continue to keep its members informed as TRS progresses in this process. Stay tuned to the Inside Line!
THANK YOU
Gracias por ser miembro de TRTA. Estamos pidiendo a los miembros que por favor renueve sus cuotas con TRTA si aún no lo han hecho. Si conoces a alguien que no es miembro, por favor invítalos a unirse a nosotros! La unión hace la fuerza y la forma más segura de lograr el éxito es hacer crecer la organización.
