TRS-Care, the state-run health insurance for retired Texas educators, saw significant changes to its plan structure and premium rates in 2017. The changes occurred in both the Texas Legislature’s regular session and the following 30-day special session. For many retirees, these changes included an increase in premium costs to ensure the health care program stayed solvent.
Many retirees have been contacting the Teacher Retirement System of Texas (TRS) about the TRS-Care premium charges for the month of December 2017. The charges that have been applied to retirees are for that month, which was the older reduced rate. The charges that will occur at the end of January 2018 will reflect the new, higher rate. These changes will be visible to retirees in the monthly annuity statement.
TRS has written an explainer about the changes to retiree premiums, and what the upcoming schedule looks like. If a retiree has opted out of TRS-Care, they were still charged in December for the TRS-Care insurance that was provided that month.
Early Voting for Texas Primaries Starting Feb. 20
The Texas primaries are single-handedly the best way to influence change in retirement-related policies, like TRS-Care and cost-of-living benefits. Many retirees expressed disappointment over the changes to TRS-Care that occurred during the 2017 Texas legislative sessions. The road to influencing future policy outcomes starts now.
Most Texas elections are not decided in the November General Election. Elections are most often decided in the March primaries. The Texas Retired Teachers Association (TRTA) will be providing a full suite of updates through the Inside Line on how you can get involved in educated on the upcoming elections.
While TRTA does not endorse candidates, it does provide a way for you to interact at a local level to learn about the candidates in your area. TRTA features more than 250 local units across the state. Local unit meetings are a great opportunity to learn about candidates. Visit this link to find your local unit today!
Additionally, pro-educator organizations are providing information about candidates. Texas Educators Vote is one resource to get started on the path towards the election.
Early voting for the primaries will begin on February 20. The primary election day is March 6. Please make a plan to vote early, and stay tuned to TRTA for more information.
Thank You
Thank you for your membership to TRTA. If you are not yet a member, we need you to help us protect your retirement security. Please join TRTA today!
If you know someone who should be a member of TRTA who has not yet joined, please consider buying them a TRTA membership—just $35—as a gift for this holiday season!
We hope you and yours have a wonderful holiday season!
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