October 16, 2024

You may have recently received two pieces of mail from the Retirement Office. The first is an Information Verification Form for 2024. It requires you to provide updated information to the Retirement Office. If you are receiving a monthly benefit from the Retirement System, this form must be filled out, signed, dated and returned to the Retirement Office. Failure to return the completed form will result in the suspension of your benefit payment until such time as the form is completed and returned. Therefore it is very important that you comply with this request.If you receive a monthly benefit and did not receive the form you should contact the Retirement Office at (313) 224-5891.

August 13, 2024

On August 8, 2024, the Michigan Court of Appeals finally issued their decision in the County’s appeal of the Disability Healthcare coverage grievance. They rejected the Couty’s arguments and affirmed the lower court ruling. The County can request that the Court of Appeals reconsider the decision but since it was a published decision the chances of the Court of Appeals allowing a Motion to Reconsider are very small and should be denied. On June 13, 2024 there was an arbitration hearing to clarify certain issues in the arbitrators decision. Briefs were filed last week and hopefully we will get a decision by Labor Day. The arbitrator did comment that he was dismayed that this issue is taking so long to be resolved. Our attorneys are considering to file a Mandamus Order to force the County to follow the court order and arbitrator’s award but have to weigh that against just prolonging the procedure by doing so.

As I have stated in past meetings the Medicare eligible increases that we have been receiving pursuant to the Settlement agreement will end in 2025. We will continue to receive the stipend but with no additional increases. I had a meeting with a representative from the County Executive’s Office regarding the continuation of the increases beyond 2025. In our discussions he said that the County is looking at enhancing the current pension benefits being offered to active employees in an effort to assist in recruitment and retention of active employees. As such he seemed supportive of including our request in the package that might be sent to the Wayne County Commission. He requested that we have discussions with Alicia Bell, Chairperson of the Wayne County Commission to get support from her regarding our request. I have sent a detailed letter to her with a cc to the rest of the Wayne County Commissioners and hope to hear from her soon. I also requested an increase for the Non Medicare stipend as that has remained unchanged since 2015.

I have been told that many retirees that have an account with Empower for either your Defined Contribution account or your Deferred Compensation account do not have a designated beneficiary on file. If you have an account with Empower please be sure you have a beneficiary listed and make sure it is up to date. If you have questions you should contact Kandie Anglin at (248) 840-0655.

There is an election for a retiree representative to the Retirement Board. It is a four year term beginning January 1, 2025. You must be a retiree (not a beneficiary of a retiree) and a resident of Wayne County, and not be an Airport Authority retiree. You must pick up petitions from the Retirement Office and obtain at least 50 signatures of eligible retirees. Bettye Misuraca is up for re-election and is running for a new four year term.

There is legislation in Lansing that would remove the 1,000 hour limitation on retirees who come back to work for the County. Currently if you work more than 1,000 hours your pension would be suspended until you no longer worked for the County. Under the proposed legislation you would continue to get both your pension and wages from the County. People that are opposed to this change feel it is “double dipping” and shouldn’t be allowed.

There is current legislation that requires a pension fund to be 100% funded before any pension increases can be granted to retired members unless negotiated through collective bargaining.

July 10, 2024

Wayne County has switched to a new payroll system and the July benefit is the first retiree payment processed with the new software system. There have been a few problems with the new program: 1) The County cannot send DDA notices via email so they are currently sending paper DDA statements through the US mail to all retirees who have direct deposit; 2) The benefit deduction tables and tax tables may not be 100% correct so that taxes withheld and benefit deductions (healthcare, dental, life insurance etc.) may not be 100% correct; 3) the 129 retirees that still receive a paper check may have issues cashing or depositing their check due to some checks missing the MICR  code normally printed on the bottom of the check. If you are one of those individuals you should cal Andrea Pennington in the Retirement Office at (313) 224-2774 or Jim Magee at (313) 224-2821. They should be able to assist you.

We had two guest speakers at the July meeting. Sakia Scruggs Nixon, sister of Adrianne Scruggs, who is running for 3rd Circuit Court Judge for Wayne County and Carol Soucheck runnung for 9th District Wayne Couty Commissioner. Both Adrianne Scruggs and Carol Soucheck have been screened and endorsed by the AFSCME PEOPLE Committee screening committee.

Hugh Macdonald did some research and procured a copy of the County’s mirrored retiree BCBSM Medicare Advantage Plan (MAPD) which is made available to mirrored retirees age 65 and above. The County does not offer retirees a Medicare Supplemental Plan. You can enroll in the County’s MADP or select a plan of your own from any other healthcare provider. However once you qualify to elect the Couty’s MAPD you can always enroll in the plan at a later date.

May 15, 202

At our last meeting we had two guest speakers. The first was Sandra Bucciero, Fraud Guard Director, from the Register of Deeds Office. She spoke on the issue of Deed Fraud and how to protect yourself. She stated that the most often properties affected were homes with no mortgage or homes that no one is living in. Fraudsters create counterfeit Quit Claim Deeds and put the property in their name and then take control of your property.  The Wayne County Register of Deeds, Bernard Youngblood, has established a fraud guard service which is free to Wayne County residents. If you are registered, they will send you a notification of any changes made to your deed. We have attached a copy of the flyer she provided us at the meeting on how to register for the service and if you have a complaint. If you own a home you might want to look into this free service.

We also had Sherry Searcy, widow of Bryant Searcy, who was murdered in the Wayne County Jail. She has established the Bryant Searcy Scholarship Foundation and is holding its 2nd annual Scholarship Banquet and Fund Raiser on June 25, 2024. Sub-Chapter 38 donated $100 towards the scholarship Fund at its May meeting and we have provided the flyer regarding the banquet and fundraiser for any interested members.

We are hoping to meet with the County Executive or his representative and members of the Wayne County Commission to see if we can get support to extend the possible increases to the Medicare healthcare stipend paid to Wayne County retirees who are not in the “Mirrored Retiree Group” as the Settlement agreement which provides for the increases will reach its maximum amount in 2025 if an increase is paid in 2025.

Finally, just a reminder that the Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan Medicare Advantage Plan will still be available in 2025 with a slight increase in premiums from 2024. The current premium is $11.20 and it is guaranteed not to increase by more than 10% for 2025. If you might be interested in this Plan, you can contact Mark Mueller, TRM & Associates, at (313) 963-1135 for additional information.

February 25, 2024

At our next General Membership Meeting we will have a guest speaker, Sheriff Raphael Washington, who will speak on senior citizen scams and what to watch out for and who to contact if you become a victim.

At a recent Labor Coalition meeting the Unions said the County has stated that they are not open to offering the BCBSM Advantage Plan to mirrored retirees as a healthcare option as it would increase the Counties costs. We are hoping to talk to other County officials to get a better understanding of the Counties position and any additional costs they may incur.

The County has recently discovered that it was providing a Medicare Eligible stipend to beneficiaries of retirees who did not provide continued healthcare benefits for their survivor(s) and was attempting to recover any over payments. The Subchapter filed a grievance and in resolution the County has agreed that it will only attempt to recover any remaining balances in their MERS account rather than the total of any overpayments.

December 20, 2023

Just a reminder that the Retiree Medicare stipend will increase to $140.72 or $145.72 effective January 2023. If you get a monthly reimbursement from your stipend account for your Medicare Part B premiums you must file a new reimbursement form with MERS/Alerus requesting the recurring reimbursement. If you need a reimbursement request form you can download it from our forms page. You need to fill out the form and sent it to Alerus along with a copy of your new Social Security statement showing what your new benefit will be as well as the deduction for Medicare Part B premiums..

We are still working with the Labor Coalition to see if they can negotiate an option for Medicare eligible retirees to opt into the Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan Medicare Advantage Plan which has a monthly premium of $11.20 per month and is accepted by all doctors and hospitals, with the exception of only a few, that accept Medicare.

We wish everyone a Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, Happy Kwanzaa, Happy Holidays and a Happy New Year and hope that the new year brings good health and prosperity. Looking forward to seeing everyone in the New Year.

November 24, 2023

Hopefully everyone had a Happy Thanksgiving. At our November meeting we had a speaker from TMR & Associates give a presentation on the BCBSM (Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan) Medicare Advantage Plan. A copy of the presentation can be viewed by clicking this option. The premium is $11.20 per month and you can enroll by contacting TMR & Associates at (313) 963-1135. The stipend for Medicare Eligible Retirees will be increased to $140.72 or $145.72 effective January 1, 2024. The results of our officer elections maintain the current Board Member swith the exception of Jerry Smith (who stepped down) being replaced by Gerard Grysko. The next meeting of the Sub-Chapter will be held on December 12, 2023.

October 15, 2023

The next meeting of Sub-Chapter 38 will be held on Tuesday, November 14, 2023 at UAW Hall 182 located at 35603 Plymouth Road, Livonia, MI. The meeting will begin at 1:00 pm with a light lunch served before the meeting starting at 12:30 pm.

Unfortunately the representative was not able to attend our October meeting but will be available to speak to our members regarding the Open Enrollment for the BCBSM Medicare Advantage Plan effective January 1, 2024. The premium will remain at $11.20 per month for 2024. If you are in a Medicare Advantage Plan with higher premiums or you are in a Medicare Supplemental Plan and are looking to get information on the Medicare Advantage Plan, this will be your opportunity to get information on this very affordable healthcare alternative.

The Executive Board was re-elected at our October meeting and will be sworn in at the November meeting. Gerard Grysko was elected to a 3-year term as our newest trustee replacing Jerry Smith. Thanks to Jerry for his long service as a trustee.

September 26, 2023

The next meeting of Sub-Chapter 38 will be held on Tuesday, October 10, 2023 at UAW Hall 182 located at 35603 Plymouth Road, Livonia, MI. The meeting will begin at 1:00 pm with a light lunch served before the meeting starting at 12:30 pm.

We will be holding elections for all Executive Board positions and one (1) Trustee position. The current Executive Board has been nominated for re-election with the exception of Jerry Smith. Nominations will also be taken from the floor for any of the Executive Board positions.

We will also have a speaker regarding the Open Enrollment for the BCBSM Medicare Advantage Plan effective January 1, 2024. The premium will remain at $11.20 per month for 2024. If you are in a Medicare Advantage Plan with higher premiums or you are in a Medicare Supplemental Plan and are looking to get information on the Medicare Advantage Plan, this will be your opportunity.

Looking forward to seeing you there.

August 13, 2023

At the September 12, 2023 meeting representatives from Empower and Titan Wealth Advisors who handle the Defined Contribution Plan and Deferred Compensation Plan will be making a presentation regarding these two programs. If you have any questions regarding how to access your funds, change your investment options. update your beneficiary(s) or any other issues, you should definitely attend this meeting. They will also be providing lunch for the meeting.

We will also be selecting 12 delegates to the Chapter 255 meeting to be held on October 13 and 14 at UAW Hall 182 located at 35603 Plymouth Road, Livonia, MI (the same place our monthly meetings are held). The membership has approved paying for up to 20 members to attend the convention.

There are still over 800 retirees who have not returned the Signature Verification form. They will have 60 days from the date of the second notice that was recently sent out to complete and return the form. Failure to return the form will result in the suspension of their monthly benefit until such time as the completed form has been returned.

July 19, 2023

The Wayne County Retirement Board has sent out an Information Verification Form that must be completed by all retirees receiving a monthly benefit. Many retirees have not completed this form. The Retirement Office is sending out a second notification and if it is not completed and returned to the Retirement Office within 60 days, your monthly benefit will be suspended until such time as the completed form is received. It is important that you complete and return the form as soon as possible.

Titan Wealth Advisors and Empower, the two companies that administer the Couty’s Defined Contribution Plan and the Deferred Compensation Plan will be making a presentation at our September meeting. They will be able to explain what investments are available to you, how the programs work, how and when funds must be withdrawn from you account(s), the tax liability and who your beneficiary(s) are. If you participant in either or both of these Plans it is recommended that you attend this session. They will also be providing a luncheon from Thomas’s Restaurant before the meeting.

May 10, 2023

It has come to our attention that many retirees that are over age 65, receiving Medicare and have a Health Care Stipend paid monthly by the County, have large balances that have not been spent. The money can only be used for healthcare expenses and can be accessed for recurring monthly expenses or individual healthcare expenses.

If you do not know if your have a Stipend Fund account, don’t know how much you have in your account or don’t know how to access your account please contact Ron Yee (wcsc-38@att.net) or Hugh Macdonald (hmacdonald67@comcast.net) for assistance.

March 14, 2023

• On Tuesday, March 7, Governor Whitmer signed the Michigan Tax relief bill (HB4001), however it was denied taking immediate effect by Senate Republicans and so will not be effective until the 2024 tax year (90 days after adjournment of the current session), so April of 2024. What I have been told is that under the House Bill that was approved by both the Michigan House and the Senate the following phase in is described in the legislation:

2023    retirees born after 1945-1959            25% max allowed under Tier 1

2024    retirees born after 1945-1963            50% max allowed under Tier 1

2025    retirees born after 1945-1967            75% max allowed under Tier 1

2026                                                                100% max allowed under Tier 1

Current Tier 1 maximums:                 Single              $56,961

Joint                $113,922

Under the current law:

Tax Payers born from January 1, 1946 – December 31, 1952 the deduction is $20,00 for Single and $40,000 for Married filing Jointly.

Tax Payers born from January 1, 1953 – January 1, 1956 may be eligible for up to $20,000 for Single and $40,000 for Married filing Jointly.

If the amount you can deduct under current law is better than under the new law you can use the one that provides the better deduction.

Also it is my understanding that since the new law won’t take effect until 2024, the first year 2023 rate becomes null and void and we will start with a 50% of the Tier 1 rates.

Police, Fire, County Correction Officers and State Police will get 100% in the first year.

• The County Commission is looking at changing pay and benefits for employee hiring and retention and we are hoping they will consider an increase in the stipend for Medicare eligible retirees.

• We are continuing to work with TMR Associates, BCBSM and the County on offering a stipend and the BCBSM Medicare Advantage Plan as an option to mirrored retirees over age 65 and for a lower cost benefit with the same or better healthcare coverage for non-Medicare eligible mirrored retirees. This is a harder issue to come to agreement with as it will require the County, the Unions and BCBSM to agree to a resolution that is beneficial to all parties.

• MERS has been notifying stipend recipients that have a balance of over $1,000 in their stipend account that they are eligible to invest amounts over $1,000 into various funds offered by MERS. You are not required to invest in these funds if you don’t want to, it is just an option. The first $1,000 will be invested in a Money Market Fund, however any amounts over $1,000 will default into a Target Date Fund (invested in stocks and bonds) unless you move it to a less volatile investment option (currently the Short Term Income Fund). MERS is working on offering the Money Market Fund as an investment option.

February 14, 2023

If you enrolled in the new BCBSM Medicare Advantage Plan you can now pay your monthly premiums through an automatic deduction from your savings or checking account. You can print the form from our web site located at www.wcsubchapter38.com. Click on “Forms” at the top of the page; click on “BCBSM Auto-Payment Form“, Print Form, complete it and send it in. If you wish to make one payment for the year, when you receive the next bill just write a check for the $11.20 premium times the remaining months left in the year and your account will be credited for the remainder of the year.

January 16, 2023

There will be a dinner honoring former Subchapter 38 President, Henry Lykes, held on January 28, 2023. It will be held at UAW Hall 182, located at 35603 Plymouth Road, Livonia, MI 48150. There will be a reception at 4:30 with a dinner and program beginning at 5:30 pm. Tickets are $25.00 per person and can be obtained by contacting Julie Bauman at jbauman2947@wowway.com or (313)429-3479.

December 22, 2022

The ballots for the Retirement Board Retiree Commissioner have been counted and the results are Hugh Macdonald 651; Ronald Yee 676; Spoiled/Voided 55. Therefore Ronald Yee has been elected to a 4 year term on the Retirement Board effective January 1, 2023.

November 8, 2022

TRM has provided this link (www.tmrandassoc.com) to the Subchapter to review the new Wayne County BCBS Healthcare Plan that will be replacing the AM Wins healthcare effective January 1, 2023. Click on the “Menu Icon 3 bars in upper right corner) and then select Wayne County Retirees. It will then provide links to sign up for an Educational Meeting, provide a powerpoint presentation, benefit summary, group prescription drug formulary and enrollment center.

October 25, 2022

Here is an update from the County on the new Medicare Eligible Retiree Healthcare that will be replacing the AmWINS Healthcare Plan effective January 1, 2023.

“We’re finalizing the dates for the on-site meeting as I type.  Most of them will be the week of Nov 14 at various community college campuses in Wayne County plus one in Oakland County and one in Washtenaw County.  There will also be two webinars set up on the afternoon of Nov 21 and the morning of Nov 22.  There will be enrollers available at each site as well for those that want to go ahead and make the change.  A letter will be going out with the meeting schedule and we’ll email everyone for whom we have email addresses the same information.  

Information about the plans / enrollment kits will be mailed in the first week of November so retirees will have them in their hands by the week of the presentations.”

August 16, 2022

If you have questions concerning your life insurance coverage from the County, you can contact the Benefits & Disability Administration Division at (313) 224-5157 or email address benefits@waynecounty.com.

Also if you need to contact your local Union to discuss changes in retiree benefits, especially for “Mirrored Retirees” you can view a list of names and contacts by clicking on the highlighted “Union”.

July 12, 2022

Due to circumstances, the Executive Board recommended and the General Membership approved a change to the posted meeting schedule at the July 12, 2022 meeting. The General Membership meeting has been changed from Tuesday, August 9, 2022 to Tuesday, August 16, 2022. It will still be held at the UAW Hall 182 located at 35603 Plymouth Road, Livonia, MI 48150

June 2, 2022

May 23, 2022

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Read more frequently asked questions

How to get your At-Home Over-The-Counter COVID-19 Test for Free

1. How do I get a free at-home over-the-counter COVID-19 test?

Starting January 15, most people with a health plan can go online, or to a pharmacy or store to purchase an at-home over-the-counter COVID-19 diagnostic test authorized by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) at no cost, either through reimbursement or free of charge through their insurance. This applies whether you purchased your health plan on your own or whether you get health insurance through your job.

The test will either be free directly at the point of sale, if your health plan provides for direct coverage, or by reimbursement if you are charged for your test. Be sure to keep your receipt if you need to submit a claim to your insurance company for reimbursement. If your plan has set up a network of preferred providers at which you can obtain a test with no out-of-pocket expense, you can still obtain tests from other retailers outside that network. Insurance companies are required to reimburse you at a rate of up to $12 per individual test (or the cost of the test, if less than $12).

1. Will I have to pay for my test up front?

The Biden-Harris Administration is strongly incentivizing health plans and insurers to set up a network of convenient locations across the country such as pharmacies or retailers where people with private health coverage will be able to order online or walk in and pick up at-home over-the-counter COVID-19 tests for free, rather than going through the process of having to submit claims for reimbursement.  Consumers can find out from their plan or insurer if it provides direct coverage of over-the-counter COVID-19 tests through such a program or whether they will need to submit a claim for reimbursement. If you are charged for your test after January 15, keep your receipt and submit a claim to your insurance company for reimbursement.

1. How much will I be reimbursed for an at-home over-the-counter COVID-19 test if I purchase the test upfront and then submit a claim for reimbursement to my insurance company?

If you purchase an over-the-counter COVID-19 test from a pharmacy, store, or online retailer and are charged for your test, keep your receipt and submit a claim to your insurance company for reimbursement. If your plan has not set up a network of preferred stores, pharmacies, and online retailers at which you can obtain a test with no out-of-pocket expense, you will be reimbursed the amount of the cost of the test. For example, if you buy a two-pack of tests for $34, the plan or insurer would reimburse $34.

If your plan has set up a network of preferred stores, pharmacies, and online retailers at which you can obtain a test with no out-of-pocket expense, you can still obtain tests from other retailers if you buy them outside of that network. Your plan is required to reimburse you at a rate of up to $12 per individual test (or the cost of the test, if less than $12).  Save your receipt(s) to submit to your plan for reimbursement at a rate of at least $12 per individual test (or the cost of the test, if less than $12).

1. Why would these companies be incentivized to cover the cost up front?

If a plan or insurer sets up a network of convenient options such as pharmacies or retailers, including online retailers, in which individuals on their plans can get their tests’ cost covered up front (at the point of sale), then it is permitted to limit the per test reimbursement amount for retailers outside of that network. Specifically, if a plan or insurer establishes this type of direct coverage option, then the plan or insurer is permitted to limit the reimbursement for tests purchased outside of their network to $12 per test (or the actual price of the test, if less). Many commercially available at-home tests run about $12 or less per test.

If the plan or insurer does not set up a process through which individuals can obtain test with no upfront costs, then the plan and insurer must reimburse in the full cost of the test, even if the test costs more than $12. For example, if an individual buys a two-pack for $34, and the plan or insurer has not set up a system to cover costs upfront, then the plan or insurer would have to reimburse the $34 instead of $24.

1. Where can I find a location that has at-home over-the-counter COVID-19 tests?

Consumers can visit stores online or in-person. The Biden-Harris Administration is also strongly incentivizing health plans and insurers to set up a network of convenient options across the country like pharmacies or retailers, including online retailers, where people can get COVID-19 tests for free at the point of sale, rather than having to submit claims for reimbursement. Consumers can find out from their plan or insurer if it is providing direct coverage of over-the-counter COVID-19 tests through such a network of preferred pharmacies or retailers.

1. What if I can’t afford to pay for the at-home over-the-counter COVID-19 test(s) upfront?

Health plans and insurers are strongly incentivized to set up a network of convenient options across the country, such as pharmacies and retailers, where people will be able to order online or walk in and pick up at-home over-the-counter COVID-19 tests for free rather than going through the process of having to submit claims for reimbursement.  Consumers can find out from their plan or insurer if it is providing direct coverage of over-the-counter COVID-19 tests through such a network of preferred pharmacies or retailers.

You can also access free testing in the community. A list of community-based testing sites can be found here. COVID-19 tests are also available without cost-sharing to covered individuals when administered by a health care provider like a nurse, doctor, or pharmacist, without limitation.

1. What if I’m uninsured? Can I still get free at-home over-the-counter COVID-19 tests?

The Biden-Harris Administration is purchasing 500 million over-the-counter at-home tests to be distributed for free to all Americans who want them, with the initial delivery starting in January 2022. There will be a website where Americans can request at-home tests for home delivery—for free. More information on this federal program is expected soon.

People without insurance can also get free at-home test from some community health centers.

In addition, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is providing up to 50 million free, at-home tests to community health centers and Medicare-certified health clinics for distribution at no cost to patients and community members. The program is intended to ensure COVID-19 tests are made available to populations and settings in need of testing, especially populations at greatest risk from adverse outcomes related to COVID-19. As of December 21, 2021, all Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) -supported health centers (including look-alikes) and Medicare-certified rural health clinics are eligible to participate in the program after completing the on-boarding process. More information about this program is here.

HHS also has established more than 10,000 free community-based pharmacy testing sites around the country.  To respond to the Omicron surge, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) are creating surge testing sites in states across the nation.

Additional information about testing resources for people without insurance are available here: https://www.hhs.gov/coronavirus/covid-19-care-uninsured-individuals/index.html.

1. What if I already bought and paid for at-home over-the-counter COVID-19 tests?  Can I still get reimbursement for those?

Plans and insurers are required to cover at-home over-the-counter COVID-19 tests purchased on or after January 15, 2022. Plans or issuers may, but are not required by federal law to, provide such coverage for at-home over-the-counter COVID-19 tests purchased before January 15. Contact your health plan to inquire about getting reimbursed for tests purchased before January 15, 2022.  Some states may have existing requirements related to coverage of at-home over-the-counter COVID-19 tests.

1. What if I buy more than one test at a time?

Your plan is required to provide reimbursement for 8 tests per month for each individual on the plan, regardless of whether the tests are bought all at once or at separate times throughout the month.

If your plan has set up a network of convenient options such as pharmacies and retailers, in which individuals can get their tests’ cost covered up front (at the point of sale) then the plan is permitted to limit the reimbursement for tests purchased outside of their network to $12 per test (or the actual price of the test, if less than $12). If more than one test is purchased or ordered at a time, such as a package with two tests in it, then the insurer would reimburse up to $12 for each of the tests purchased at that time.

1. If I pay up-front, how do I get reimbursed?

If you are charged for your test, keep your receipt and submit a claim to your health plan for reimbursement. You can find out directly from  your plan how to submit reimbursement claims. They are not allowed to design their reimbursement process in a way that unduly delays your reimbursement. You will not need a prescription or a note from your provider.

1. How long will it take to receive my reimbursement from my plan?

Health plans are encouraged to provide prompt reimbursement for claims for at-home tests, and consumers can find out directly from their plan how their claims process works and ask questions about reimbursement timing.

The Biden-Harris Administration is strongly incentivizing plans to offer at-home over-the-counter COVID-19 tests through preferred pharmacies, retailers and online and mail-order programs without up-front out-of-pocket costs to you. Consumers can find out from their plan if it is providing such direct coverage of over-the-counter COVID-19 tests. You will not need to seek reimbursement later for tests received through such a program.

1. How many tests can I get reimbursed for?

Health plans must cover 8 individual at-home over-the-counter COVID-19 tests per person enrolled in the plan per month. That means a family of four can get 32 tests per month for free.

Note that tests may be packaged individually or with multiple tests in one package (for example, two tests packaged in one box). Plans are required to cover 8 tests per covered individual per month, regardless of how they are packaged and distributed.

There is generally no limit on the number of COVID-19 diagnostic tests, including at-home tests, that must be covered when ordered or administered by a health care provider.

1. My employer requires that I test myself multiple times per week and send them the results as a condition of employment. Can I get these tests reimbursed by insurance?

Plans are not required to provide coverage of testing (including an at-home over-the-counter COVID-19 test) that is for employment purposes.

1. I’m covered by Medicare. How do I get an at-home over-the-counter COVID-19 test?

HHS is providing up to 50 million free, at-home tests to community health centers and Medicare-certified health clinics for distribution at no cost to patients and community members. You can learn more about this program here. HHS also has established more than 10,000 free community-based pharmacy testing sites around the country.  To respond to the Omicron surge, HHS and FEMA are creating surge testing sites in states across the nation.  The Biden-Harris Administration is purchasing 500 million at-home, over-the-counter tests to be distributed for free to Americans who want them, with the initial delivery starting in January 2022. There will be a website where all Americans can request at-home tests for home delivery—for free. More information on this federal program is expected soon.

For people covered by original fee-for-service Medicare, Medicare pays for COVID-19 diagnostic tests performed by a laboratory, such as PCR and antigen tests, with no beneficiary cost sharing when the test is ordered by a physician, non-physician practitioner, pharmacist, or other authorized health care professional. People with Medicare can access one lab performed test without cost sharing per patient per year without an order. At this time original Medicare cannot pay for at-home tests through this program. Medicare Advantage plans may offer coverage and payment for at-home over-the-counter COVID-19 tests, so consumers covered by Medicare Advantage should check with their plan.

1. Do state Medicaid and CHIP programs cover at-home COVID-19 tests?

In accordance with the American Rescue Plan, State Medicaid and CHIP programs are required to cover FDA-authorized at-home COVID-19 tests.  People with Medicaid or CHIP coverage should contact their state Medicaid or CHIP agency for information regarding the specifics of coverage for at-home COVID-19 tests, as coverage rules may vary by state.

###

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01/12/2022 04:32 PM

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May 12, 2022

A proposed amendment to the Subchapter 38 Constitution was reviewed and approved by the Constitution Committee for recommendation to the General Membership for approval. The first reading of the proposed amendment was presented and read at the General Membership meeting on May 10, 2022. The amendment changes the term of Special Committee appointments from 6 months to 3 years. You can view the complete text of the proposed amendment by clicking on “Proposed Amendment”. The second reading and vote on the amendment will occur at the next General Membership meeting to be held Tuesday, June 14, 2022. If approved, it will be sent to AFSCME International for final approval.

January 11, 2022

At the January 11, 2022 Subchapter 38 General Membership Meeting, representatives from MERS (Municipal Employees Retirement System), Alerus (Third Party Administrator – Record Keeper), Health Insurance Specialists and AmWINS (Default Group Healthcare Provider) attended our meeting to answer questions. MERS representative John Waugh provided a 40 minute Power Point presentation which we have provided. Any forms you need for the Medicare eligible healthcare stipend can be printed by clicking on the
“FORMS” tab located above. Telephone numbers for MERS (M-F 8:30 – 5:00) (800) 767-6377; Alerus (866) 808-7823 Option 3; or AmWINS Group Plan (877) 847-9906 are provided.

December 8, 2021

I regret to inform you that Gil Cox, Vice-President of Subchapter 38 lost his recent battle with Covid 19. I have attached the details of services for him. Please keep his family in your thoughts and prayers.

December 2, 2021

Many retirees have contacted us concerned that they have received a notice that their December stipend reimbursement request has been denied. If they called TASC they were told that TASC was not processing any December payments. We have been told that there was an error in the processing of the December payment that generated those notices and that TASC will reprocess the December payment. The direct deposit or check should be processed and approved without any additional action on your part.

November 30, 2021

Most of you should have received a letter from the County outlining the basic issues required to make a smooth transition from TASC to MERS. (The letter can be viewed by clicking on the highlighted “letter from the County” link above).

A video conference was held at 10:00 am this morning regarding the transfer of the retiree stipend program for Medicare Eligible retirees from TASC to MERS (Municipal Employees Retirement System) effective January 1, 2022. (The video conference can be viewed by clicking on the highlighted “video conference” link above).

First, retirees with Amwins Group Health Insurance coverage and Express Scripts prescription drug plan will be able to continue this plan upon the transfer to MERS. The benefits will remain the same while premiums will be slightly reduce due to a reduction in the premiums for Express Scripts and a slight increase in the monthly stipend benefit effective January 1, 2022. The only change is that MERS is not able to accept the stipend directly from the County, with you paying the remaining balance to Amwins. On and after January 1, 2022 you will be billed by Amwins for the total premium and you will receive the stipend paid directly to you via a check or a direct deposit into your savings or checking account, your option.

Until December 13, 2021 everything will operate as they have in the past. On December 13, 2021 there will be a blackout period until January 1, 2022 and no transactions will be processed by either TASC or MERS. In the meantime you can go to www.mersofmich.com/waynecounty, a website set up specifically for Wayne County Retirees. This website will allow you to set up your account with MERS selecting “First time User”. When setting up your account, it will ask for a Date of Hire, in order to make the process easy, everyone will use “01 1950” as their Date of Hire. All other information will be your actual data. When you set your User ID and Password, remember to save it and keep it in a safe place. Effective January 1, 2022 you will be able to access your MERS account and your actual live information.

Unlike TASC where upon your death any funds in your account would revert back to the County, under MERS you are able to select a beneficiary and a contingent beneficiary who would be able to utilize your funds for healthcare costs. Also any funds over $1,000 can be invested by you in either a default investment option or managed by you in available investment options. You will receive a quarterly statement for any invested funds.

If you have questions, they can be directed to the following companies and the telephone number provided.

November 11, 2021

We have been informed that next week, AmWins will be sending out information regarding the default supplemental Medicare healthcare plan with pricing, changes and enrollment information. Also next week MERS (Michigan Employees Retirement System) will be sending out enrollment kits to those Medicare stipend eligible retirees for plan year 2022. MERS will be replacing TASC effective January 1, 2022. Hopefully these dates will be honored but we have no control over the County and its scheduling.

November 4, 2021

As stated below we are hoping to transfer the administration of the Medicare eligible healthcare stipend from TASC to MERS effective January 1, 2022. The County has to complete the paperwork for this to be accomplished. Although the Subchapter played a major roll for this change to occur, we do not have any control over how and when the County completes this process. Evidently the County has informed TASC that the County will be moving administration of the program to MERS and TASC is telling all individuals that contact them, that effective December 31, 2021, they will no longer be handling the administration of the program and have given the Subchapter 38 president’s telephone number to contact for any questions but no name (I assume the County gave them his telephone number even though the County does not communicate with us on anything they are doing in the transition process). If you have questions regarding this transfer you should contact Wayne County, You can either call Claire Mason Lee (313 224-0571; cmlee@waynecounty.com), Director of Administration, Benefits & Disability or Bruce Campbell (313 224-8122; bcampbell@waynecounty.com), Assistant Corporate Counsel, Corporation Counsel both employed by Wayne County and part of the transition process. We assume that once the paperwork is completed, that MERS will send out the necessary forms to complete your enrollment. We encourage all affective members to provide all the information requested by MERS as we are not confident that the County and TASC will accurately transfer the data they have on file. Please do not contact the Subchapter as we are as much in the dark as our members. Hopefully we will have more information at our next meeting on November 9, 2021. If we have to file a grievance or go back to Court to move this process forward, we will do so.

It is time to review your current Medicare supplemental healthcare coverage if you wish to make changes. If you want some assistance in making changes and/or possibly saving money you can contact Jim Neil (234) 946-2246 at Medicare Benefits Group or Paul Sizeland (810) 724-2660 at Senior Benefits Group. They can review your current coverage and recommend if there is a less expensive option with the same coverage or better coverage at the same cost. There is no charge for this service.

We are still looking into the possibility of live streaming our in person meetings via ZOOM. We have contacted ZOOM to find out what hardware, software and costs are needed to implement a successful and member friendly service to our members who cannot attend in person. We will keep you informed as we receive additional information.

October 22, 2021

The Court has approved the settlement agreement between Subchapter 38 and the County regarding moving from TASC to MERS for administration of the Medicare eligible retiree healthcare stipend. The County has to sign the necessary documents to effectuate the transition so we are hoping this can be accomplished by January 1, 2022 allowing for a smooth transition. New paperwork will have to be completed by all eligible retirees however TASC will continue to process the stipend payments until this is completed. Therefore please continue to process your requests for reimbursement as you have in the past.

Effective January 1, 2022 all Medicare eligible retirees receiving the monthly stipend will see a 2% increase in their monthly benefit. We were hoping to reinstitute the additional $15.00 per month stipend and look at implementing a $1,000 per year benefit for “Mirrored Retirees” but the Wayne County Commission did not take it up for this budget year. The Chair of the Ways & Means Committee said she is hoping to form an ad hoc committee to look into making some type of permanent increase to the healthcare stipend so retirees do not have to come back every year with a budget request. The County has stated that since the “Mirrored Retirees” receive their healthcare as part of the collective bargaining agreement that our retiree group cannot advocate for them. However we will continue to see what if anything we can to help that group.

We are meeting in person again at the UAW Local 182 Hall located in Livonia but are looking into the possibility of streaming our meetings via ZOOM. We will keep you apprised as we get a better understanding of how this process will work.

The arbitrator in the grievance regarding healthcare benefits for disabled retirees has ruled that the County must make whole all disability retirees who retired without healthcare. This award only covers AFSCME retirees as no other Unions filed a grievance on this issue. We are looking into whether the active Unions or retiree groups will have to monitor implementation of this award.

September 16, 2021

Wayne County has announced a $5.5 million dollar flood assistance program. We have provided a recap of their posting for the benefit of any retirees that have experienced flood damage because of the June 25-26 weather events that were not covered by FEMA or property insurance.

July 1, 2021

It has been brought to our attention that approximately 360 retirees that are receiving a monthly pension payment from the Wayne County Employees Retirement System have not responded to the request for a signature verification (form attached). We have been told that if the form has not been returned to the Retirement Office, that your monthly pension benefit will be terminated until such time as the form is returned. If you received the form and then received the second notice, please complete the form and return it to the Retirement Office. Although the Subchapter is not responsible for providing this notice to our members, we would hate to see your benefits terminated due to an oversight on your part and are providing this notice as a courtesy.

June 21, 2021

Chapter 255 is holding its 2021 Convention on Saturday, October 16, 2021 from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm at the Laborer’s International Union Hall located at 2161 W. Grand Blvd., Detroit, MI 48208. A reception will be held on Friday, October 15, 2021 from 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm and is complimentary. Subchapter 38 will be purchasing tickets to the Convention so if you are interested in attending the convention on Saturday, please contact Ronald Yee at wcsc-38@att.net to request a ticket. Also if you are interested in placing an ad in the program booklet we have attached a Program Ad Form.

April 12, 2021

The Subchapter held its first General Membership Meeting, via Zoom, on Tuesday, April 11, 2021. An invitation was sent out to everyone that we had an email address for. We had about 15 members request to attend the meeting and about 8 actually attended. We actually had a few out of state members attend since it was done virtually. It went well and so we will do it again for the June 8, 2021 meeting. An invitation will be sent out shortly and those that sign up will receive the Meeting ID and Password to attend the meeting.

We have a new email address which is wcsc-38@att.net. It was changed from wcsc38@att.net (note the hyphen in the new address). We changed it due to receiving a lot of unwanted spam that actually exceeded emails from actual members.

We are looking into several problems that our members are experiencing with TASC and the monthly stipend payment process. If you have not received a stipend since December 2020 you need to contact TASC to make sure they received your new paperwork. Many retirees sent in the paperwork but TASC claims to have not received it. You can contact them at (866) 678-8322. We are also working with the County on a possible replacement for TASC due to the continued issues our members are having with TASC.

Pursuant to the Settlement Agreement regarding the retiree Medicare Eligible stipend we are entitled to a 2% increase in the monthly stipend amount effective 01/01/2022 and have notified the County. Although it only amounts to a few dollars, every dollar counts.

We are still waiting for the Arbitrators decision regarding Healthcare for Disability Retirees. The case was heard in September 2020 and we have still not had a ruling. Our legal counsel recently contacted the Arbitrator and he apologized stating that the delay has been caused by personal health problems as well as the closures due to the Covid virus restrictions. He stated he hopes to have his decision issued at the end of May or early June.

Hopefully we will see some of you at our next Zoom retiree General Membership meeting.

March 10, 2021

Unfortunately we have not been able to hold General Membership Meetings since March 2020. We started to hold Executive Board Meetings via ZOOM recently and are looking into the logistics of the possibility of holding General Membership Meetings in a similar fashion. We are currently limited to a maximum of 100 attendees and are trying to work out how to notify and invite members, how to have cohosts to allow members to join the meeting from the waiting room, how to allow voting and how to acknowledge and allow members to speak. Once we have worked out those details we will attempt to hold a ZOOM General Membership Meeting. We will keep you informed as to our progress.

We have been told that members of Supplemental Medicare Healthcare Plans affiliated with Blue Cross Blue Shield, AARP United Healthcare and other supplemental healthcare providers are eligible for complimentary memberships with various area fitness centers through an organization called Silver Sneakers. If you have an interest in joining a gym, you might want to check with your healthcare provider to see if they offer this benefit.

We know that many people are experiencing problems with the County’s healthcare stipend program and TASC. We have been meeting with the County on fixing the issues that we are aware of and even possibly finding another provider who may be able to offer a more consistent method for providing the monthly benefit. We will keep you informed with our progress but as you know everything moves slowly with Wayne County.

Hopefully many of you are getting or have gotten your COVID-19 vaccinations and are staying safe and healthy. It looks like we are finally turning the corner in putting this pandemic behind us and getting back to a more “normal”. We hope that we will be able to meet in person again, sooner than later. Please be safe and stay healthy.

November 25, 2020

We are still unable to meet in person at the UAW Hall due to restrictions placed on large meetings by the Michigan Department of Health. However, we have started to hold Executive Board meetings via Zoom and it seems to be working well. We are in discussions of holding membership meetings via zoom but are trying to work out the logistics and details. We need to get more e-mail addresses from members so we can timely notify them of meetings, providing the necessary information and password to log in. We also have to make sure we can accommodate those without access to a computer and deal with possible crowds up to 100 members. Hopefully we will be able to meet in person again sometime in 2021 but only time will tell.

In the Subchapter 38 election the following members were elected: Ronald Yee- President; Gilbert Cox – Vice-President; Mary Etta Kreklau – Recording Secretary; Richard Noelke – Secretary Treasurer; Julie Bauman – Sergeant-At-Arms; John McCall, James Sockolosky and Douglas Wadlin – Executive Board Members; Faith Cairgle and Paul Pendracki – Trustees. Trustee Jerry Smith was not up for election at this time. The newly elected officers were sworn in by Richard Johnson, Council 25 at a special Zoom meeting held via computer on October 28, 2020.

As you are probably aware, our President, Ronald Yee, did not win the election for the Trustee position on the Wayne County Retirement Board. Congratulations to Bettye Misuraca who won re-election to a 4 year term but it was unfortunate that she chose to run a negative campaign and everything she put out about Mr. Yee was either misleading or an outright lie. If she didn’t realize that she was lying it is probably even worse as it shows that she has no idea how the Board of Trustees operates. In any event our pensions are still safe and no retiree has suffered any losses. Although the Pension Fund is not 100% funded, it is still moving in a positive direction. The County has made its required contributions each year and in some years has made additional contributions above its required payments and the markets have continued to perform well.

The Executive Board Members and Trustees wish all our members Happy Holidays and hope that everyone stays healthy and stays safe!

October 7, 2020

Retirement Board Trustee Election

Just a reminder that I am running for the retiree position on the Wayne County Retirement System Board of Commissioners (Trustees). I appreciate all the retirees that signed my nominating petition allowing my name to appear on the ballot and now need your support to win this seat. I worked for the County for 37 years starting out as a Laborer working summers while I attended Wayne State University working at Hoover Yard, Wyoming Yard, Merriman Yard and Wayne Yard. After graduating from Wayne State I was hired as a Chemist at the Wyandotte Sewage Treatment Plant where I became a steward for Local 1659 and later became a Committeeperson and sat on the Union negotiating team. I also held positions in Personnel, Labor Relations and Risk Management. During that time, I was elected as an Active Employee representative to the Retirement Board of Trustees and I served in that position until I was appointed by the Retirement Board to become the Deputy Director of the Retirement System.

In 1997 I was appointed by the Retirement Board to become its Director and served in that capacity until my retirement in 2010. After retirement, I became active in Subchapter-38 serving on its Executive Board before becoming its current President. I was a member of the Wayne County Employees Retirees Club before becoming its Treasurer. I am also a member of both the Government Administrators Association Retiree Group and the Wayne County Sheriff’s Deputies and Airport Police Association. I have appeared at various court hearings, County Commission meetings and arbitrations in support of Wayne County retiree issues.

Throughout my tenure in the County and after retirement, I have always had the best interests of both active employees and retirees in all the positions I have held. I have always been available to help others and I feel that with my experience I can help assure that the Retirement System will continue to remain as financially sound as it was when I was its Director and that it will continue to be responsive to both active and retiree needs for both members of the Defined Benefit System and the Defined Contribution System.

I do not believe in negative campaigning and am not running for this position because I think that the incumbent, Bettye Misuraca, who is running for re-election, is in any way not qualified. I just feel that with my knowledge and experience I can bring a new perspective to the Board and new insight for the needs of the retirees that I hope to represent. Ballots for this election will be sent out to all eligible voters by the Retirement Office around October 9, 2020 and must be returned to the Retirement Office by November 2, 2020. Bettye is a formidable candidate and I hope I can count on your support but regardless of who you vote for, I would urge you to complete your ballot and send it back as soon as possible to be sure it will be counted. I thank you for your kind consideration.

Ronald Yee, President Subchapter-38;

Treasurer, Wayne Employees Retiree Club;

Member of Government Administrators Association Retirees Club;

Member of the Wayne County Sheriff’s Deputies and Airport Police Retirees

October 6, 2020

The Michigan Supreme Court has denied the Wayne County Executive’s request for Leave to Appeal the lower court rulings regarding his attempts to Change the make up of the Retirement Board to allow him a controlling interest. This is a win for the Retirement System, active employees and retirees. Below is an overview from Jamil Akhtar

“This victory in the Supreme Court belongs to the Retirees Organization and the Retirees who help pay for the 2015 Federal Court Litigations, which was before Judge Levy; one of the issues brought before the Court by the retirees was the makeup of the Retirement Board, with Evans wanting to remove one of the two retiree’s positions on the Retirement Board.

Judge Levy declined to rule on this issue and sent it to the Wayne County Circuit for resolution. At that time the Retirement Board, using many of our arguments in Federal Court, filed a complaint against Evans. The Circuit Court ruled for the Retirement Board and Evans filed an appeal to the Michigan Court of appeals and lost that appeal. Evans then petitioned the Supreme Court and last week lost again.

Had Evans been victorious, he could have stacked the Retirement Board with his people, removed one of the two retirees on the Retirement Board and would make the final decision as to how the One Billion dollars on deposit with the Retirement System would be invested!

Jim Akhtar”

September 11, 2020

We are still waiting for UAW Hall 182 to let us know when we will be able to once again meet at their facility. Until then our Membership meetings will continue to be cancelled.

Our election for Subchapter-38 officers and Board members will be done by ballot this year. Ballots will be sent out with our newsletter this month. All ballots must be postmarked by October 13, 2020 to be counted.

The additional $15.00 healthcare stipend, paid to our most needy Medicare eligible retirees, will not be continued in 2021, as the Wayne County Commission is not supportive of including it in the 2020-2021 budget which is currently under consideration. We have had discussions with the Chair of the Ways and Means Committee and the Chair of the County Commission and agree that due to the impact of Covid-19 on the County deficit, layoffs, furloughs and other issues, it was not in the best interest of the retiree population to place the Commissioners in a position to have to defend providing additional benefits to retirees while active employees have sustained a negative financial impact. We hope to push for the restoration of the increase in the 2021-2022 budget year.

There is an election this year for a Retiree Representative to the Retirement Board of Commissioners. Ballots will be sent out to all eligible voters sometime in October and must be returned to the Retirement Office by November 2, 2020. To the best of our knowledge Bettye Misuraca and Ronald Yee are the two candidates vying for the position. We would urge you to make sure you vote for the candidate of your choice and return your ballot as early as possible to make sure it reaches the Retirement Office by November 2, 2020.

PART TIME TEMPORARY JOB OPPORTUNITIES

Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson is working with the local Detroit and Wayne County officials to open more satellite voting offices than ever before.  This is to accommodate the added number of people expected to vote early thanks to our new Constitutional right to no-reason AV voting,  the COVID 19 Pandemic and the importance of this election.  21 satellite offices in Detroit, where voters can register and request and return absentee ballots will open October 5. The offices will be open six days a week operating in recreation centers and other facilities.  Now we need to staff those offices.  Paid part time and full-time positions for the four weeks (+) are needed.  

We expect the jobs will pay between $12 and $15 an hour or more.  This is a great way to help make sure every vote counts.  You do not have to be a City of Detroit resident, but you do need to be a registered voter.  If you are interested, sign up at https://www.michiganvoting.org/be-a-poll-worker or call/email Michigan AFSCME Retirees United Chapter 255 vice-president, Nick Ciaramitaro at 313-330-5313 / nickc4790@gmail.com for further information.  Training will be made available.

NICK CIARAMITARO

313-330-5313

.___________________________________________________________________

If you have any members that want to do work for the International Union please send me their name.

They will receive VAN training to contact members with four goals. Sign up for dues, register to vote, poll for voting and sign up for PEOPLE.

They will need internet access and a phone. There is compensation of $15.00 per hour.

thank you

Richard Johnson

Michigan AFSCME Council 25

7700 Second Ave. suite 314

Detroit, Michigan 48202

313-964-1711×2256 (office)
313-964-0230 (fax)
313-460-9890 (cell)

___________________________________________________________________

July 6, 2020

We have been informed that Midwestern Dental has gone out of business. This is not a dental program offered by the County but many retirees had independently enrolled in the Midwestern Dental program on their own. As such we are unable to get a list of our members who had coverage through them. If you were paying premiums to Midwestern Dental please e-mail Don Smith at wcsretirees@sbcglobal.net and provide him with your name, any verification of coverage documentation you have and your contact information. We are looking into any options we have in recovering prepaid coverage made by our retirees. if you wish to get alternative coverage you can contact Cathy Lowell who handles the dental plans for Wayne County. She can sign you up for coverage with Dencap or Golden Dental. If you are in the executive plan she can sign you up with Delta Dental. We will keep you apprised with any progress have in pursuing this issue.

As you know we have not been holding membership meetings for many months due to the Covid-19 policies. Although the “Stay-at-home” order has been lifted, the UAW Hall is still not open yet for large meetings as they work out how they will handle social distancing, mask wearing and group numbers in an enclosed space. We appreciate your patience as these details are being worked out.

There will be an election this year for a retiree member to the Retirement Commission with nominating petitions coming out in August, a primary election in November and if needed a general election in December. We will keep you apprised as we get closer to these dates.

April 30, 2020

Due to the Governors extension of the Stay at Home Executive Order until Friday, May 15, 2020, we will have to cancel our Executive Board and General Membership meetings that were scheduled for Tuesday, May 12, 2020. We hope that we will be able to hold our meeting on June 9, 2020 and will keep you apprised. In the mean time we hope that you remain safe and stay healthy.

April 7, 2020

We received the Arbitrator’s decision in the 13th Check Case and the Arbitrator ruled in favor of the County. A full copy of the decision can be viewed by clicking on the above highlighted caption. Based on the decision, the County was in it’s rights to terminate the 13th check reserve even though it was still part of many Collective Bargaining Agreements. We will explore any possible options for us in this matter but as of now, the 13th check is officially terminated.

Also, on Friday, April 3, 2020, Alfred Bricker passed away at the age of 99. He was the 2nd Director (Executive Secretary) of the Wayne County Employee’s Retirement System. A private graveside service was held on April 5, 2020 arrayed by The Ira Kaufman Chapel.

MARCH 29, 2020

To All Sub-Chapter 38 Members:

  Due to the ongoing concerns of the Covid 19 virus and the Governor’s “Stay Home Stay Safe” directives, the Executive Board of Sub-Chapter 38 has made the decision to cancel the April 14, 2020 Executive Board and General Membership meetings. We will re-evaluate the May 12, 2020 meeting schedule as we get closer to that date. We are not sending out a US mail notice of this cancellation and would ask that if you know of anyone who normally attends our meeting and does not have access to e-mail that you let them know if at all possible. We appreciate your understanding and will keep you informed of any additional changes to our meeting schedule.

Ronald Yee, President

Wayne County Sub-Chapter 38 AFSCME

March 18, 2020

If you plan on attending the Chapter 255 meeting on April 8, 2020 at the UAW Hall 182 at 12:30 pm it has been rescheduled to Wednesday, July 29, 2020 at the UAW Hall 182 at 12:30 pm. Lunch will be served and a presentation on Social Security and Medicare will be presented. Chapter 255 apologizes for the inconvenience but in the best interest of everyone’s health and the Executive Order of the Governor and President, it makes the best sense at this time. Should this information change, we will post and update here.

We were also notified that the Arbitrator in the 13th Check Grievance should be issuing an opinion by the end of the month. We will post the decision here once we receive it.

February 21, 2020

We were just notified that the Wayne County Labor Coalition meeting scheduled for February 26, 2020 has been cancelled. It will hopefully be rescheduled for early March.

February 11, 2020

On Monday February 10, 2020, we received the Arbitrator’s Award regarding our Grievance #8 which dealt with the unilateral implementation of the Health Reimbursement Account (HRA) by the County. The HRA was implemented by the County in an effort to comply with the Healthcare Settlement agreement which provided a stipend to Non-Medicare and Medicare eligible retirees. The arbitrator ruled in favor of Sub-Chapter 38 and we will now have to sit down with the County to work out an acceptable method to make the payments to the retiree with all funds being payable to the retiree and not reverting back to the County upon death.

Our next meeting will be on the same day as the Primary Election in Michigan, so we urge all members to file an Absentee Ballot or plan on going to your polling place before or after our membership meeting.

The AFSCME Dr. Martin Luther King Dinner will be held on February 229, 2020. The Sub-Chapter has purchased a table for 10 and we hope to receive the tickets in the next day or two. Once we have received the tickets we will send them out via the US Postal system to those members who requested one.

Michigan AFSCME Chapter 255 is holding an Executive Board meeting on April 8, 2020 and will be holding a buffet luncheon for all members, beginning at 12:30 pm at the UAW Hall 182 located at 35603 Plymouth Road, Livonia, MI 48150. The Sub-Chapter has agreed to purchase 10 tickets at $10.00 each for the benefit of the members. If you wish to attend, please contact Ronald Yee at (313) 318-6707 to put in a request for a ticket. We would like to have a good showing for this luncheon.

January 14, 2020

Effective January 1, 2020, the healthcare stipend for eligible Medicare recipient retirees who have a pension of $25,700 or less per year will increase by about $13.50 per month for the calendar year of 2020. It is a one time increase which we will try to get extended for 2021. If you did not receive the increase and you are entitled to it, please contact Hugh Macdonald at hmacdonald67@comcast.com. If you did receive it, please contact your Wayne County Commissioner and thank them for their support and ask for their support in 2021.

The arbitration case on the loss of the 13th check was heard in early December 2019. We are waiting for the arbitrator’s decision. The arbitration on the disability retiree health insurance is still pending a hearing date. The arbitration on the Healthcare Reimbursement Account (trying to get the Plan to be in line with the Settlement Agreement outlined by the lawsuit settlement) is scheduled to be heard February 7, 2020. We are still waiting to hear if the Michigan Supreme Court will allow the County Executive, Leave to Appeal the Court of Appeals Decision denying the CEO the right to replace the Retirement Board of Commissioners with his hand picked members. Sub-Chapter 38 leadership is working with our attorneys on all these issues.

This Friday, January 24, 2020 there will be a Senior Summit put on by some of our State Representatives. Please refer to the flyer below for details.

November 12, 2019

The Wayne County Commission adopted the 2019-2020 budget and provided for a one time increase in the Medicare Eligible stipend for any retirees whose annual pension benefit is less than $25,750 (Federal poverty level) for the next 12 months. This will provide an increase of about $13.75 per eligible retiree. The increase will take effect January 1, 2020 and will continue through December 31, 2020. At that point the stipend will be reduced to its December 2019 level. We will have to meet with the County Executive and Commissioners during budget hearings for the 2020-2021 budget to see if we can extend the benefit for the following year. It is not all we hoped for but as my Mother always said “something is better than nothing”.

August 14, 2019

In the Warren Evans lawsuit to seat his newly defined Retirement Commission members the Michigan Court of Appeals denied his request for reconsideration and he has requested Leave to Appeal to the Michigan Supreme Court. The Retirement Commission and Wayne Couty Commission have until September 3, 2019 to respond.

The County has advised us that they have new members of their Benefits Team and have provided us with updated contact information:

GENERAL INFORMATION

         Phone (313) 224-5157; E-mail benefits@wayne county.com; FAX (313) 967-1228

BENEFITS ENROLLMENT SPECIALIST

         Ebony M. Byrd; Ebyrd@waynecounty.com; (313) 224-0436 (Last Names starting A-L)

         Deborah Brown; Dbrown7@waynecounty.com; (313) 224-6076 (Last Names starting M-R)

         Camille Elam; Celam@waynecounty.com; (313) 224-0883 (Last Names starting S-Z)

ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT (Optical & Tuition Reimbursement, Voluntary Benefits and HSA/FSA)

         Jordan Officer; Jofficer@waynecounty.com; (313) 224-5947

EMPLOYEE BENEFITS and VENDOR ADMINISTRATIVE MANAGER

         Precious L. Walton; Pwalton@waynecounty.com; (313) 224-5381

DISABILITY and LEAVE MANAGER

         Shirley Priskorn; Spriskor@waynecouty.com; (313) 224-0482

July 9, 2019 Update

The Michigan Court of Appeals, on June 25, 2019, has denied the County’s Request for Reconsideration regarding their decision to deny the County Executive’s request to seat his hand picked/appointed Retirement Board of Commissioners. The County Executive now has until August 4, 2019 to Request Leave to Appeal the Court of Appeals decision to the Michigan Supreme Court.

Many retirees who are eligible for a healthcare stipend from the County pursuant to the lawsuit settlement agreement have not utilized any of their stipend. This stipend can be used to reimburse the retiree for out of pocket costs for copays, deductibles, premiums for supplemental healthcare insurance and even for your premiums deducted from your Social Security check for Medicare Part B premiums. We have provided a list of retirees that have a balance of $3,000 or more in their healthcare stipend account. If you have a spouse, they may also have an account balance. If you have not accessed a healthcare stipend account from the County, you might want to check this list to see if you have unused funds that belong to you. If you have funds, you should contact TASC at (866) 678-8322, let them know you retired from Wayne County and request to set up an reimbursement account for yourself and/or your spouse.

If you retired in 2001 or before and had life insurance provided by the County, the County made a single payment to Prudential to take over that liability. We have been provided a list of affected retirees and the amount of the insurance that Prudential will pay upon your death. If your name appears on the list you should contact Wayne County to make sure your beneficiary information and contact information are up to date (Deborah Brown – Wayne County Benefits (313) 224-6076)). We are still attempting to determine who is providing the life insurance benefit for those employees who retired after 2001.

The 13th Check grievance has finally been scheduled to be heard by an Arbitrator on Wednesday,  September 11, 2019. We will keep you apprised if it is necessary for our members to attend this hearing.

June 2019 Update

June 12, 2019

The County has filed a request for Reconsideration with the Michigan Court of Appeals regarding their decision in the Warren Evans case. We do not believe he will be successful in this attempt but it does add a delay to the final outcome of this case. We will keep you updated on this issue.

Many retirees who are eligible for a healthcare stipend from the County pursuant to the lawsuit settlement agreement have not utilized any of their stipend. This stipend can be used to reimburse the retiree for out of pocket costs for copays, deductibles, premiums for supplemental healthcare insurance and even for your premiums deducted from your Social Security check for Medicare Part B premiums. We have provided a list of retirees that have a balance of $3,000 or more in their healthcare stipend account. If you have a spouse, they may also have an account balance. If you have not accessed a healthcare stipend account from the County, you might want to check this list to see if you have unused funds that belong to you. If you have funds, you should contact TASC at (866) 678-8322, let them know you retired from Wayne County and request to set up an reimbursement account for yourself and/or your spouse.

If you retired in 2001 or before and had life insurance provided by the County, the County made a single payment to Prudential to take over that liability. We have been provided a list of affected retirees and the amount of the insurance that Prudential will pay upon your death. If your name appears on the list you should contact Prudential to make sure your beneficiary information is up to date. We are still attempting to determine who is providing the life insurance benefit for those employees who retired after 2001.

Good News From the Michigan Court of Appeals

May 09, 2019

We were notified today today that the Michigan Court of Appeals has ruled against the County Executive’s attempt to replace the current Retirement Board of Commissioners with his own hand picked representatives. The County Executive requested the Circuit Court to issue a Writ of Mandamus (an order from the Court requiring an authority to do some specific act that they are obliged to do under law or as a statutory duty) to seat his newly defined Retirement Board. The Circuit denied his request and he appealed that decision to the Court of Appeals. The Court of Appeals affirmed the lower court’s decision and therefore refused to issue a Writ of Mandamus. As such the original Retirement Board of Commissioners remains in place. We will have to see if the County Executive decides to request leave to appeal to the Michigan Supreme Court. We will keep you informed.

Michigan Court of Appeals Hearing Update

March 12, 2019

I want to thank everyone who attended the Michigan Court of Appeals hearing on Tuesday, March 5, 2019. The matter before the Court was the County Executive’s attempt to replace the current Retirement Board as defined under the Charter with his own board which he negotiated with most of the Unions giving him control over the Board by adding 4 members appointed by him and eliminating 1 active employee member and 1 retiree member. The Courtroom was packed with standing room only and overflow in the hallway and conference room outside the courtroom. There were speakers in the hall and conference room so everyone could hear what was going on in the courtroom. The 3 judge panel actually moved our case up on the docket because there were so many of us in the courtroom. The County’s attorney made his oral arguments first and seemed to not be sure of all the issues involved in the case and the Deputy County Executive was consulting with him many times during his presentation. The main argument the County made was that PERA (Public Employees Relation Act) trumped the Charter and that since the majority of the Unions agreed to the change in their contracts he could legally replace the Board with the newly negotiated board. They also argued that a Federal Court ruling made clear that the retirees were not deprived of their Due Process rights as the make up of the Board was a mandatory subject of collective bargaining.

The Retirement Board attorney and the County Commission’s attorney then made their arguments. They stated that they were not arguing for due process but rather that this matter was really a two part process. They argued that the Charter was very clear that it could only be amended by a vote of the People and then would require that the Unions negotiate the changes into their contracts and that in this case, most of the Unions may have agreed with the changes but it still had to go to the vote of the citizen’s of Wayne County to be finalized., which has not yet occurred.

The Judges asked many questions of both sides and hopefully understood the issue before them. Our attorneys felt fairly confident that we should prevail but you never know how the judges will rule. A decision may be issued in as little as 20 days but may also go out to several months. We will notify everyone as soon as a decision is issued.

Michigan Court of Appeals Hearing

March 5, 2019

There will be a Michigan Court of Appeals Oral Arguments Hearing on March 5, 2019, at the Cadillac Place Building (the old GM Headquarters) located at 3044 West Grand Blvd, Detroit, MI. The issue before the Appeals Court is the question of Seating the County Executives newly defined Retirement Board which takes control of the Board away from the members and gives it to the County Executive. It removes one elected active employee member and one elected retiree member and replaces them with appointees of the County Executive. We are requesting that all members that are able to attend this hearing, show up to show your support for this very important issue before the Court. The hearing starts at 11:00 am and you can ask the guard at the entrance on the first floor which floor the Court of Appeals Courtrooms are on.

Letter From AMWINS Regarding Retiree HRA Accounts

October 9, 2018

George Molnar from TASC/Genesis presented a general overview of how to access the stipend accounts from Wayne County and noted that many retirees have not accessed their accounts yet with many having balances of $1,000 or more. To review this information click on the link “County HRA’s”.

AFSCME SUB-CHAPTER 38 NEWSLETTER CORRECTION

SEPTEMBER 30, 2018

In the recent Newsletter that was sent out by AFSCME Sub-Chapter 38, there was a typographical error on page 7 regarding the Medicare Benefits Comparisons. The telephone listed listed as 1-440-WAYNECO should have been 1-844-WAYNECO and was correctly printed in the body of the article. We apologize for any inconvenience this error may have caused.

RETIREE HEALTHCARE STIPEND

SEPTEMBER 20, 2018

The Wayne County Board of Commissioners amended the 2018 – 2019 Budget to include an increase in the monthly retiree healthcare stipend by $15.00/month for any retiree making $28.000 or less per year. They did not consider a stipend for retirees in the mirrored healthcare group although we did include that request in every presentation we made. It is our understanding that the County Executive will be using his line item veto to veto the stipend increase. We would ask all retirees to contact their County Commissioner to ask them to override the CEO’s veto. We feel that this is an important issue and that even though all retirees are not covered by this budget amendment, that the 70% of our retiree population who are covered should be allowed to benefit from this action by the Commissioners.