SB0175 SA002

May 27, 2011

The State Health Insurance bill regarding retiree health insurance premiums is scheduled for the Senate Executive Committee at the call of the Chair. Please make your calls now to the Senate Executive Committee Members - http://www.ilga.gov/senate/committees/members.asp?CommitteeID=911

Click here to find a letter to use if you want talking points or just request a no vote.

Thank you for your action on this busy holiday weekend.

SB0175 SA001

May 26, 2011

University Retirees Only!

After conversations with Senator Schoenberg to stop the filing of legislation to impose a charge for health insurance premiums and pledging to work with the Senator throughout the summer, SB175 Senate Amendment 1 was filed last night. Please check out the language and get back to SUAA with your responses.

http://www.ilga.gov/legislation/BillStatus.asp?DocNum=175&GAID=11&DocTypeID=SB&LegId=54980&SessionID=84&GA=97

Email SUAA at suaa[a]suaa.org.

*Email is in this format to reduce phishing and spam.

Alert - Call to Action!

NEW CONTACT INFORMATION

May 24, 2011

May 23, 2011

Regarding the Health Alliance and Humana HMO Health Insurance Issue. We are now down to 24 hours. We have located the phone number for Julie Hamos phone number at the Department of Healthcare and Family Services 217.782.7755.

PLEASE CALL her and let her know your thoughts about the decision to award the HMO Health Insurance Contract to Blue Cross/Blue Shield.

Governor's contact information: Phone 217.782.0244 or 217.782.6830; Fax 217.524.4049; email governor@illinois.gov. Julie Hamos email address is Julie.Hamos@illinois.gov.

For those who are local, in Senator Bomke's District, contact him - he has not provided any assistance. 217.782.0228 or senatorbomke@yahoo.com

SUAA witnessed the Senate Insurance Committee hearing this morning. It was actually a special subject matter hearing regarding the contract for Health Alliance and Humana HMO coverage. Senator Frerichs offered to submit stories and written testimony, but there were 10 people who showed up to testify in person about the impact of the decision not to carry Health Alliance.

While the Governor's office was invited, he didn't come nor did he send anyone to represent him on this issue. The Senate Insurance Committee has requested but has not received any information from the Department of Healthcare and Family Services, Julie Hamos, Director. In other words, the question became what is being hidden from the public.

It was pointed out that the Governor's Office had contacted both Health Alliance and Humana asking them to take down all information on their company's websites which provided contact information for the Governor's Office and Julie Hamos. The Senate Insurance Committee was outraged as was the audience.

Therefore folks, we have less than 48 hours (down to 24 hours) to contact the Governor's office and Julie Hamos about their decision to award the Downstate HMO contract to Blue Cross/Blue Shield. (If you have Blue Cross/Blue Shield in Chicago and the Collar Counties you are not affected by this decision).

UPDATES
May 20, 2011

To our membership and friends -

• All hearings this past week for the proposed amendment to SB512 were cancelled. However, there are 4 more days set up for next week. The dates and times are as follows:

                            Personnel and Pensions Committee Hearing May 24 2011 11:00AM Stratton Building Room 413 Springfield, IL
                            Personnel and Pensions Committee Hearing May 25 2011 9:00AM Capitol Building Room 122B Springfield, IL
                            Personnel and Pensions Committee Hearing May 26 2011 9:00AM Capitol Building Room 122B Springfield, IL
                            Personnel and Pensions Committee Hearing May 27 2011 9:00AM Capitol Building Room 122B Springfield, IL

• There is a Senate Insurance Hearing on Monday, May 23 at 9:00 am in the Capitol Building in Room 212. If you are a Health Alliance supporter, please think about attending.
  
• If you haven’t read the Mercer Report regarding Retiree Healthcare Contributions please follow this link:

         http://www.ilga.gov/commission/cgfa2006/Upload/2011-MAY-17MercerRetireeHealthcareContributions.pdf

          SUAA has and is setting up meetings with key legislators regarding this issue.

• On Wednesday, May 25, 2011 at 8:30 a.m. in Room 212 of the Capitol Building there will be a meeting to review the HMO/OAP and Life Insurance contracts for the FY 2012 Group Insurance Program. Both CMS and DHFS will be in attendance to offer testimony and answer questions from Commission members. To confirm attendance call Briana Jackson at (217)782.5322.
  
• Check out the State Comptroller’s latest edition of Fiscal Focus May 2011, Illinois State Pension Systems “A Challenging Position”
  
  http://www.apps.ioc.state.il.us/ioc-pdf/FFMay2011.pdf
  
  
• The PROPOSED Senate Redistricting Maps are available at www.ilSenateRedistricting.com. The maps might be hard for many of you to open. We will try to find a more friendly site.
  
• A big thanks to all of you who made telephone calls, sent emails, wrote letters or sent faxes to your legislators this past week. The calls coming into the Capitol’s legislative offices were 99 to 1, but as one Representative said “Where did they find the one? The calls coming into my office were 100% in opposition.”

TAKE ACTION!!
CALL YOUR STATE LEGISLATORS NOW!

May 20, 2011

It looks as if the process of passing Amendment to SB512 is being escalated.  Therefore we are asking that each and every one of you contact your State Senator and State Representative to ask them to vote NO.

* The percentage of pension contributions continues to be debated.
   Check back to SUAA for further developments regarding proposed language to Amendment SB512.

To locate your State Legislators and their contact information go to http://www.elections.il.gov/DistrictLocator/DistrictOfficialSearchByZip.aspx or www.ilga.gov.

URGENT ALERT
CONTACT YOUR STATE REPRESENTATIVE AND STATE SENATOR NOW
TO OPPOSE SB 512

May 13, 2011

The Civic Committee of the Commercial Club of Chicago and a bi-partisan group of State Legislators wants to reduce your Constitutionally-protected pension benefits. Specifically, they are proposing the following language (Not yet finalized) to SB 512:

• SB 512 will raise Tier I pension contributions from 8% to 14.5% of gross wages without a comparable increase to your annuity benefit, under the Traditional Plan or Money Purchase Plan.
• SB 512 will create a new Self Managed option (SMP). Pension contributions will be 6%. Currently employed goes unchanged at 7.5% contribution. Both matched by the State.
• SB 512 will reduce Tier II pension contributions from 8% to 6.5% of gross wages resulting in a significant decrease of funding for the plan.

Today, SUAA participated in a stakeholder conference call that outlined the status of “closed door” pension negotiations. On that call, SUAA confirmed that certain provisions of HB 149 and language from these negotiations will result in an amendment that will be filed early next week. SUAA believes that parts of this amendment will raise significant constitutional questions. Furthermore, SUAA also believes that this proposed legislation will degrade the long-term stability of the defined benefit pension plan. Currently, SUAA does not have specific language for this amendment nor is it available to the public. However, as it stands, this proposal will disrupt the obligations the State of Illinois has made to fund pensions, for current employees and annuitants.

Therefore, SUAA needs YOU, your family and friends to contact your State Representative and State Senator ASAP to “Vote NO” or “Present” on SB 512. Contact these individuals at their Springfield and District offices.

STOP SB 512 TODAY!

To find your legislator go to http://www.elections.il.gov/DistrictLocator/DistrictOfficialSearchByZip.aspx