Page 13 - January 2018

How the expired contract affects retiree healthcare
Even though the contract expired on June 30, 2017, it remains in effect until a new contract is ratified by the City Council. The age 55-to-59 benefit remains in- tact, and you can retire and pay 2 percent for health insurance.
The retiree health insurance is the active plan, in- cluding eye and dental, which is identical to the insur- ance that you have as an active officer. To get the ben- efit, you must put in your PAR retirement form before Oct. 1, 2018 to retire in 2019. Remember, once you put
in the PAR form, you cannot pull it back. You can move your retire- ment date forward but not back one time. For example, if you put in for May 15, and something comes up you can move the date up to March 15 one time. You cannot push your retirement date lat- er than your original date. If the retiree health insurance benefit changes in the new contract and you retire before the City Council ratifies it, you keep the 2 percent benefit.
Many retirees have been calling because their health care costs have gone up. If you have the FOP-sponsored Aetna Medicare plan, your premium did not go up. The $37-per-month increase is be- cause of the Obama health care tax that took effect on Jan. 1, 2018. If you have the City Blue Cross Blue Shield Medicare plan, your pre- mium went up on top of the $37 Obama health care tax. In the past, Congress has voted to waive the Obama health care tax, but in 2017 it did not. There is a possibility that later this year, Congress could vote to waive the tax. d
GREG BELLA
CHICAGO LODGE 7 ■ JANUARY 2018 13
RECORDING Secretary