Weekly Update: May 16, 2025: This week our focus returns to two main topics of concern: Social Security and healthcare. We also want to remind Mass Retirees members to Save the Date for next Friday’s Tele-Town Hall Meeting. Several Mass Retirees members have reported receiving scam emails from someone pretending to be the Social Security Administration. The email, which appears to be directed at public retirees who may have been impacted by the Social Security Fairness Act, asks for information regarding the retiree’s direct deposit and bank account numbers. SSA does not email or call beneficiaries seeking this type of information. If there is a problem that requires the attention of the beneficiary, SSA will mail the person a letter. Please look to our weekly email for further information on how you can protect yourself from scams. In happier news, we continue to receive reports from retirees who have received their retroactive Social Security benefit as SSA continues to implement the Fairness Act. These reports arrive on a near daily basis, which is an encouraging sign the progress continues to be made to pay all eligible retirees. As of May 12, SSA reports that more than 110,000 MA residents have received their retro payment, amounting to more than $800 million. That leaves roughly 30,000 retirees living in MA awaiting their payment to be processed. On the healthcare front, the state’s $240 million supplemental budget appropriation for the GIC was passed by both the House and Senate this week. The supplemental budget was filed by Governor Maura Healey in April. We thank and appreciate the work of the legislative leadership from both branches in acting on this matter in a prompt fashion. As we explained in our email alert to members on Saturday, the size of this year’s budget deficit is the result of two main factors: A structural budget deficit to start FY25 (caused by timing between the annual budget process which begins in the fall and the GIC’s plan design and rate setting process which is not complete until March), as well as higher than normal medical inflation during the same period. Like many state agencies, the GIC’s need for supplemental appropriation late in the fiscal year is not unusual. As a self-insured plan, the Commonwealth assumes the risk of the plan. This means that all supplemental budget appropriations are paid for by the Commonwealth and the costs not passed on to enrollees. However, all budget savings are reverted to the Commonwealth as well. Mass Retirees members should look to our weekly email News Update for further information related to retiree health insurance – specifically, a report on out-of-pocket costs paid by GIC enrollees in FY24. Our weekly email is sent to all members at 6:00 AM each Friday. Founded in 1968, Mass Retirees is a statewide nonprofit membership Association advocating on behalf of ALL retired Massachusetts public employees and surviving spouses. If you are a retired Massachusetts public employee, but not currently a member, you can join today at https://massretirees.com/new-members-join/ We also offer an Associate Membership option to allow active public employees nearing retirement age to subscribe to our Weekly Update, newsletter, and other informational resources that will keep you well informed and help you better prepare for your future retirement. Subscribe today at https://massretirees.com/subscribe/ (fb)

We have received several inquiries, from concerned retirees, regarding a report in today’s Boston Globe regarding the state’s Group Insurance Commission (GIC) having “run out of money” to pay claims. While it is true that the GIC requires a supplemental budget appropriation to pay claims through the end of FY25, the situation comes as no surprise and is not a reason to panic. Health care services for GIC enrollees should continue without interruption. Mass Retirees closely follows the activities of the GIC and has known of the growing budget deficit for several months. In fact, we reported on the supplemental budget request in an April Weekly Update, just after Governor Maura Healey filed the bill. To be clear, none of this comes as any surprise to our Association. (fb)