Chair Talk
November 2010
I received notice from Susan Kant (Director of Employee Benefits) that Delta Dental will be issuing new ID cards for the Dental Plan. The new cards will not have social security numbers and we will be assigned individual contract numbers instead. Be sure and use the new cards at your next dental visit. Some retirees will be receiving new Blue Cross cards (new version) some of us already have the new version ID cards. There have been no changes in our health/dental plan coverage.
I received a letter from Phil Stoddard (ORS Director) answering the questions we had sent about the State Employees Retirement Fund. He has assured us that the fund is in good shape and investments are making money.
Now that the elections are over we will be dealing with a Republican Governor, House and Senate. I will be asking for a meeting with Administration representatives and Civil Service after the first of the year. I am not sure what we may be facing in the years to come but believe we need to make our concerns heard.
The ballot proposal to convene a Constitutional Convention was defeated (as you already know) and we will not have to deal with that issue again for a few years.
We may still have to deal with the Public Employee ‘pooling’ plan in the lame duck session. If the proposal is not pushed in the lame duck I am sure that new legislation for the same issue will be introduced next year. Governor-elect Snyder has said that he may be interested in pursuing the pooling concept. We will work with the coalition on this issue as it comes up.
Editor’s note: Bob Kopasz is Chair of the Michigan SERA Council. He may be reached at P.O. Box 692, Mt. Morris, MI 48458; phone 810/240-8380.