NARFE Disappointed in Committee Action on USPS Reform Legislation
3/16/17 Alexandria, VA – The National Active and Retired Federal Employees Association (NARFE) is deeply disappointed the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform approved the Postal Service Reform Act of 2017, H.R. 756, without addressing the serious concerns of 76,000 postal retirees who would be forced to enroll in Medicare under the bill.
NARFE President Richard G. Thissen issued the following statement:
“There are many solutions to the financial problems facing the U.S. Postal Service, all of which the Committee unfortunately has rejected in favor of balancing the books of the USPS on the backs of its retirees. In doing so, this legislation forces 76,000 current postal retirees who are satisfied with their current health insurance coverage to pay an additional $1,600 per year, or more, to receive coverage through Medicare.
“While the majority of federal and postal retirees choose Medicare when they turn age 65, those without it actively made the decision not to enroll. The reasons for doing are numerous and personal, and it was their choice. That choice should not be eliminated now because Congress is unwilling to make more politically difficult decisions.
“After finishing long careers with USPS, postal retirees should not be threatened with the loss of their health insurance entirely if they do not buy additional coverage through Medicare. This not only eliminates choice with regard to health insurance for postal retirees living on fixed incomes, but it also sets a dangerous precedent for all federal retirees. The committee is sending all retirees a very dangerous message with approval of this bill – we can, and will, change your retirement benefits, after you’ve retired and are living on fixed incomes, without regard to whether or not you can afford it.
“NARFE, as an organization representing postal retirees and as a customer of the Postal Service, is committed to supporting legislation that provides much needed reforms to USPS that allow for its long-term stability. However, we remain disappointed that the Committee failed to once again consider our simple, fair and reasonable alternative: maintain automatic enrollment of current postal retirees into Medicare Part B, but provide them with a short opt-out window of 60 or 90 days. Without this option, the bill breaks an unwritten promise regarding retiree health benefits and replaces the individual postal retiree’s choice of health insurance with a paternalistic requirement, at significant cost to the Medicare program.”
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The National Active and Retired Federal Employees Association (NARFE), one of America’s oldest and largest associations, was founded in 1921 with the mission of protecting the earned rights and benefits of America’s active and retired federal workers. The largest federal employee/retiree organization, NARFE represents the retirement interests of nearly five million current and future federal annuitants, spouses and survivors.
You can’t wait until this stupid bill becomes law. Then it would be a herculean effort to get it overturned. Action must be taken now not to force retirees to take Medicare B but be given the option as the law is now. Also, why would anyone think that being forced into a Postal Service only healthcare plan will be good for any employee or retiree. That would make for a smaller pool of applicants which will lead to higher costs and where is the guarantee that a Postal Only plan will allow you to see the same doctors, medical providers, and hospitals we have now. Unions backing this can’t see the future when all of you will become retirees and victims of this plan.
I believe you are correct, there are two huge threats in this bill. Forcing retirees to take Medicare Part B and D (EGWP) is the first, as this will add a huge cost burden on retirees and spouses who don’t want or need Medicare. The second is the unique “postal only” health plan risk pool which evidence suggests will be significantly more expensive and offer less health care plan choices than remaining in the much larger FEHBP risk pool. This will impact everyone (employees and retirees) in the postal health benefits risk pool. Why the unions are supporting this are a mystery, but as someone suggested they likely see the opportunity to make money from their own sponsored health plans. The best course of action is to reach out and tell your coworker or retiree friends that now is the time to contact their representative in congress and encourage them to oppose the bill unless the Section 101 (Postal Health Plan) is removed.
I for one have already contacted my congressman and
all of the others in my area. The time for action is now.
Please call or write to stop them from wrecking your
retirement finances and health plan. It appears they
want everyone to keep working until 80 due to fear
of running out of money and future health premiums
and costs for your retirement.
Wait till the bill is passed before complaining.
I’ll be filling out my PS1187 form come july this year. I know my ten day window to submit the papers to stop dues with holding. After 25+ years I’ve had enough.
Sorry, make that PS1188 form.
It’s a money grab to eventually force retirees to drop their health coverage completely!
They are suppose to phase it in gradually over the next 3 years so the $116.00 a month is just the start.
Wait and see what happens as they raise it up over the next 3 years and force everyone to choose between having health insurance or eating.
Correction $1600.00 a year or around $133.00 per month.
The passage of this bill has allowed the gov. to overwhelm the cost of the medicare system and allow them to end medicare and the retirement of “ALL” postal employees!
The passage of this bill allows the gov. to overwhelm the cost of the medicare system and let them kill medicare and the retirement of “ALL” postal employees!
This Bill is very disappointing! What is even more disappointing is that the APWU is advocating that the Bill be passed. Their concern is for the Postal Service and not the retirees who will be impacted. After all many retirees end their membership with the union once they retire, and the APWU wants and needs NEW victims to step on. In truth, many are unaware of this Bill 756 and it’s counter part Bill 760 which will allow money paid into to retirement fund to be invested in the markets. Where is the solidarity of the unions? Where is the solidarity members? Does this Bill just impact Postal Workers or are all federal workers in there sight?
Reagan couldn’t move anyone from Civil Service to FERS
because a federal law can’t be changed once inacted.
Isn’t this the same thing and can be challenged in court?
If this bill is approved will my wife be required to join medicare ( she will be 70 this month) even though i am presently only 62?
I can’t say that NARFE is Wrong with not agreeing with this bill.
Also, I want no parts of being forced into taking one of the Postal only health care policies. I do not trust them to get anything right and why should I be forced into a plan I don’t want and away from a plan I already have and am satisfied with. Sounds a whole lot like Obamacare forcing people to buy insurance when they don’t want it or pay a penalty. NARFE must take these people to court to protect current retirees who were promised a choice of taking Medicare B when they turn 65 years of age.
I could not agree more with NARFE’s position on this bill. My wife and I are both retired and under the age of 65. We do not want or need Medicare B when we turn 65. We spent around $400.00 on co pays in 2016 through the FEBHP , yet this legislation would force us to pay over $3200.00 additional to cover both of us for Medicare B. That is ridiculous! I am hoping that if this passes NARFE will sue the federal government on behalf of the postal retirees that are getting screwed. I retired with “supposed” guaranteed expectations of health care, % paid by the gov’t, and retiree income. This bill breaches that promise and is unaffordable to us.
If you are waiting for Congress to do the right thing and end the Postal Service only pre funding, you have a long wait. Congress knows that they are wrong in what they did and wrong in fixing their political mistake! It is just so nice the way they can change the rules of the working game. The employee did what they were required to do all the years they worked. It matters not. Years after you completed your job, Congress comes along and changes the employees retirement benefits. Just look how Congress changed the ERISA in December 2015. Just goes to show it doesn’t pay to be honest and hard working. What does it get you? The shaft! I advise you to read “The Retirement Heist” by E. Schultz.
I’m not surprised. Since when do republicans do anything to help the American people? I blame the jackasses that suffer from Reagan and Bush AMNESIA, voting for these creeps who turn around and shaft the very people who voted for them.Liars, all. Do they consider eliminating the taxpayer subsidies to the rich oil companies, in the billions of dollars? How about generating more revenues by closing the Cayman Island tax shelters for the banks and corporations? Oh no, we can’t touch that.We only touch the people’s benefits to make up for the lost revenues from the rich they protect.A disgrace.
This bill enjoys bi-partisan support on the Oversight Committee, including ranking Democrat Elijah Cummings. ALL 4 Nationals: NAPS, APWU, NPMHU, and NALC are on board. Why do you think that is? Because this bill forces ALL retirees, from this point forward, into a separate risk pool.
What does that mean? We’re to be forced out of the FEHB we were promised, and nearly bankrupted ourselves over the last 10 years funding the PSRHBP for. Why? The plans under the separate risk pool funnel millions of our retiree healthcare dollars directly to ALL 4 nationals which will then be funneled to the Democrats…
What has EITHER party done for us?!. If you think ANYONE in government is looking out for your best interests, YOU are the problem. The best the Obama White House could come up with to ‘save’ us was 5-day delivery… Get a clue.
Was advised to take a survivors benefit when I retired so my husband can continue our medical benefits should I pass away, that was 4 years ago, he is still employed, now I find out that that money that was deducted from my check was all for nothing? What the heck? All the planning for retirement and you can just change it when you feel like it!
I’m living on a fixed income, I already lost 4 years of survivors benefit and now will have to pay a fortune for medical coverage! Get your act together!
This shows the postal union bosses could care less about it’s retirees.Paul Ryan is going after Medicare once dust settles on Obamacare.What happens if the Repulselicans successfully do away with Medicare,then what?
What they should have done was stop the prefunding totally and the postal service wouldnt be at a cross road. Postal service is the only gov agency required to prefund retirement!!!! Due to short fall in social security is why the prefunding started and took the profit from the postal service to fund social security.