Retired Public Employees Council of WA Working to protect and enhance the pension and health care benefits of Washington retired state, county and local government employees
RPEC Weekly NewsFlash, October 20, 2023
Get ready for PEBB Open Enrollment, November 1-30
PEBB Open Enrollment is open during the month of November, and RPEC has created an extensive online guide full of information regarding open enrollment and decisions you may be making regarding your healthcare plan. The guide’s primary feature is a three-part video series of a conversation with Tim Smolen, Program Manager of the Statewide Health Insurance Benefits Advisors (SHIBA). This webinar series has been developed to specifically help RPEC members who earn their healthcare benefits from PEBB. Next week, the page will also include a link to the recorded Health Care Authority presentation and Power Point documents. The content is organized to help you better understand your choices among PEBB plans. The HCA-PEBB/RPEC 2023-2024 Open Enrollment Guide can be found at https://rpecwa.org/health-insurance-open-enrollment-2023-2024/.
Registration for 2024 Legislative Day Opens November 1
2024 will be here before we know it, and with it, the legislative session, starting on January 8. The RPEC/WEA-R Joint Legislative Day is set for January 22, 2024!
The day-long event begins at the Olympia Hotel at Capitol Lake where the Legislative Committee chairs from RPEC and WEA-R will lead trainings on how to speak with your legislators about issues that are important to retirees. You and other constituents from your legislative district will review your meeting schedule and materials to devise a game plan over a working lunch. From there, you will bus to the Capitol to meet with your legislators and urge them to support our shared legislative priorities.
Registration opens on November 1, 2023, and closes on January 3, 2024. For more information, visit https://rpecwa.org/2024-rpec-wea-retired-legislative-day/. Don’t miss out on this opportunity to meet face-to-face with your legislators and advocate with other public sector retirees to accomplish our goals.
DRS Hosting Seminar for RPEC Members, November 3, 1 p.m.
One of the perks of being a member of RPEC is the diversified partnerships and affiliations the organization has with other entities and organizations. These connections allow us to offer a variety of news, training, and support for our members. An opportunity for RPEC members is an upcoming seminar hosted by the Department of Retirement Systems (DRS) in which they will address a variety of topics that are most relevant to current and soon-to-be retirees. DRS manages and administers pensions for our members in PERS, PSERS, SERS, and TRS.
Please join us on November 3rd @ 1:00 PM for an opportunity to hear directly from the experts about topics relevant to you and your pension. There will be a brief presentation given by an Administrator from DRS followed by a Q & A session. Whether you’re a new retiree, soon-to-be-retired, or have been retired for some time, there will be relevant and valuable information for you.
Register in advance for this meeting at https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZcrcumgqDkjEtSTFcGFh1SE3Ur15LsLERpK. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.
Social Security Benefit Increase Announced
The Social Security Administration has announced the benefit increase rate for 2024. The increase, which will take place in January, will impact the more than 71 million Americans collecting Social Security. The rate is based on annual inflation, which has cooled considerably in the last year. Click here to read the official press release from the Social Security Administration and learn how to determine your new benefit amount.
Members-Only Benefits You Can’t Beat
As an RPEC member, you have access to a variety of benefits exclusive to members, designed to save you time and money. To explore the benefits available to you, please visit our Members-Only Benefits page on our website: https://rpecwa.org/member-only-benefits/
In case you missed it, you can watch the RPEC Members-Only Benefits Webinar here: https://rpecwa.org/members-only-benefits-webinar/
To access AFSCME Advantage benefits, you will need your AFSCME Member ID, which is located on the back of your AFSCME member card that you should have received within a few months of joining RPEC. RPEC is also known as AFSCME Retirees Chapter 10, which you will need to share when accessing benefits. If you didn’t get a card or are unsure, please contact Membership Coordinator Jakob Canup at jakob.canup@rpecwa.org.
Upcoming Events:
Please refer to our calendar page for more information about each event, including links to Zoom meetings, if available.
- Oct. 26 – Membership Committee Meeting (10:00 am)
- Oct. 26 – Healthcare Workgroup Meeting (3:30 pm)
- Nov. 1 – 2024 Legislative Day Registration Opens
- Nov. 3 – DRS Webinar (1:00 pm)
- Nov. 3 – Monthly Legislative Update Call (2:00 pm)
- Nov. 9 – Healthcare Workgroup (3:30 pm)
- Nov. 10 – Council Office Closed, Veterans Day (observance)
- Nov. 13 – Executive Board Meeting (10:00 am)
- Nov. 14 – Select Committee on Pension Policy Meeting (10:00 am)
- Nov. 20 – Senior Lobby (10:00 am)
- Nov. 22 – 24 – Council Office Closed, Thanksgiving
