Skip to content

MassRetirees.com

Increase font size  Decrease font size  Default font size 
You are here:   Home
ASSOCIATION OPPOSES AGE-BASED REGULATIONS
March 8, 2010 - Members are urged to contact their State Representative or Senator and urge that they oppose any attempt to impose driving license regulations that are age-biased. Senate Bill 2290 (See March 3 article), which was passed in the Senate in the last week, discriminates against over-age-75 drivers. The bill sets age-biased requirements plus an additional fee when renewing a license. The House version of the driving bill does not require new standards for over-age-75 drivers. Your message to legislators is simple: No discrimination against elderly drivers when renewing a driving license. Any changes in the law must include all drivers regardless of age.
The two competing versions of the bill are now before a House/Senate Conference Committee, where a compromise version is being negotiated.
 
SENATE PASSES ELDERLY DRIVER RESTRICTIONS

Bill Now in House/Senate Conference

MARCH 3, 2010: On Tuesday, the Mass State Senate passed its version of the so-called "Safe Driver" bill (S2290). The bill, which drew a spirited debate amongst Senators from both parties, contains language that would require drivers age 75 and older to undergo a cognitive and physical abilities test in order to renew their license.

A floor amendment (contained below) to S2290 places the administration of such a test in the hands of primary care physicians, rather than the Registry of Motor Vehicles, as had earlier been the plan. However, the RMV would help set the standards and specifics of the test.

Read more...
 
EXPRESS SCRIPTS OUT AS GIC VENDOR

CVS Caremark Awarded Pharmacy Contract

February 16, 2010: The state's Group Insurance Commission (GIC) has voted to contract with CVS Caremark as the agency's new pharmacy benefits manager. The three-year contact will take affect on July 1, 2010.

cvs400.jpgCVS Caremark replaces longtime pharmacy manager Express Scripts, which has held the GIC contract to provide drug benefits under the Indemnity, OME and other UniCare plans for the past eight years. GIC officials believe that CVS Caremark is better suited to provide pharmacy benefits management and enhanced services.

Read more...
 
Current Voice
STATE/TEACHER COLA APPROVED

Local Adoption Almost Complete

JULY 2009: In a desperate rush to put together a FY'10 state budget in the face of a $2 billion revenue shortfall, triggering language for the state and teacher retirees 3% July COLA, was omitted from the Senate budget when that branch began budget debate on May 18.

Read more...
 
LOCAL HEALTH INSURANCE REFORMS PENDING

Retirees To Have Seat At Table

JULY 2009: Following on the coattails of a groundbreaking legislative report that aims to control municipal healthcare costs through sweeping changes in the local insurance law (Chapter 32B), the  state Senate has passed a provision, within its version of the FY'10 state budget, that significantly alters the governance of local insurance plans.
Read more...
 
SOCIAL SECURITY OFFSETS FELT NATIONALLY

Association Continues Building Support For Repeal

JULY 2009: As talk of reforming America’s retirement safety net continues to grow, Association officials have stepped up efforts to build a strong and broad national coalition of organizations to support a repeal of both the Social Security Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) and Government Pension Offset (GPO).

Read more...
 
LEGISLATIVE PACKAGE UNDER REVIEW

Hearings Scheduled Through November

JULY 2009: Beyond the budget debate and various "reform" measures capturing daily headlines, the sixteen standing legislative committees are hard at work analyzing the thousands of proposals now before the Legislature.

Read more...
 
<< Start < Prev 1 2 3 4 Next > End >>

Results 19 - 27 of 31
Ralph White For forty years the Retired State, County and Municipal Employees Association of Massachusetts has provided retired public employees their own voice on Beacon Hill.
 
State Tax Info