Also Leominster & Arlington

JULY 30, 2010: Despite the urging of Somerville Retirement Board member Jack Memory, that city's Retirement Board failed to take action on a 3% July COLA and, as a result, the retired members of the Somerville Retirement System, by "default,"  have lost this fiscal year's COLA.

"The Board never put a COLA vote on its agenda, never put it on the table. It's inexcusable," says Association President Ralph White. "It's too late now. The window of opportunity is gone."

Hanlon Is New Member

File Photo

JULY 14, 2010 (Updated): As the Essex Regional Retirement Board moves toward recovery under a well-publicized overhaul, a State House regular, Mike Hanlon, has been named as the Board's fifth member.

Hanlon, a state retiree who ran the Commonwealth's Deferred Compensation Plan under former treasurer Shannon O'Brien, had earlier worked for the City of Boston and Middlesex County. He is currently the executive director of the Mass. Collectors and Treasurers Association.

He was named to the Board by acting chairman Andrew Maylor, Ipswich Town Treasurer Kevin Merz and elected member Bill Martineau, a retired N. Andover fire chief.

Two Candidates Meet Members

Bill Keating, Receives Retirees Endorsement For 10th Congressional District Seat

The political side of the gathering of 250 members was in recognition of our Association's endorsement of Bill Keating, candidate for U.S. Representative of the 10th Congressional District, and Steve Grossman candidate for Treasurer and Receiver General of Massachusetts.

In introducing Keating, currently the outgoing District Attorney of Norfolk County, Association President Ralph White pointed out that when

Steve Grossman, Association's Pick for State Treasurer and Receiver General

10,000 GIC Enrollees Relieved

JUNE 22, 2010: Officials with CVS Caremark and Walgreen have announced a compromise that will avert a near crisis in which Walgreen would have no longer filled prescriptions covered by CVS Caremark's pharmacy benefits management  (PBM) service. The corporate battle between the country's two largest pharmacies heated up in early June over reimbursement rates paid by CVS.

The new multi-year agreement between the companies, the terms of which have not been disclosed, comes just in time to avoid a disruption in coverage for some 10,000 enrollees under the state's Group Insurance Commission (GIC). As members are aware, CVS Caremark will takeover as the state's PBM on July 1, replacing Express Scripts.

The older we get the less we like change. However, retirees insured by the Commonwealth's Group Insurance Commission's Unicare plans are assured by the GIC that the change from Express Scripts to CVS Caremark, as their prescription drug provider, will be relatively painless.

In other words, folks; get used to it. In the world of major insurance contracts, including prescription drugs, change does happen. Express Scripts has had a nice run of ten years, since taking over the contract from Merck-Medco in July 2000.

"No change is perfect," says Association Health Insurance Coordinator Cheryl Stillman. "A late-arriving prescription drug mail order is high anxiety time for a senior. How well I know! I've quickly resolved any hang-ups over the years on behalf of our members. Most of the time a simple phone call to a service person resolves the problem. Once the retiree is given a reasonable explanation and assurance that everything is being taken care of, I can actually feel their relief."