The Voice of the Retired Public Employee
Retired State, County and Municipal Employees Association of Massachusetts
Founded in 1968, now in its 57th year of serving retired Massachusetts public employees of the 104 public retirement systems within the Commonwealth, the Mass Retirees Association is widely recognized as one of the strongest independent advocacy groups on Beacon Hill. From public pensions and health insurance, to federal issues such as the Social Security Windfall Elimination Provision, Government Pension Offset and Medicare the Association leads the fight exclusively for all Massachusetts retired public employees. We are The Voice of the Retired Public Employee.
Breaking News
August 24, 2026
Investment Returns & Funded Ratios for 104 Retirement Systems: Key Factors Impacting a Cola BASE Increase
Earlier in this Voice (page 1) we reported on the 2025 Investment Report by PERAC (Public Employee Retirement Administration Commission). The Table below provides details from the Report, as well as other key factors not in the Report (for example ...Read More - Investment Returns & Funded Ratios for 104 Retirement Systems: Key Factors Impacting a Cola BASE Increase
August 16, 2026
2026 Primary Elections: Mass Retirees Endorsements
Mass Retirees is proud to endorse the following State Senators and State Representatives in the Massachusetts Democratic Primary Election taking place on Tuesday, September 1, 2026. Each of the seventeen Veteran Legislators listed below has a documented record of support ...Read More - 2026 Primary Elections: Mass Retirees Endorsements
July 6, 2026
Recent Primary Election Losses Signal Potential Health Committee Leadership Changes
July 6, 2026: The most recent news from the Public Sector Healthcare Roundtable A series of congressional primary defeats has begun reshaping the outlook for committee leadership in the next Congress, with several incumbent lawmakers losing renomination bids ahead of ...Read More - Recent Primary Election Losses Signal Potential Health Committee Leadership Changes
July 1, 2026
Legislature passes COLA Reform & Earnings Increase
This evening, the House and Senate approved both our COLA Reform initiative and an increase in the post-retirement earnings limit! Both provisions are contained within the outside sections of the FY27 State Budget, which was released from conference committee ...Read More - Legislature passes COLA Reform & Earnings Increase
June 21, 2026
Latest Federal News from the Roundtable
Public Sector Healthcare Roundtable: June 21, 2026: Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee Advances Bills to Improve Health Care Access and Affordability On June 17, the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee advanced eight bipartisan health care ...Read More - Latest Federal News from the Roundtable
Learn about the legacy of Mass Retirees
Latest News From Mass Retirees
State OPEB Trust: $4.7 Billion in Assets
August 25, 2026For two decades, we’ve been reporting on OPEB, the acronym for Other Post Employment Benefits in addition to retiree pension benefits. OPEB consists almost entirely of future retiree health care costs.).Why have we been reporting on OPEB for ...Read More - State OPEB Trust: $4.7 Billion in Assets
Mass Retirees Featured at MACRS Annual Conference
August 25, 2026Health insurance continues to be one of the most significant issues facing public retirees and the retirement systems that serve them. To help explore the challenges and opportunities ahead, Mass Retirees hosted a fireside chat during the Massachusetts Association of ...Read More - Mass Retirees Featured at MACRS Annual Conference
Retirement Boards: Elections & Appointments
August 25, 2026Adams – Incumbent Adams Retirement Board member Holli Havens-Jayko* received 109 votes to defeat DPW employee Steven Skrocki who received 66 votes. The other members of the Board include Katie Lemanski, Patricia Wol, George Haddad and Natick Retirement Administrator Beth ...Read More - Retirement Boards: Elections & Appointments
Investment Returns & Funded Ratios for 104 Retirement Systems: Key Factors Impacting a Cola BASE Increase
August 24, 2026Earlier in this Voice (page 1) we reported on the 2025 Investment Report by PERAC (Public Employee Retirement Administration Commission). The Table below provides details from the Report, as well as other key factors not in the Report (for example ...Read More - Investment Returns & Funded Ratios for 104 Retirement Systems: Key Factors Impacting a Cola BASE Increase
Healey Signs Cola Reform Into Law
August 24, 2026Landmark Change to Benefit Generations of Retirees The past two years have brought a series of big wins for Massachusetts public retirees. First was the passage of legislation in 2024 increasing the state’s Basic Life Insurance benefit to $10 ...Read More - Healey Signs Cola Reform Into Law