No new COLA boost this year
State Comptroller H. Carl McCall recently said that due to poor stock market conditions, he will not press the Legislature this year to boost the current cost-of-living adjustments to state pensions.
However, the comptroller reminded us that September pension checks should be up by about 1.5 percent of the first $18,000 of your pension, which comes out to approximately $22 per month.
We will work very hard to get another pension boost approved next year, which is an election year.
PEF was well represented at the Broome County Area Labor Federation picnic held in Binghamton on August 30. It appears that the efforts of the state AFL-CIO to reorganize and consolidate central labor councils into area federations of labor are beginning to show results. This picnic was the best organized and the best attended event that I can remember in the past 30 years.
Our members’ response to the request that they pay their PEF Retirees dues via automatic pension deduction has been outstanding. We wish to thank members who have chosen this option. If you have not done so, please elect this method of payment upon receiving your next renewal notice.
We have been promising a change in our dental plan, and it’s about to take place. You should have received or will soon receive information about it from our provider. The plan will be called Retirees Preferred Plan and will offer several options for coverage.
Best of all, we will have more participating dentists. Any questions should be directed to our plan administrator — Carlson Group Inc. at 1-800-487-8004 weekdays from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
And we have good news for veterans. You can now get free hearing aids and batteries from the Veterans Administration. Contact your local VA clinic for details.
I am told Medicare does not cover hearing aids because too many elderly need them and it would be cost prohibitive. However, we do get one break. There is no state sales tax on hearing aids or batteries.