The 2016 Medicare Trustees Report says that Medicare is expected to go bankrupt in 12 years. Projected costs are forecast to exceed income, depleting the Medicare trust fund by 2028. These projections are based on current law. Adding postal retirees will drain the Medicare trust fund quicker.
This means future Medicare beneficiaries are facing hefty hikes in Part B premiums, the annual deductible and cost-sharing amounts. Does it make sense to force postal retirees into a bankrupt Medicare system as proposed in the latest postal reform bill — APWU: House Committee Releases Draft Postal Bill?
Don Cheney for Retiree National Convention Delegate – Western Region
First Name: Don
Last Name: Cheney
Email: doncheney@live.com
Union/Local: APWU – Auburn WA Local
Office held if any: Retired President
Union and NAME of Local/Branch
Terre Haute Area Local #618
Office held, if any
Current candidate for APWU National President.
I absolutely agree. Any legislation coming out of this committee is not in the best interests of members of the APWU. I watched the video of the hearings earlier in the month twice. Terrible stuff. Flat out terrible stuff. Read the 181 page initial draft then the final draft. One of the officers of the Duluth MN APWU local contacted me to speak to Rep. (D) Rick Nolan’s office as they had reached out to him and our national didn’t have a policy statement at that time. One of the people I spoke with before calling the Rep. Nolan’s office was Robert Furbush. Let me tell you Robert is knowledge on healthcare is formidable to say the least. He is an expert.
Everything we do as a union is the angle of “what’s in it for us”. That is not where we need to go if we want to influence people, make friends, and establish alliances! So besides telling the Congressman’s office about my feelings and the impact on Medicare, our healthcare, and our retirement. I also explained how discontinuing door to door delivery of mail on new construction is not in Rep. Nolan’s best interests. We are thankful people like Rep. Rick Nolan have our back. We have to have their back as well. If we don’t we will lose the only friendly seats we have in Congress and their aren’t many. So I went on in great detail about how if his constituents save their money and build a new home in nice subdivision where they plan on staying as they grow older the last thing “He wants is the elderly slipping and breaking a hip on the ice and snow in Northern Minnesota.”
Jerry Stidman for APWU President
Union and NAME of Local/Branch
Houston Area Local
Office held, if any
Health Plan Representative/Director, Human Relations
I agree with you Don, retirees should not be forced into Medicare Part B because of a number reasons. First and foremost is the the fact that doing so would place an unnecessary financial burden on the retiree who will be on a set income. And to make them obtain Part B on the condition of being part the FEHBP is undue punishment on them for benefits that they have earned over their postal career. We must fight this postal reform bill with all our efforts because it only serves to benefit the postal service and not the employees.
VOTE Robert Furbush – Candidate for Health Plan Director 2016