CONTACT INFORMATION

FURA
P O BOX 1717
CLOVIS CA  93613-1717

FURA GENERAL MEETING
 May 17, 2012
Meeting Minutes (view on line)

Meeting Mintutes (.pdf file)

FURA Newsletter May 2012! (.pdf file)

NOTICE

This notice is for retirees who experienced either a reduction in social security benefit checks OR received a premium bill from Medicare for Medicare Part D coverage. PLEASE NOTE:

• FUSD Risk Manager contacted FURA about the problem.
• The FUSD Risk Manager said that the Joint Health Management Board has decided to have affected retirees reimbursed. 
• FUSD will send a letter to retirees asking who is affected by the action and describing the process for reimbursement. 
• NO timeline had been developed. FURA believes, however,  that a letter will be forthcoming in early April re: reimbursement process.

FURA and FURA attorneys are aware of deductions in social security monthly benefit checks for many of our retirees as well as the notice of premiums from Medicare for Medicare Part D Drug prescription plan. Carole spoke w/ FURA attorney David Conway last Friday and again Monday re: the notice of premiums. We will post more information when we know what the next steps may entail. Carole also left a voice message for Andrew DeLaTorre, FUSD risk manager on Monday, as well as a voice message for Gwen Sittner in FUSD benefits; spoke directly with Cindy Solis in Benefits and faxed her a copy of the medicare premium notice; spoke with FUSD Board of Education member Carol Mills who said that the Board was not informed of any of the above. Carol Mills promised to send an email to the superintendent and ask that this item be placed on the closed session agenda for the Board's next meeting on March 21, 2012.

More later.

Carole

REMINDERS ABOUT CURRENT HEALTH COVERAGE FOR RETIREES

• Remember that our lawsuit focused only the charge of premiums to retirees and not co-pays and deductibles.

• Dual coverage was canceled for all current employees. The district may legally cancel dual coverage because the retirees receive the "same" benefit as active employees.

• It does not appear at this time we have any grounds to sue FUSD again or file a motion. Coverage to retirees is dependent on what is contained in the FUSD health plan for active employees.

• If you have questions about coverage, it would be a good idea to attend one of the FUSD meetings listed in the orange flyer that you should have received around February 8, 2012.

• Each time a retiree obtains a prescription, the white plastic ID card from Envision Rx Plus must be presented. For Prescription questions, please call Envision. The phone number is located in the packet received last month. If you don’t have a packet, call FUSD Benefits and ask for the Envision Rx Plus Senior help line phone number.

• Co-Pays:
  Prescriptions -- Generics are $10 and brand names are $35 each
  $15 Dr. visit co pay
  yearly health physical no co pay

Representatives from FURA (Steve Deak and Rog Lucido) in coordination with FURA’s attorney will be meeting soon with FUSD Risk Management regarding Envision Rx Plus Medicare Part D.

An email to FURA President Carole Sarkisian from Andrew DeLaTore of FUSD Risk Management stated that if someone opts out of the prescription health plan, that individual will NOT be dropped from the health plan (as was stated in the Envision Packet). He was very apologetic for the errors in the Envision packet.

According to the packet you had no choice--you would be removed from coverage if you opt out. Now that the deadline is past, if you have questions, call benefits. That is always the best choice if you have questions--call Benefits.

When new information on this topic is available, it will be posted here.

Judge Franson's Statement of Decision
(This is a .pdf file -- requires Adobe Acrobat Reader to open.)

If you don't have Adobe Acrobat Reader download it FREE here.

Date of Inclusion in Class Action Law Suit -- Retired on or before April 17, 2006.

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VSP Enrollment Forms (.pdf file)

Fall 2011 Newsletter! (.pdf file)