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Health Care Issues

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Max Baucus (D-MT), Chairman. Jim. McCrery (R-LA) Ranking. Member ... Improvements in health care are incremental: ... Mikulski-Voinovich GPO Reform Bill. S. 1254 ... – PowerPoint PPT presentation

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Title: Health Care Issues


1
National Active and Retired Federal Employees
Association (NARFE) Legislative Priorities in
the 110th Congress (2007-2008)
By Dan Adcock Assistant Legislative Director
2
Legislative Priorities
  • Protecting Federal Retirement
  • Premium Conversion
  • Government Retiree Social Security Offsets

3
Job Number One
  • Protecting Earned
  • Existing Benefits

4
Budget Situations Impact on Federal Retirement
  • No Legislated Retirement Cuts Since 1993
  • If the Past is Prologue
  • 50 Billion Cut in 1980s Early 90s
  • 2.3 Billion in FY 2005 Budget Resolution
  • 38.3 Billion in FY 2005 Budget Resolution
  • Calls for an Entitlement Commission
  • RSCs Operation Offset
  • Base Retiree FEHBP Premiums of Length of Service
  • Highest 5 Years of Salary

Rep. Mike Pence (R-IN)
5
Presidents FY 2008 Budget
  • Health Savings Accounts (HSAs) in Federal
    Employees Health Benefit Program (FEHBP).
  • Base Retiree FEHBP Premiums on Length of Service.

6
Congressional Budget Resolutions
  • No plans to cut Federal Retirement in House or
    Senate Budget Resolutions.

7
Setting the Bar High
  • The Fight for
  • Premium
  • Conversion

8
How Premium Conversion Works
  • Paying for Health Insurance With Pre-Tax Salary
    (Premium Conversion)
  • Annual Salary 32,000
  • Enrollee Premium Share
    3,491
  • Reported Income 28,509
  • Combined Federal/State Tax Rate 19
  • Income Taxes Paid 5,416
  • Paying for Health Insurance With After-Tax Salary
    (w/o Premium Conversion)
  • Annual Salary 32,000
  • Enrollee Premium Share
    3,491
  • Reported Income 32,000
  • Combined Federal/State Tax Rate 19
  • Income Taxes Paid 6,080

Total Savings with Premium Conversion in this
example 664
9
Premium Conversion
  • Rep. Tom Davis (R-VA)
  • H.R. 1110
  • 168 Cosponsors, including
  • Majority Leader Hoyer (D-MD)
  • Oversight Govt Reform Committee Chairman
    Waxman (D-CA)
  • 23 Members of Ways and Means (13 Ds 10 Rs)

As of May 16, 2007
10
Premium Conversion
  • Senators John Warner (R-VA) Jim Webb
  • S. 773
  • 29 Cosponsors
  • 6 Finance Committee members (Rockefeller, Lott,
    Snowe, Cantwell, Crapo Bunning, .

As of May 16, 2007
11
So Whats New About...
  • Premium Conversion in the 110th Congress
    (2007-2008)?

12
Whats New? Committee Chairman
  • House Ways and Means Committee
  • Senate Finance Committee

Charles Rangel (D-NY) Chairman
Jim McCrery (R-LA) Ranking Member
Charles Grassley (R-IA), Ranking Member
Max Baucus (D-MT), Chairman
13
Whats New?Budget Rule
  • Pay As You Go (a.k.a. Paygo)
  • Tax Relief Must be Offset by
  • Revenue Increases, or
  • Program Cuts

14
Whats Old?
  • Premium Conversion Costs 12 billion
  • 248 billion Federal Budget Deficit 06
  • Unknown costs of Wars Homeland Security.
  • The Impending Fiscal Tsunami

These guys will need a lot of Social Security
benefits, health care long-term care
15
What Else is Leftover?Politics of Premium
Conversion
  • Many lawmakers would like to support PC.
  • But, they have to consider how non-feds feel.
  • No Retirees Anywhere Receive PC tax benefit.
  • Under H.R. 1110 S. 773, Retired Members of
    Congress get Premium Conversion too.
  • Legislators concern about giving themselves a tax
    break other retirees wont get.

16
How NARFE Should Respond
  • NARFE Sen. Warner Cutting PCs 12 billion
    cost
  • Cap benefit with no effect on relief for 7-8
    years.
  • Annuitants get benefit through an Flexible
    Spending Account.
  • Open PC to all retirees
  • No retirees private or public have PC
  • Cost goes up, but PC for all removes one obstacle.

OMB Director Portman Senator Cardin (D-MD)
17
Premium ConversionOur Best Arguments
  • The cost is not out of line with how the tax code
    is being used on health care.
  • Federal civilian and military retirees should be
    reward for their sacrifices to our country.
  • Improvements in health care are incremental
  • H.R. 1110/S. 773 are a foot in the door for other
    retirees.

18
Government Pension Offset (GPO)andWindfall
Elimination Provision (WEP)
19
NARFEs Priority Bills to Repeal GPO WEP
  • S. 206, Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA)
  • Cosponsors 29
  • H.R. 82, Rep. Howard Berman (D-CA)
  • Cosponsors 297

As of May 16, 2007
20
Chances for GPO/WEP Bills
  • Total repeal costs over 60 billion.
  • SSA opposition.
  • Reform bills have better shot.
  • Odds improve if GPO/WEP bills are added to Social
    Security overhaul legislation.

21
GOVERNMENT PENSION OFFSET
  • Question Why has Republican Democratic SSA
    opposed GPO/WEP repeal?
  • Answer GPO Repeal would be unfair to
    private-sector retirees subject to the dual
    entitlement rule.

22
GPO How Are They Affected?
  • Edna
  • Monthly Government Annuity 900
  • Seymour
  • Husband

Social Security Widows
Benefit Before GPO 500 Two-thirds of annuity of
900 600 SS Widows Benefit After GPO 0
23
Dual Entitlement RuleGPO vs. Non-GPO
  • GPO Edna
  • Monthly Government Annuity 900
  • Widows Benefit Before GPO 500
  • Two-thirds of annuity of 900 600
  • SS Widows Benefit After GPO 0
  • Total Retirement Income 900
  • Non-GPO Selma
  • Social Security Benefit Before Spouses Death
    900
  • Social Security Widows Benefit 900
  • Total Widows benefit payable 900
  • Employer Sponsored Pension ?
  • Total Retirement Income 900

24
What Percentage of A Government Annuity Social
Security?
More Accurate Social Security 1/3 of Annuity
GPO Current Law Social Security 2/3 of Annuity
100 of Pie Charts Equals Total Government
Retiree Annuity
25
GPO Reduction2/3 vs. 1/3
  • GPO 1/3 Reduction
  • Monthly Government Annuity 900
  • Widows Benefit Before GPO 500
  • One-thirds of annuity of 900 300
  • SS Widows Benefit After GPO 200
  • Total Retirement Income 1,100
  • GPO 2/3 Reduction
  • Monthly Government Annuity 900
  • Widows Benefit Before GPO 500
  • Two-thirds of annuity of 900 600
  • SS Widows Benefit After GPO 0
  • Total Retirement Income 900

26
Mikulski-Voinovich GPO Reform Bill
  • S. 1254
  • Lessens the burden of the Government Pension
    Offset (GPO) on retired public servants,
    including federal retirees.
  • Targets retirees with lower annuities.

27
Bipartisan SSA Opposition to WEP Repeal
  • Social Security Formula
  • Designed to artificially provide low wage earners
    a larger benefit.
  • Government Workers
  • Some barely qualify for SS, but they were not
    necessarily low wage workers.
  • Formula treats them like low wage earner.
  • SSA Says WEP repeal would provide unfair
    advantage to govt retirees.
  • We say WEP drafted to achieve savings, not
    fairness.

28
WINDFALL ELIMINATION PROVISIONREFORM BILL
  • H.R. 726
  • Exempts retirees whose combined Social Security
    earned benefits and public pension are less than
    2,000 a month.
  • Gradually phase in WEP for those receiving
    combined benefits between 2,000 and 3,000 per
    month.
  • Above 3,000 a month, the full WEP would still
    apply.

Rep. B. Frank (D-MA)
29
Join NARFE!
  • Call 1-800-627-3394 or 703/838-7760
  • Visit www.narfe.org

30
110th Congress Legislative Priorities
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