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NRLN Works to Protect Your Retirement Security

The National Retiree Legislative Network (NRLN) works to enact federal legislation to protect employer-sponsored pensions, health care benefits and keep Social Security and Medicare strong.
With support from more than 2 million members and Washington, D.C. staff, the NRLN identifies and rallies support for federal legislation that will guarantee fair and equitable treatment of retirees from the private and public sectors. Learn more about the NRLN and legislation important to retirees by clicking on the "About Us" link above.       

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Take Action Now!

The NRLN's power to affect legislation comes from thousands of retirees like you making your voice heard in our nation's capital. Click the "Take Action" headline above to read the NRLN's current Action Alert and send the sample letter to your elected representatives. Also, you may enter your 5-digit zip code in the "Write to Congress" box to identify your U.S. Senators and Representative and compose your own personal message to them.

 

 

       BILL KADEREIT

PRESIDENT'S FORUM

NRLN Developed A Defined Pension Benefit Buyout Information Sheet

Some companies that sponsor defined benefit pension plans offer lump sum pension buyouts to pension plan participants to reduce their long-term pension plan liabilities.

Ford Motor Company announced on April 27th that it will offer about 90,000 eligible U.S. salaried retirees and former employees the option to receive a voluntary lump-sum pension payment. The General Motors Retirees Association has been informed by several GM retirees that they have been contacted by the Gallup opinion polling organization asking them if they would accept a lump sum "pension buyout" from GM, in lieu of a monthly pension benefit. GM, however, has not recently announced a lump sum pension buyout offer.

When a company offers a lump sum pension buyout, pension plan participants are faced with making a critical decision. The NRLN staff, a small group of Retiree Association leaders and I have developed "A Defined Pension Benefit Buyout Information Sheet" that is part of this message. It is designed to help NRLN Grassroots Network Members with a basic understanding of a buyout offer and the things that an individual needs to consider when making the decision on whether or not to accept the lump sum buyout. This Information Sheet is not exhaustive but provides our initial thoughts on issues retirees need to consider when evaluating a lump sum buy-out offer. It is not our intention to evaluate specific company buyout offers as they are made available. You should contact your company benefits office or retiree association leaders with questions about whether your company is offering a lump sum pension buyout.

Many of you may never be faced with making such a decision. For those who do receive a lump sum buyout offer, we think the information below will be useful to you. You may want to print a copy and save it for reference. Click here to access A Defined Pension Benefit Buyout Information Sheet.

Bill Kadereit, President
National Retiree Legislative Network


 

 

 


Click here to read the spring 2012 edition of the NRLN FOCUS Newsletter.

FOCUS

The 8-page newsletter carries an in depth report on the NRLN's 10th Annual Leadership Conference on January 30 – February 2 in Washington, D. C. where retiree association and Grassroots Network members were immersed in NRLN legislative initiatives and engaged Capitol Hill and federal agency officials in an effort to shore up retirement security.

In the "A Clarion Call" column, NRLN President Bill Kadereit writes the NRLN continues to advocate that Congress should address Social Security's long-term funding gap by a modest increase--possibly between 0.5% and 1.5%--in the payroll tax and increase the maximum taxable wage cap until the Social Security Trust is again adequately funded.

In the "A View from Washington" column, Marta Bascom, NRLN Executive Director, points out that Congress has blown the federal budget so far out of proportion in the last four decades on so many programs – including corporate bail-outs – that even those members who used to reliably stand to protect retirees are now scurrying behind the budget deficit reports looking to cut vital programs that will hurt America’s seniors.


NRLN IS WORKING FOR YOU

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NRLN Agency Arranged for Free Rx Savings Card

The NRLN has arranged to offer you a Health Savings Rx Card℠, at NO COST, that offers you and your family savings from over 62,000 participating pharmacies. Click the "Insurance" tab above and select "Health Savings Rx Card℠" to access the Health Savings Rx Card℠ website. Please read "How Your Card Works," click the links for "Drug Pricing" and "Pharmacy Locator"; shop, then you may elect to print a Health Savings Rx Card℠. The NRLN will not be compensated for this offering and participation is entirely up to you.


NRLN 2012 Survey Needs Your Input

The National Retiree Legislative Network (NRLN) is extending an invitation to you to participate in its 2012 online survey. Your responses will be valuable to the NRLN Board and Retiree Association leaders in planning the 2012-2013 Legislative Agenda initiatives and setting future directions and priorities for the NRLN and your Retiree Association. It will also provide the NRLN with an expanded understanding of issues regarding retirees' pensions and benefits plus retirement security. Click here to take the survey.


Contact Lawmakers When They Are 'Back Home'

Congressional district/state work periods are a key opportunity to visit with your Member of Congress to remind them that their retired constituents want them to act on protecting their financial security. Your U.S. Senators will be in their state offices during the following periods:
April 30th – May 4th
May 28th – June 1st
July 2nd – July 6th
August 6th – September 7th

Your U.S. Representative in the House has a similar schedule, although there can be changes as Congressional leaders deem them necessary. Call your member’s district office or your Senators’ closest state office and schedule a meeting with him or her.
Click here to find the offices and phone numbers of your elected representatives. Bring your neighbors, others within your retiree association, anybody who cares about their pension plan, retiree health care benefits, Medicare and Social Security. Let them know you want them to act now to ensure those earned benefits remain in place.

This is an election year for all U.S Representatives, one-third of the U.S. Senators and the President. There will probably be town hall meetings and campaign rallies which also provide opportunities to talk with incumbents and challengers.


NRLN National News Release - Retiree Leader Says Bankruptcies Ruining Retirees' Lives

WASHINGTON (March 1, 2012) – The lack of federal legislation to protect retirees' pensions and benefits in corporate bankruptcies is ruining the lives of retirees according to the leader of the National Retiree Legislative Network (NRLN).

"When companies file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, retirees regularly lose their health care and life insurance benefits and frequently their underfunded pension plans are taken over by the Pension Benefits Guaranty Corporation (PBGC)," said Bill Kadereit, NRLN President. "Retirees often have their pension income reduced at the time when their expenses for health care insurance increase and life insurance is unaffordable or even unobtainable due to age or other conditions...”Read more...

NRLN Welcomes American Airlines Retirees Committee

The NRLN welcomes the American Airlines Retirees Committee (AMRRC) as its newest retiree association member. The AMRRC is dedicated to being a strong voice for all American Airlines retirees in an effort to preserving the retiree benefits that are in jeopardy because of the American Airlines Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing.

The AMRRC Board of Directors concluded that the NRLN provided strength in numbers and the NRLN's 10 years of experience in Washington, D.C. would be valuable in dealing with the complexities of the American Airlines bankruptcy. The NRLN has worked on bankruptcy issues with four retiree associations and the NRLN has the contacts on Capitol Hill where the AMRRC will need allies in order to protect the interest of American Airlines retirees. Click here to access the AMRRC website.


IN THE NEWS...

Insurers Face $1 Trillion Revenue at Stake in Health Law
By Alex Wayne, Bloomberg – May 14, 2012

Health Exchanges' Sharing of Patient Data Heightens Privacy Concerns
By Jordan Robertson; Bloomberg ~ May 15, 2012

Business leaders urge permanent pension funding relief
By Hazel Bradford; Pensions & Investments ~ May 15, 2012

How Older Workers Weather Layoffs
By Motoko Rich; The New York Times ~ May 15, 2012

Stage 2 meaningful use rules sharply criticized by physicians
By Charles Fiegl ; American Medical News ~ May 14, 2012

Coping with rising retiree medical costs
By Steve Vernon; CBS News ~ May 14, 2012

How Employer-Sponsored Insurance Drives Up Health Costs
By Avik Roy; Forbes ~ May 12, 2012

If Obamacare survives, employers may do it in
By Geoff Colvin; Fortune ~ May 11, 2012

Insurers Must Credit Rebates to Health Law
By Louise Radnofsky; The Wall Street Journal ~ May 11, 2012

Kodak Retiree Bill Faces Changes
By Seth Voorhees; Your News Now ~ May 11, 2012

Bill for Kodak retirees would give health care safety net
WHEC 10 News ~ May 09, 2012

Delphi salaried retirees irked
By Thomas Gnau; Dayton Daily News ~ May 10, 2012

Progress Made on How Medicare Pays Doctors
By Louise Radnofsky, Wall Street Journal- May 9, 2012

The Retiree Health Cost Price Spiral
By Kelly Greene; The Wall Street Journal ~ May 09, 2012

Funded Status of U.S. Pensions Declines to 76.3 Percent in April
BNY Mellon News Releases – May 9, 2012

Patients Share Of Expensive Specialty Drugs Is Rising
By Michelle Andrews; Kaiser Health News ~ May 07, 2012

Medicare modifies ordering, referring rules for physicians
By Charles Fiegl; American Medical News ~ May 07, 2012

Health Care Increasingly Out Of Reach For Millions Of Americans
By Phil Galewitz; Kaiser Health News ~ May 07, 2012

Medicare Covers In-Home Care
By Anne Tergesen; The Wall Street Journal ~ May 06, 2012

Rivlin On Medicare And The Debt: ‘We Know What To Do’
By Christian Torres; Kaiser Health News ~ May 04, 2012

Get your social security benefits online
By Althea Blackwell; Examiner ~ May 05, 2012

Best Tax Deductions On Chopping Block?
By Robert W. Wood; Forbes ~ May 04, 2012

The terrible cost of not having a will
By Michelle Singletary; The Washington Post ~ May 01, 2012

7 ex-Kodakers will be voice of retirees in court case
Democrat and Chronicle ~ May 05, 2012

Pensions swap stocks for bonds, capping rates
By Deborah Levine; MarketWatch ~ May 04, 2012

Picking a Place to Retire
By Ellen E. Schultz; The Wall Street Journal ~ May 04, 2012

Feingold: Pelosi wobbly on Social Security
By Jennifer Haberkorn, Politico – May 3, 2012

7 Medical Procedures You Don't Need
By Elizabeth Agnvall; AARP Bulletin ~ May 2012

FAQ: Obama v. Ryan On Controlling Federal Medicare Spending
By Marilyn Werber Serafini; Kaiser Health News ~ May 03, 2012

Uninsured not convinced of health-care law benefits
By Dean Olsen, GHN; Augusta Gazette ~ May 03, 2012

Medicare disruptions seen if health law is struck
By Ricardo Alonso-Zaldivar, Associated Press -

Will Medicare Costs Outpace Social Security Benefits?
By Kelly Greene, Wall Street Journal – May 2, 2012

Analysis: ACOs Could Have The Medicare Muscle To Transform Health System
By Michael L. Millenson; Kaiser Health News ~ May 02, 2012

Stern Advice - Should you retire with a mortgage?
By Linda Stern; Reuters ~ May 02, 2012

Top GOPer: Ban On Pre-Existing Conditions Discrimination ‘A Terrible Idea’
By Sahil Kapur; Talking Points Memo ~ May 01, 2012

Report: Companies likely to save billions dumping employee health care
By Caroline May; The Daily Caller ~ May 01, 2012

Health centers for poor, uninsured see ranks swell
By David Morgan; Reuters ~ May 01, 2012

Opinion: John Breaux Sees Democrats Embracing Paul Ryan's Plan To 'End Medicare'
By Michael McAuliff, Huffington Post – Apr 30, 2012

Poll: More workers see Social Security as critical
United Press International ~ Apr 30, 2012

Americans Financially Unprepared for Long Lives
By Danielle Andrus; AdvisorOne ~ Apr 30, 2012

Physicians fight “unworkable” Medicare overpayment rule
By Charles Fiegl; American Medical News ~ Apr 30, 2012

CMS: Obama health law has saved seniors $3.4 billion on prescription drugs
By Sam Baker; The Hill ~ Apr 30, 2012

Can we keep the Social Security and Medicare trust funds from going bust?
By Marcella S. Kreiter; United Press International ~ Apr 29, 2012

Seven Social Security Sins
By Maryalene LaPoinse; Fox Business ~ Apr 27, 2012

Care That's Just Right
By Kristen Gerencher; The Wall Street Journal ~ Apr 28, 2012

Opinion: Doomsday scenario draws nearer for Social Security
By David Nicklaus, St. Louis Post-Dispatch – Apr 29, 2012

GOP lawmakers say administration is ignoring Medicare questions
By Paige Winfield Cunningham; The Washington Times ~ Apr 27, 2012

Retirees: Pump Up Those Yields!
By Kelly Greene; The Wall Street Journal ~ Apr 27, 2012

Freeing Boomers From Social Security Cuts Blows Up Math
By Brian Faler; Bloomberg ~ Apr 26, 2012

Five Things You May Not Know About Social Security, But Should
From Nancy Anderson; Forbes ~ Apr 26, 2012

Employers Are Advised on Dropping Health Insurance
By Louise Radnofsky; The Wall Street Journal ~ Apr 26, 2012

Report: Rebates from health care law will top $1B
By Ricardo Alonso-Zaldivar, AP; PressDemocrat ~ Apr 26, 2012

Health Insurers to Give Back $1.2 Billion, Analyst Says
By Alex Wayne; Bloomberg ~ Apr 25, 2012

Congress cannot afford to punt on Social Security
By Former Reps. Jim Kolbe (R-AZ) & Charlie Stenholm (D-TX); The Hill ~ Apr 25, 2012

US trustee objects to Kodak plan to pay execs bonuses; wants assurance no insiders included
By The Associated Press; The Washington Post ~ Apr 24, 2012

Poll: Doctors Fall Short In Helping Many Seniors
By Judith Graham; Kaiser Health News ~ Apr 24, 2012

Medicare To Add Hospital Efficiency, Patient Safety To Payment Formula
By Jordan Rau; Kaiser Health News ~ Apr 24, 2012

Stress Rises on Social Security
By Damian Paletta; The Wall Street Journal ~ Apr 23, 2012

Medicare trustee report hangs on uncertain assumptions
By David Morgan; Reuters ~ Apr 23, 2012

Medicare bidding program boosts savings on medical equipment
By Kelly Kennedy, USA Today – Apr 20, 2012

Auditors call on Obama administration to cancel Medicare bonuses GOP sees as political
By Associated Press, Washington Post – Apr 22, 2012

Republicans eye health plan should court overturn reform
By David Morgan; Reuters ~ Apr 22, 2012

Skipping doctor's visits self-defeating
United Press International ~ Apr 22, 2012

Social Security, Medicare report card on tap
By Jeanne Sahadi ; CNN Money ~ Apr 20, 2012

Facing Health-Plan Cuts
By Ellen E. Schultz; The Wall Street Journal ~ Apr 20, 2012

The Future Of Medicare: Why You Should Be Worried
Forbes ~ Apr 19, 2012

One in four Americans without health coverage: study
By David Morgan; Reuters ~ Apr 19, 2012

Senate Budget Panel to Take Up Deficit Plan
By Jonathan Weisman, New York Times – Apr 17, 2012

The plot to keep health care prices from consumers
By Merrill Goozner, The Fiscal Times; MSN ~ Apr 18, 2012

Seniors In Medicare 'Doughnut Hole' More Likely To Stop Heart Drugs
By Julie Rovner; KUHF-FM ~ Apr 17, 2012

Social Security Claiming Slows
From Planning to Retire; US News & World Report ~ Apr 17, 2012

Tax Breaks for U.S. Retirement Should Be Simpler, Camp Says
By Richard Rubin; Bloomberg ~ Apr 17, 2012

Opinion: Ducking the Crisis in Medicare
By Stephen Rattner, New York Times – April 13, 2012

Medicare Moves to Tie Doctors' Pay to Care
Kaiser Health News - April 14, 2012

Ending Medicare As We Know It By Doing Nothing
By Sally Pipes, Forbes – April 16, 2012

Social Security payments to go all-electronic, not checks
By Stephen Ohlemacher, Associated Press – April 16, 2012

Americans Making Over $50,000 a Year Paid 93.3 Percent of All Taxes in 2010
By Christopher Goins; Cybercast News Service ~ Apr 14, 2012

Kathleen Sebelius: We don't have a health care backup plan
By J. Lester Feder ; Politico ~ Apr 12, 2012

Opinion: Would Roosevelt recognize today’s Social Security?
By Robert Samuelson, Washington Post – April 8, 2012

Next generation of doctors sees gloomy future
By Anna Yukhananov; Reuters ~ Apr 11, 2012

Cost of aging rising faster than expected: IMF
By Stella Dawson; Reuters ~ Apr 11, 2012

Report Calls for Medical Tax to Fund Public-Health Efforts
By Louise Radnofsky; The Wall Street Journal ~ Apr 10, 2012

Obama administration diverts $500M to IRS to implement healthcare reform law
By Sam Baker ; The Hill ~ Apr 09, 2012

DC equals Social Security in retirement importance, survey finds
By Hazel Bradford; Pensions & Investments ~ Apr 09, 2012

DC equals Social Security in retirement importance, survey finds
By Hazel Bradford; Pensions & Investments ~ Apr 09, 2012

Both Parties Wooing Seniors
By Janet Hook; The Wall Street Journal ~ Apr 08, 2012

Kodak Proposes Bonuses, Withdraws Benefits Cut
From The Associated Press; The Wall Street Journal ~ Apr 07, 2012

Haggling for health care: Ways to lower your bills
By Jessica Dickler; CNNMoney ~ Apr 06, 2012

Finding Social Security Help
By Ellen E. Schultz; The Wall Street Journal ~ Apr 06, 2012

Gotbaum Encourages Traditional Pension Offerings
By Rebecca Moore, PlanSponsor.Com – Apr 4, 2012

US companies using debt to cover pension shortfalls
By Danielle Robinson; Reuters ~ Apr 05, 2012

For now, Kodak backs off on retiree benefit cuts
By Matthew Daneman; Democrat and Chronicle ~ Apr 04, 2012

Physicians Wade Into Efforts To Curb Unnecessary Treatments
By Julie Appleby; Kaiser Health News ~ Apr 04, 2012

Seniors Ration Spending on Drugs as Costs Rise in Weak Economy
By Drew Armstrong; Bloomberg ~ Apr 04, 2012

Obama: not spending much time on healthcare contingency plans
By Matt Spetalnick; Reuters ~ Apr 03, 2012

Strong quarter boosts U.S. pension plans' funding ratios
By Kevin Olsen; Pensions & Investments ~ Apr 03, 2012

Health Insurers Prepare For Post-Supreme Court Doom Scenario
By Brian Beutler; Talking Points Memo ~ Apr 02, 2012

What Older Workers Don't Know About Social Security
By Emily Brandon; US News & World Report ~ Apr 02, 2012

Merger to Mean More Rx by Mail
By Timothy W. Martin & Jon Kamp; The Wall Street Journal ~ Apr 02, 2012

If the health law falls, what's next?
By Josh Gerstein; Politico ~ Apr 01, 2012


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