Legislative Matters
Next Steps – Prescription and Medicare Issues
March 22, 2024
As many of you are aware, we have been engaged in an uphill battle to restore prescription benefits to Medicare eligible retirees. While neither the Senate or House bills made it out of committee this year, it does not mean the fight is over. We will continue our efforts to restore retiree benefits by working closely with the MTA and other State retiree groups by collecting real time data demonstrating the true impact of the State’s actions and reintroducing new legislation.
As part of our efforts to date, we discovered a number of retired Troopers paying out of pocket for Medicare Part A. This is most unfortunate and we are working to fix this oversight and need your help. If you were a sworn member or surviving spouse (or know someone in this category that is not a member), paying out of pocket for Medicare Part A, we need to hear from you by June 1, 2024.
Don McCord will be leading our efforts and can be contacted directly at 410-925-8844 orEmail: djmccord@comcast.net
Don will need the following information:
Name
Years Served
Amount paid for Part A (and how long you have been paying out of pocket)
Current email with call back telephone number.
While the current focus is Medicare Part A at this time feel free to contact Don if you have already transitioned to Medicare Part D and wish to share that information also. We may be able to use any Part D information to help other retirees as we all move forward together into this relatively unchartered territory.
Jeannie Mastronardi
President, Maryland State Police Alumni Association
Update – March 5, 2024
The MSPAA have identified the following bills and are tracking their progress. Follow the link to view a bill’s status and details.
SB 0349
State Prescription Drug Benefits Retirees
(Senator McKay)
https://mgaleg.maryland.gov/mgawebsite/Legislation/Details/SB0349
SB 0219
Senior Drug Prescription Assistance Program-Sunset Extension
(Senate Finance Committee)
https://mgaleg.maryland.gov/mgawebsite/Legislation/Details/SB0219
SB 0498
(Senator Gile)
Income Tax – Senior Tax Credit – Alterations
https://mgaleg.maryland.gov/mgawebsite/Legislation/Details/SB0498
SB 0102
Public Safety Handgun Permits and Renewal Periods for Retired Law Enforcement Officers
(Senator Carozza)
https://mgaleg.maryland.gov/mgawebsite/Legislation/Details/SB0102
SB 0501
(Senator McKay)
Handguns – Wear, Carry, and Transport Laws – Handbook Publication
https://mgaleg.maryland.gov/mgawebsite/Legislation/Details/SB0501
HB 0670
State Prescription Drug Benefits – Retirees
(Delegate Grammer)
https://mgaleg.maryland.gov/mgawebsite/Legislation/Details/HB0670
HB 0369
(Delegate Vogel)
Income Tax – Senior Tax Credit – Alterations
https://mgaleg.maryland.gov/mgawebsite/Legislation/Details/HB0369
Check the Maryland General Assembly Homepage to view the bills’ status and details. https://mgaleg.maryland.gov/mgawebsite/Search/Legislation
Find Your Representatives
https://mgaleg.maryland.gov/mgawebsite/Members/District
Prescription Plan Issues
After an open meeting of the MSPAA held in Ocean City, MD, in October 2023, our group is proceeding with a two tier plan to help support efforts to reinstate our prescription plan. While each of you are able to join private groups that are working toward this goal, the financial obligation is unattainable for this group as an organization. This is how our organization will proceed with an aggressive attempt to get our plan back.
First, our legislative representative, Janis Kramer will identify the sponsor and bill for both the house and senate. She will daily monitor the progress of the bill and give us the opportunity to push harder, when necessary.
Second, we will provide our membership, via our MSPAA website, the names of representatives that a letter writing and email campaign can be immediately initiated. We will provide a sample letter that you can use. We ask for your cooperation and participation.
If you know of a retiree that needs technology support, please let us know so we can mail them the contact information of the representatives to mail their letters.
Third. We will make contact with the Maryland delegations in our respective areas and work to get their support for the two bills.
In addition to these steps, we will be contacting health care providers to identify reliable sources for our members in the event that we have to move into a private prescription plan. If you have contacts in the healthcare field or have knowledge of good prescription plans for us, please reach out to me. This is something that we can at least provide to our retirees.
If you are a member of the MSPAA, please know that we are all unpaid volunteers. The prescription plan effects all of us. Anything that you can do to help push this through is greatly appreciated.
I will be in touch soon with updates. You can expect additional information as it becomes available.
Respectfully,
Jeannie Mastronardi
President
Maryland State Police Alumni Association
MSPAA Legislative Committee
Members of this committee, along with the chairman, will lobby for legislation the MSPAA is sponsoring, keep in touch with legislators and other elected and appointed officials and testify at hearings for MSPAA, MSP and MSP employee groups. Generally keep the MSPAA Board of Governors informed on legislative and political action.
Jack Howard & Janis Kramer
Email: MSPAA Legislative CommitteeMaryland General Assembly Contact Info.
Maryland residents can visit the Maryland General Assembly website and do a “Look Up” for their respective legislative representatives.
Sample letter for retirees to send to their legislative representatives.
Out-of-state Maryland State Retirees
We received a response from the Maryland General Assembly. They provided relevant contacts to address issues / legislation affecting out-of-state Maryland State Retirees.
See the below email thread from Delegate Ken Kerr’s Chief of Staff.
From: Kerr, Ken Delegate Ken.Kerr@house.state.md.us
Date: Mon, 30 Oct 2023 15:41:22 -0400
Subject: RE: Legislation affecting out-of-state Maryland State Retirees.
Good afternoon,
We have received your e-mail with questions that are valid, though the answers, may be complex. Since your friends and former colleagues no longer live in Maryland, it seems unlikely that their prior Delegate(s) or Senator(s) would be available to propose new legislation. The Session is already terribly busy with legislation being requested by current individual constituents and advocacy groups. A more productive avenue would be to contact the House Appropriation Committee and the Senate Budget and Taxation committee. Committee Chairs and relevant staff are as follows:
House Appropriations: Chair – Delegate Ben Barnes; Vice Chair – Delegate Mark Chang; Staff – Michele Lambert, Ken Weaver
Phone: 410/841-3407; Ben.barnes@house.state.md.us
Senate Budget and Taxation: Chair – Senator Guy Guzzone; Vice Chair – Senator Jim Rosapepe; Staff – Erika Schissler, Phillip Anthony
Phone: 410/841-3690; guy.guzzone@senate.state.md.us
I hope this recommendation will help your friends and former colleagues to advocate for the retirement benefits they need. Please feel to contact our office again if you have additional questions or concerns.
Regards,
Anne R. Rouse,
Chief of Staff
Delegate Ken Kerr | District 3, Frederick County
HB 670 State Prescription Drug Benefits – Retirees
March 5, 2024
House Bill 670 is scheduled to be heard in the House building on Tuesday, March 12, 2024 at noon. This is the time to prepare your testimony for the hearing. It can be in person-oral, or written- submitted in a pdf formatted document, or both. Your testimony is needed and appreciated. We can help you through the process.
If you can attend the hearing, please respond by phone, 443-754-0160 or email.
This is the time for your active participation. Let your voice be heard. If you are able to attend the hearing … Great. If you can tell your personal story of how it will effect you and your fellow retirees … Great. Please contact us through the website so we can assist in transportation and help you to submit your testimony. This includes spouses, widows, and fellow retirees, sworn and civilian.
If you are going to testify, all testimony will have to be submitted in advance.
Sign-up – Testimony
MyMGA
For those members that would like to testify on a bill.
I would like to be able to sign up for you, but unfortunately everyone who wants to submit testimony has to do so via their own login with MyMGA. The only way I could do this for you is if you create your account and share your login details with me.
Here are instructions on how you can signup:
▪ Visit this website to create an account: https://mgaleg.maryland.gov/mgawebsite/Account/Register/Tracking
▪ Once your account is created, login and visit the “Witness Signup” Page: https://mgaleg.maryland.gov/mgawebsite/MyMGATracking/WitnessSignup
▪ Here’s tips to providing effective testimony.
https://mgaleg.maryland.gov/pubs-current/current-jud-faqs.pdf
▪ We can review your testimony if you would like or submit on your own.
We really need you. Don’t let this opportunity pass you by. Our future depends on it.
Jeannie Mastronardi
President, Maryland State Police Alumni Association
United We Matter
United WE MATTER is a volunteer organization whose mission is to defend and preserve the benefits and pensions of retired Maryland public sector employees.
If you worked for local or state government in Maryland we know your story because it is our story too. State Retirees took a job with lower pay, endured furloughs, wage freezes, layoffs and more based on the certainty of receipt of benefits during retirement.
United We Matter – Support Disabled & Elderly State Retirees
HELP US Repeal the Law that Eliminated Their Prescription Drug Coverage
https://www.unitedwematter.com/
United We Matter – PLEASE SIGN THE PETITION! Maryland Residents Only. We have over 4,000 signatures.
https://www.unitedwematter.com/saveelderlyretirees
WE MATTER RX Drug Coverage Group (facebook) https://www.facebook.com/groups/RXDrugCoverageGroup
United WE MATTER is the brainchild of a retired Maryland state employee, Ken Fitch, who after being confronted with the elimination of his (and 90,000 other State retirees) prescription drug coverage decided to fight back to keep the benefits that he and other State retirees had earned during their long years of employment with the State of Maryland.
In 2011, the State of Maryland eliminated prescription drug coverage for State retirees who were disabled or had reached the age of 65 or older. Maryland informed these state retirees in 2018 – Seven Years Later. In response, Ken Fitch created the WE MATTER RX Drug Coverage Group on Facebook, The group grew to over 3,000 members.
After being frustrated with the Legislative and Executive branches obvious attempts to defer the issue, Ken Fitch with three other state retirees, filed a complaint to stop the Enforcement of the law that eliminated their prescription drug coverage.
They were successful in obtaining an injunction and litigation continues.
Further research determined that States all over the country where eliminating benefits and reducing pensions of the elderly with impunity. Ken was determined that would not happen to Maryland State retirees and founded United We Matter to combat this trend.
Legislative Efforts continue…..
This effort by the State of Maryland to eliminate a well earned benefit was the beginning of state retirees’ concern. What will they try to do next? And how will we stop them? What rights did State Retirees have to ensure the continuation of the benefits earned and paid for during their employment?
In response to those questions, Ken Fitch created United WE MATTER. United WE MATTER will be that mechanism State Retirees need to fight against any future threat to the benefits they earned. Our members are comprised of volunteer public sector retirees from the State of Maryland. Each volunteer retiree recognizes that it will be a battle to preserve what they have earned. The State has many weapons in its arsenal while waging war against its former employees. However, this does not deter United WE MATTER from waging this fight. We have the work ethic, the character and the determination to be victorious.
We are determined that lawmakers recognize that our years of service mattered, that our contributions to this State mattered, that now that we are in the twilight of our lives – WE MATTER.
Fitch vs. State of Maryland – APPEAL TIME
It’s not over, we are still in court!
January 5, 2024 – Formal Appeal Filed.
The injunction granted by the court in Fitch v. State of Maryland has been dissolved. We have appealed that ruling to the US Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit.
It’s time to donate to the lawyer that is fighting to reinstate this benefit in the Courts.
Law Office of Deborah Hill, LLC
P.O. Box 43207
Nottingham, MD 21236
In Memo Line: Rx Drug Coverage Fight
Note: April 10, 2024: This is a new address. If you mailed to the old P.O. Box its ok mail will be forward for 3 months. This will be a transition time.
Thanks to everyone who has donated to the attorney so far. It is because of you that we still have the ability to fight.
— Ken Fitch
Other Prescription Plan Resources
The University of Maryland Emeritus/Emerita Association
Video & Resources – Panel Discussion: MD State Employees & Retirees’ Prescription Plan Changes
Maryland State Government Retirees & Employees (facebook)
https://www.facebook.com/groups/MdSGR
Bring Back Prescription Benefits for State of Maryland Retirees (facebook)
https://www.facebook.com/groups/238150303628330/
Page updated: April 17, 2024 @ 1130 hours.