Shared from the 4/15/2018 LUBBOCK AVALANCHE-JOURNAL eEdition

Time for special session to fix Teacher Retirement System

It’s time for another special session; a real one. One that will point the legislature in the right direction in dealing with a critical issue and that is the Teacher Retirement System of Texas and its healthcare (TRS – Care).

According to reports, TRS – Care faced a $1 billion shortfall before the 85th regular session began. During the regular and special sessions, lawmakers pumped in about half of the deficit into the program but that token helped little.

Instead of aiding, it started a problem by creating two platforms for retired teachers. One for those who are not Medicare eligible – meaning under the age of 65 – and the other for those who are Medicare eligible (called Medicare Advantage) – meaning at age 65 and older.

Those in the Medicare Advantage plan came out better than retirees in the non – Medicare eligible plan. This is because they face a smaller deductible and their maximum out of pocket pay is less than the other plan. For all retirees, however, their healthcare premiums increased to an estimated five times higher than the previous rate.

Furthermore, the costs are overwhelming for retirees because they are on a fixed income. With the surge in premium costs for both plans and no increase in contributions, the non – Medicare eligible retirees face staggering prescription drug costs, making retirement difficult. It is the new normal for them to seek part – time work just to help pay for the cost of health care.

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Drew Landry

This is a problem that needs solved immediately. It can no longer wait. Teachers do not go into the education field for the money. They are in education because they love children, value their community, and care about the future. Teachers do God’s work every day and this is how they are treated. This tremendous problem arose from the 85th regular legislative session and the special session highlight how little regard the legislature held them.

Now Gov. Greg Abbott should do the right thing and bring the legislature back to Austin to fix the manufactured problem. Texans – especially West Texans – like common sense in their governing and leaving teachers’ retirement in the terrible shape it’s in, is anything but common sense.

Drew Landry is the Democratic candidate for Texas House District 83.

See this article in the e-Edition Here