Business Meeting Minutes
November 13, 2008
Call To Order:
President Jack Miller called the meeting to order at 9:35 a.m.
Prayer: Bill Elkin Pledge of Allegiance: Nelson Foehner
Secretary's Report and Treasurer's Report:
· Motion by Louis Elliott, 2nd by Floyd Nettles to accept the reports as printed. No discussion. Voice Vote. Motion Carried.
HPOPS Executive Director John Lawson:
· Good News - HPOPS is still in business and benefits are safe.
· HPOPS is well diversified although we will suffer through this just like everyone else
· Bad News - We are in the worse recession in the last 12 years. It is a global recession.
· The DROP / PROP rate will be 7% effective January 1 thru December 31, 2009.
· Pension value is currently @ 2.5 Billion.
Recognition of Visitors - Max Lankford:
· Texas Health Spring Representative Reese Doyal.
· City of Houston Human Resources Representative Donna Mitchell.
Texas Health Spring Representative Reese Doyal:
· Texas Health Spring is a Medicare HMO Advantage Program thru the City.
· Must have Medicare Part A and B to be eligible.
· Pre-existing illness does not matter if you are currently covered under a City plan with the exception of end stage renal disease.
· Cost is $15.75 per month for individual and $31.50 for couples. There will be a slight monthly cost increase in 2009.
· Has a network of over 2,000 providers and over 40 hospitals.
· Hospital co-pay is $275 per admission.
· Doctor visit co-pay is $10.
· Specialist co-pay is $25.
· Out Patient Surgery co-pay is $200.
· Emergency Room co-pay is $50, which is waived if admitted to the hospital within the next 3 days.
· Ambulance co-pay is $100.
· Prescription Drug has no maximum amount and no donut hole.
$10 for Generic, $30 for Preferred, and $45 for Non-Preferred.
Get a 3 month supply for the price of 2 months.
· Transportation Benefit from home to doctors and pharmacy.
· Silver Sneaker Program thru the YMCA - membership fee waived.
· PAL Program.
· All programs are administered locally in Houston.
City of Houston Benefits Division Representatives Donna Mitchell:
· City has alternative medical programs for retirees covered by Medicare Parts A and B, covered by City Insurance, live in the service area, are a covered dependent, and do not have end stage renal disease.
· The City of Houston has 5 Medical Plans - HMO Blue, Blue Cross Blue Shield PPO, Texan Plus, Texas Health Spring and Aetna.
· Retirees may enroll in one of the City Medicare Open Enrollment Supplement Programs on the first of each month and may disenroll within the first 90 days to return to the City HMO Blue if they are not satisfied.
· Medicare Advantage Plans sponsored by the City of Houston cost less than the standard Blue Cross HMO.
· For the first time, retirees may have split coverage. If the retiree wishes to enroll in one of the Medicare Supplement programs the spouse may choose to stay in one of the standard medical plans.
· There will be Open Enrollment Meetings in December. Retirees will be receiving information regarding the meetings. Retirees can enroll in HMO Blue on January 1st and May 1st of each year.
· Effective January 1, 2009, Kelsey Seybold will no longer accept Medicare. They will continue to accept Texas Plus, Texas Health Spring and HMO Blue Texas.
· All those enrolled in the City PPO Medicare Coverage plan will be receiving a letter from the City of Houston explaining that they will be affected by Kelsey-Seybold's decision to no longer accept PPO Medicare plans.
· Kelsey Care is not a City sponsored plan.
· There will be an increase in monthly insurance premiums effective January 1, 2009.
· There is no maximum dollar amount on prescription drugs which is the reason the City insurance premiums may cost more monthly than some of the street versions. There is no donut hole for prescription coverage.
· If a Retirees drops out of one of the City of Houston Medicare Advantage Plans they can never get back into one of the City Plans. Call the City of Houston Benefit Office and ask before dropping a City Health Plan.
· Retirees are currently paying $7.81 for Texas Plus, $15.75 for Texas Health Spring, and $54 for Aetna.
· Please call Customer Service at 713-837-9400 to discuss various options before making a change or call Donna Mitchell directly at 713-837-9380.
Presidents Report - Jack Miller:
· Recognized the Veterans and thanked them for their service.
· Board is discussing ways to provide extra benefits for our members.
· The Association has averaged 30 deaths per year over the last 4 years.
Executive Director - Bill Elkin:
· COLA will go into effect April 1, 2009. We do not know the amount but by law it cannot be less than 80% of the consumer price index.
· 77 Officers have retired to date with 12 in October and 17 scheduled for November.
· Thank you card was received from the Robert Dowdy family.
· Joan Huffman is in the Senate District 17 runoff. She is a former Harris County Prosecutor, Judge and a friend of law enforcement.
· Demographics of the Texas Legislature will change January 1st.
The House has 75 Republicans and 74 Democrats. The Senate will have 18 Republicans (if Joan Huffman wins) and 13 Democrats.
· The HPROA legislative program is in the works.
Membership Committee - Ed Mitchell:
· In an attempt to contact the officers who are retiring we have requested a list of names from HPOPS.
Retired Badge - Nelson Zoch:
· Papers were mailed out this week.
· If anyone belongs to an organization and would like to advertise in the paper just get in touch with Zoch.
· Articles may be e-mailed directly to Zoch at lt2212d599@hotmail.com.
· Any member with an address change should contact HPROA Secretary Cathy Buckles at (713) 802-2967, or at cathy@hpdretired.com.
Website Committee - Jim Ashby:
· 7,000 plus website hits in October.
· Do not respond to any IRS e-mail about getting money back. Do not open e-mails with Postcard, Greeting Card, Invitations, etc.
· Keep your anti-virus protection programs updated.
· We now own all websites for the next 10 years. In order to maintain ownership we bought HPROA Retired, HPD Retired, HPROA.com, HPROA.net, HPROA.org, and others.
· There is a place on the website where members can go to make a change in their address, phone numbers, or e-mail.
· If you are having e-mail problems contact Ashby at info@hproa.com or at 281-498-3834.
· The website Username and Password is available to all members by contacting the Webmaster by e-mail at info@hproa.com.
· Monday, November 17th is Veterans Appreciation Day at all Golden Corral Restaurants. A complementary meal will be provided to all Veterans.
Entertainment Committee - D. A. Miller:
· 193 attended the Hill Country Reunion in Fredericksburg on October 18th. There were 25 campers. The silent auction raised $828 for the Family Assistance Committee.
· He thanked all those who made the reunion a success.
· The Houston area Spring Reunion will be held Saturday. February 28, 2009 at the Houston Police Academy from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. The lunch will again be complementary for current HPROA Members and their Spouses; all others will pay $10. Albert and Mary Nichols will act as host.
Family Assistance Committee - Nelson Foehner:
· The sick and shut-in report is on the back table. Please pick one up. The oral report will cover only those added after the list was printed. Family Assistance Reports are updated on the HPROA website.
· FAC has volunteers in the Hill Country and East Texas to assist in making Plaque presentations for the HPROA.
· There are sick and shut in members we do not know about. Please contact a member of the Family Assistance Committee with information regarding any officer we need to contact. Delvin Kendrick, Nelson Foehner and Forrest Turbeville are on the Family Assistance Committee. Turbeville can be reached by cell phone at (713) 319-5466.
Good and Welfare of the Association:
· Qualls complimented Fred Walschburger on his hole in one.
Door Prize Winners:
$50 - Dale Bashaw $50 - Tommy Baker
$50 - Eli Rivera $50 - L. D. Lucky
123 Members in attendance.
Meeting adjourned at 11:40 a.m.
Sue Gaines
Board Secretary
