The Retired Public Employees Council of Washington (RPEC) is a non-profit organization protecting the benefits and welfare of Washington State PERS Retirees.
Our mission is to unite public employee retirees for their mutual benefit and welfare. We do this by promoting legislation to improve financial and medical benefits, providing information to and otherwise supporting members, and working closely with other organizations.
The Retired Public Employees Council of Washington is the ONLY organization which lobbies specifically on issues directly affecting PERS retirees.
January 2008 Legislative Preview Newsletter is now available
RPEC ANNUAL CONVENTION HIGHLIGHTS
APPROVED RESOLUTIONS 2007
1. Have congress declare all employer-sponsored pension plans to be TRUSTS
2. NOT APPROVED BY CONVENTION COMMITTEE
3. Encourage federal intervention to protect against elder abuse
4. NOT APPROVED BY CONVENTION COMMITTEE
5. Increasing hearing aid coverage for Washington State retirees
6. Require the centers for Medicare and Medicaid services to issue Medicare Insurance cards without including social security numbers of beneficiaries
7. Improving Amtrak passenger service
8. Resolution to support referendum 67
9. Resolution to restore citizen equality
10. Limit predatory lending practices
11. No preemptive strikes on sovereign nations
A. Resolution to support public financing of campaigns
B. Washington Health Security Trust
State Legislative Priorities for 2008
Retiree Health Care
PEBB access for local government retirees whose employers do not purchase health care through the state Health Care Authority
Continuations of PEBB coverage for PERS 2 members age 55 or older who have 10 years’ service credit who separate from service
Guarantee at least two PEBB offered plans in rural and underserved areas
Support “second chance” open enrollment for K-12 and PERS retirees who did not take PEBB coverage
Improve hearing aid benefit
That dental insurance be a stand alone benefit
Long Term Care
Pursue affordable long-term care insurance plans for retirees
End of Life issues
Pursue low cost funeral packages
Pension Funding
Accelerate payments on the unfunded liability
Improve efforts to fully fund the pension systems
Federal Legislative Priorities for 2008
Medicare
Oppose continuation of subsidy for Medicare Advantage and any other effort to privatize Medicare
Reform Medicare Part D to improve coverage and reduce costs, especially the “donut hole”
Health care
Support universal health care coverage using a single payer
Pensions
Work at the national level to declare all pension funds a trust
Discourage the trend found in the private sector toward a defined contribution benefit
Social Security
Continue to fight to protect social security from the possibility of privatization
FTE magazine has gone digital.
Click here to see!
TVW provides unedited television
coverage of state government deliberations and public policy events. Programming
can be accessed on cable networks throughout Washington State.
Click here to find the channel in your area.
We are trying to make the RPEC website more informative and interactive for you. New features such as an Issues section with articles and links about issues you, our membership, find important. If there is something you would like to see added, please contact us.