Pension Office News | April 2016
NEW SEATTLE POLICE DEPARTMENT RETIREMENTS
No retirements to report this month.
PENSION OFFICE NEWS
Urgent Issue – If you married after retirement and did not add your spouse to your pension, read the following:
In early April, Governor Inslee signed SHB 5873 into law. It reopens the window to sign up post-retirement spouses of those LEOFF I retirees (LEOFF II retirees already have this enabling legislation) that missed their original two year window between September 7, 2013 and September 1, 2015. The sign up process is expected to be in place 60 – 90 days after the signing-in law. If you missed the original two year window, call DRS (800-547-6657 or 360-664-7000 now and request to talk with a LEOFF analyst. The staff there will take your name and contact you when the process is functioning to enroll your post-retirement spouse as a lawful beneficiary. There will be an actuarial reduction to your pension in order to sign up your spouse as a surviving lawful beneficiary. Our office cannot help you with this. You must work with DRS – Call them. Remember, this is very specific legislation. It is not a general opening for all post-retirement spouses, so call and see if you qualify.
Notice that Seattle Police Pension Board Nomination period is open. Pursuant to RCW 41.20.010, written notice is hereby given, via this announcement, that the nomination period is now open through 1530 hours on May 23rd 2016 for one member-elected Trustee position on the Seattle Police Pension Board.
This Trustee position of the Seattle Police Relief and Pension and LEOFF I Disability Board runs from July 1, 2016 through June 30, 2019. Only LEOFF I and Pre-LEOFF active duty or retired sworn members of the Seattle Police Department and the Seattle Police Relief and Pension Fund are eligible for nomination and election to this position.
Candidates must be willing and able to perform sometimes complex, confidential and fiduciary duties including attendance and participation in at least one business meeting per quarter, plus other tasks as the Board may require. No compensation is authorized for serving on the Pension Board.
Eligible candidates who wish to file for nomination and stand for election may obtain a nomination form by contacting the Pension Office at 206-386-1289, via fax at 206-386-9075, or by email at daniel.oliver@seattle.gov, or you may pick up a nomination form during business hours at the Seattle Police Pension Office – 700 5th Avenue, Suite 1862, Seattle, 98124 throughout the nomination period.
All completed and properly endorsed (by not less than five members of the fund) nomination forms must be physically filed with (returned to) the Seattle Police Pension Office no later than 3:30 p.m. on Monday, May 23rd, 2016 in order to be valid.
The actual election will be held on Wednesday, June 8, 2016 between 7:30 a.m. and 8:30 p.m.
Now is the time for the bi-annual (December – May) premium sharing reimbursement for those members that have an active employer provided healthcare coverage. You must request this reimbursement in writing with proof of premium cost AND proof of payments. Any questions, call Jan at 206-386-1286.
In late March you may have received a letter from Premera announcing that Northwest Emergency Physicians dropped out of the Premera Blue Cross network. Well, as of April 5, 2016 they are back in the network. Also our Pension Plan coverage extends to providers that are outside the Blue Cross network.
If you have heard about a more restrictive change to Premera Blue Cross’s policy for massages, chiropractic adjustments, and acupuncture, don’t worry about it. It does not apply to you.