In this Email:


  • A Message from the VRTA President
  • Today’s Interest Rates
  • What Should I know about the Medicare Annual Enrollment Period
  • Legislation Information and Inspiration 
  • Important VRTA Dates to Remember

November 2022

A Message from the VRTA President


President’s Message


            VRTA’s Fall Conference was held October 17-19, 2022, at the DoubleTree Hotel in Midlothian, Virginia.  The successful three-day conference was dedicated to organizing, informing, and mingling.  Members are privy to a gathering that they helped plan.  On Monday, after stuffing folders with conference information, the Executive Committee met to review agendas and double-check arrangements.   

            Tuesday morning, the first full day of the conference, began with muffins, coffee, and tea set up in the corridor near the registration table.  The Board of Directors met to hear, discuss, and/or vote on items put forth by the Executive Committee.  VRTA Committee reports were presented. 

            Following the luncheon on Tuesday, Senator Jennifer McClellan, the keynote speaker, delivered a speech that was described by members as excellent, outstanding, and very informative.  Her message centered around her purpose to remain vigilant and focused on her effort to represent her constituency.  

            A special tribute was given to Glenn Pair, Sr., VRTA’s outgoing President.  Nina McClanahan, Past-President (2016-2018), presented a plaque that recorded his term in office and recognized his contributions and service to VRTA.

            James DuBrueller, Jr., VRTA Benefits/Advisor, delivered a bounty of benefits information that is accessible to VRTA members.  Creekside Insurance Advisors, Inc. has published an information card that is designed for local school board offices to distribute VRTA benefits’ information to those that plan to retire soon.  Districts or Units can request these cards.  Not lost in the abundance of offerings is the reminder that the staff remains available for meetings and programs.  Contact information can be found on the website, vrta.org.  To find the information, click on the Links Tab and VRTA Benefits.

            The Legislative Session, led by Bea Morris, Legislative Chair, and Bonnie Atwood, Lobbyist, featured Chad Stewart with Government Relations at VEA and Senator George Barker, who carried the Senate bill on nursing home reform.  According to the Evaluation forms, it was important that the information was parallel and overlapped.  The exchange reinforced some major points such as budget and activism.  To view Chad Stewart’s PowerPoint presentation, visit vrta.org.  The presentation is located at the end of the homepage under VRTA Updates, VEA Presentation on 2023 Legislative Issues.

            The highlight of Tuesday evening was the AARP Reception spearheaded by Joyce Williams.  Joyce is the AARP State President.  Her persistence in planning led to an event that was touted as a wonderful opportunity to meet, mingle, and share experiences.  A repeated hope was voiced by the members that the reception would become a standard, a keeper!  VRTA owes a debt of gratitude to AARP/VRTA State Director, Jim Dau, as well.  He was also instrumental in bringing the event to fruition.  

            Wednesday, October 19, the final day of the conference, began with cinnamon rolls, coffee, and tea in the corridor, near the registration table.  

            Trish Bishop, VRS Director, did an outstanding and informative presentation of the Virginia Retirement System.  VRTA members noted that the handout was excellent and the information could be shared with those members who did not attend the Fall Conference.  The updated handout is posted on the website.  It can be found at the end of the homepage under VRTA Updates.  The link is VRS Updates (October 19, 2022).

            Chaplain and VRTA Past-President (2014-2016), Phyllis Eastridge, led the Memorial Service with the solemnity required for this special occasion.  The ladies who read the poem and played the music served to further highlight the presentation.

            During the Business Session, Louise Mont-Adams, Chair of the Community Service Committee, introduced the newly revised Community Service form.  The new form is posted on the website under the Forms and Documents tab. 

            Iva Foust, co-chair of the Historical Records Committee, introduced the new co-chair, Ora Briggs.  For medical reasons, Mary Copeland, stepped down from her position.  She served as co-chair from 2014-2022.  Also, Mary served as President and Legislative Chair of the Suffolk Retired Teachers Association for eight years and was the Chaplain for District T.  Special recognition was given for her dedication and service.

            Canzata Turner, chair of the Awards Committee, announced that she was stepping down after fourteen years of service.  Her dedication to VRTA will be missed.  She introduced Daphne Miller, the new Awards Committee chair.  

            For medical reasons, Helen Tippie has stepped down as VRTA’s Parliamentarian and Chair of the Bylaws and Structure Committee.  She has been dedicated to VRTA for many years.  Her service includes VRTA President from 2010-2012, Chair of the Bylaws and Structure Committee from 2008-2022, and Parliamentarian since 2016.  Helen Tippie, we appreciate your dedication and service to VRTA.

            Benjamin McCartney, VRTA President from 2018-2020, will now serve as Parliamentarian and Nina McClanahan will serve as Chair of the Bylaws and Structure Committee.  Those of you that indicated on the Evaluation Forms that you are interested in serving on a committee will be contacted soon.  VRTA appreciates your willingness to serve.

            Door prizes were a part of the festivities and led to two members volunteering to head the Door Prize Patrol.  Those of you who would like to contribute or participate are asked to contact Rose Ann Burgess from Roanoke, Virginia at 540-989-7414 or Judy McConville at 703-402-8840 in Annandale, Virginia.  These two ladies suggest that a popular item from your geographical region would be an ideal contribution.  

            The Spring Delegate Assembly will be held at DoubleTree by Hilton, Richmond-Midlothian, Virginia on April 17-19, 2023.  The deadline for submitting an article to the Spring Newsletter is Wednesday, February 22, 2023.  Please, adhere to deadlines and due dates!  

            Thanks to Leigh and Charlie McKay as well as Susan Martin for their hard work.  Reba Evans, VRTA Secretary, thanks all committee chairs for sharing their reports.  It ensures that the Minutes are accurate and her job less stressful.

            Comments and Suggestions from the Evaluation forms will continue to be addressed in upcoming articles. Information from the NRTA 75th Anniversary Celebration is forthcoming.


Happy Thanksgiving!


Jean Marrow

VRTA President

Phone: 804-350-7719  

Email: marrow.j@aol.com

VRTA Benefits

Offered through Creekside Insurance Advisors, Inc.

Call Us Today!! (540) 722-2529

Toll-Free (800) 467 5425

Email: savenow@creeksideadvisors.net

Insurance Advisory Services


  • Home & Auto
  • Medicare Products
  • Long-Term Care
  • Life Insurance
  • Fixed Indexed Annuitie


Financial Advisory Services



  • Retirement Income Planning
  • Pension Survivorship Analysis
  • Portfolio Management

What Should I Know About The Medicare Annual Enrollment Period

(October 15 - December 7, 2022)?


  • The Medicare Annual Enrollment Period (AEP) runs from Oct. 15 to Dec. 7 each year. During this time, you may make changes to your Part D plan, Medicare Advantage Plan or switch to a new plan altogether. You may also disenroll from a Medicare Advantage Plan and move back into Original Medicare and select a Medicare Supplement plan (underwriting may apply).
  • Do I Have To Change My Medicare Supplement Plan During The Medicare Annual Enrollment Period? You can change Medicare supplement plans at ANY TIME OF THE YEAR – but most likely you will have to pass medical underwriting to do so. This is a very common misconception because people get confused about the Annual Election Period that Medicare holds each fall. During this time, you can freely change your Medicare Part D drug plan and/or your Medicare Advantage plan. This period DOES NOT, however, apply to Medicare supplements.
  • What If I DON'T Want To Change My Part D ( Prescription Drug Plan)? Soon you will be receiving your Annual Notice of Change letter from your current Part D Plan. Please review immediately. First, compare your premium in 2022 to your new premium for 2023. Next, review the plan formulary to see if your current prescriptions are covered and determine the related copayment amounts. If, after a careful review, you are satisfied with the changes, you can keep your plan. You simply do nothing and your current coverage choices stay in place for another year.


Phone (540) 722-2529

Toll-Free (800) 467 5425

Email: savenow@creeksideadvisors.net

INFORMATION AND INSPIRATION


Every conference aims to provide participants with information and inspiration, and VRTA certainly delivered at the Fall Conference in October.  In the Legislative Session, Chad Stewart, policy analyst with VEA and a leader of Fund Our Schools coalition, explained education issues in Virginia and the state’s critical needs.  His power point with eye-opening statistics is now on our website available to all for use in discussions with legislators.  Also, vea.link/factsheets provides concise information on school infrastructure, lab schools, charter schools, teacher compensation, funding SOQs, vouchers and savings accounts, and more. 


Also in the Legislative Session, Senator George Barker commented that Virginia ranks 48th in teacher pay and 40th in state spending on education (This puts Virginia between Louisiana and Mississippi.), yet in the last ranking, Virginia ranked 4th in the nation in getting results and is in the top five nationally.  Virginia is indeed getting a good bang for its buck. 


Having worked on improving nursing homes for years, the Senator was disappointed that his bill concerning staffing of nursing homes failed again in committee where he believed it was not properly vetted. It will be brought up again in the 2023 GA Session.  One of the two budget amendments offered last session passed.  It appears to seek approval to implement a program based on an earlier improvement program pilot project and would include elements such as peer monitoring, job related and interpersonal skills training, and work-related benefits.  The Joint Commission on Health Care and the Chairs of the House Appropriations and Senate Finance and Appropriations Committees are supposed to be provided an update on this quality improvement program by December 1, 2022.  In the meantime, we are trying to get from his office a more understandable account of just what this money would do.


Trish Bishop, Director of VRS, provided an excellent handout emphasizing VRS benefits and how to access them.  Although the stock market has been erratic, she assured us once again of the solidity and security of our retirement because of the investment strategies used and the support of recent General Assemblies.  This handout is available on the VRTA website.  Some who have contacted VRS by phone recently may have been disappointed in their customer service when an automated response asked you to leave a number and you would be contacted in 24-48 hours.  Robert Irving, Director of Customer Service, assured me that they are aware that this is not an acceptable response, and the telephone service is being revamped.  


Senator Jennifer McClellan, the keynote speaker, was inspiring as she related her experiences as a minority student who attended local public schools and learned first-hand about inequities.  However, with educated, supportive parents and a long history of educators in her family, she developed a drive to make corrections to the system. She became a lawyer, served in the House for 14 years and now in the Senate.  As a member of the K-12 Education Subcommittee of the Senate Finance and Appropriations Committee, she appreciates the position she has that enables her to influence legislation to bring about change.  As a mother of three elementary age children attending Richmond public schools, she understands the effects of good and bad legislation and the importance of getting it right.  Perhaps she was most inspiring when she not only recognized the contributions we have made to children and education over the years but strongly emphasized that we are needed today to improve education.  We must vote!  I’m sure we did just that last week.       


  






Bea Morris 


VRTA Legislative Chairperson


Email: beam1340@verizon.net


Important VRTA Dates to Remember

 

April 17-19, 2023: Spring Conference at The Double Tree