Stop removing prescription insurance coverage for state employees hired before July of 2011
168 Comments
S
Steven hiken
2 years ago
The state should be ashamed of themselves all the years we work for them, and they abandon us
M
Michael Akman
2 years ago
I am a registered voter, and I am not happy
S
Shelly Lurie
2 years ago
Please do not hand us down a death sentence.
Please do not have us make difficult life changing decisions/choices. CLOTHING? FOOD? SHELTER? WARMTH DURING THE COLD,? ELECTRICITY? MEDICATIONS THAT WE/OUR CHILDREN NEED TO SURVIVE AND NOT GET ANY SICKER?
Alot of competent, compassionate, highly educated professionals went to work for the State in the 80's & 90's
(Myself included because of the fascination of working in forensics which was new to me) and for the benefits "promised" for life. I know this, I am one of them who left Hopkins to work for the State leaving a fabulous salary and an educative environment for experience in forensic psychiatry.
In conclusion, I would strongly urge the State to reinstate our Rx plan as is. We earned those benefits and signed a contract upon hire that indicated we would have the benefits we have now for life.
What if this were to happen to you and your family? How would you feel? How easy will it be for you to make a decision between buying your medications at a very high cost or putting food on the table for your children? Will it become medications versus mortgage or rent? I'm wondering if retirees on low incomes will be able to afford to survive and watch their families grow and thrive. How very sad.
Do members of the State that are trying to take away our prescription plan have a conscience? Compassion for the ill or elderly? This will happen to you too as you age, you realize.
Sadly, wondering if death rates will climb and people will not have monies for a proper burial. Just think about that. It could be one of your family members.
We just want to be safe, live a good life and take joy in watching our families grow and thrive.
So please, if you have read this far, please support us State retirees who need the Rx plan to stay as it is.
L
Linda Palmer
2 years ago
Do the right thing and give us what we were promised for our years of hard work
N
Nancy N Kurtz
2 years ago
Featured
We State employees have carried the burden of budgetary cutbacks throughout our careers via furloughs, loss of COLAs, and frozen step increases. This is an unfair and shameful attack on a diminishing population. Please approve SB349 and HB670.
E
Edward Novak
2 years ago
Let Maryland State Retirees keep their Rx drug plan !!
C
Cynthia Dawson
2 years ago
We earned and paid for the prescription coverage for lifetime after retirement. It was promised. Many of us worked for the state instead of taking a higher paying position because of the promise.
E
Eve Lurie
2 years ago
Stop the theft!
A
Alfredo Ruiz-Barradas
2 years ago
The proposed legislation is discriminatory against the longest-serving employees in the state. It is shameful that the legislature is considering it.
V
Vicki Brewer
2 years ago
Retirees dedicating 20-50 years of their working life in service to the State - most of whom were on the lower rung of the pay scales resulting in lower income in retirement too, now elderly, perhaps physically or mentally unwell, or were injured on the job and disabled - are somehow disposable? Do retirees deserve punishment because of the State’s imprudent fiscal practices relative to the OPEB trust? Hey Government of the State of Maryland - where's your humanity?
P
Peter Bernard
2 years ago
The burden of resolving state budget issues shouldn't fall unfairly and disproportionately on the backs of one small segment of Marylanders.
S
Steve Halperin
2 years ago
I brought my family with me 25 years ago because of the support for medical costs including prescriptions that would be available after I retired. Taking that away now is just plain dishonest.
R
Ross Salawitch
2 years ago
Hard to imagine the legislature of our great state could possibly not keep the contractual commitment made when we were hired. Please approve SB349 and HB670.
L
Linh Nguyen
2 years ago
In addition to the clear concerns for retirees, turning on a promise this significant is bad signal in attempts to retain/hire employees
J
Jerry McQueeney
2 years ago
To remove the prescription coverage is unfair and will impact my family.
L
Liliana Gonzalez
2 years ago
This is shameful and will set a very bad precedent. If they can retroactively take the prescription coverage now, they can very well take the health insurance coverage in the future.
It is also concerning the lack of communication, since until recently, most employees were not aware this benefit was going away.
A
Anonymous
2 years ago
Please keep prescription drug coverage for retirees for the state of Maryland.
A
Antonietta Jennings
2 years ago
Please do not take away what was promised to us.
C
Clare A Lyons
2 years ago
Outrageous Policy for the State of Maryland to enact - fearlessly forward - striving towards excellence. Can't do those if you undercut your faculty and staff.
Professor Clare Lyons
J
Jacqueline Dwyer-Xec
2 years ago
As an employee hired prior to 2011 this was a benefit which was included in my hire package and promised. I don't believe that this should be removed at this time or any time for those hired prior to 2011.
The state should be ashamed of themselves all the years we work for them, and they abandon us
I am a registered voter, and I am not happy
Please do not hand us down a death sentence. Please do not have us make difficult life changing decisions/choices. CLOTHING? FOOD? SHELTER? WARMTH DURING THE COLD,? ELECTRICITY? MEDICATIONS THAT WE/OUR CHILDREN NEED TO SURVIVE AND NOT GET ANY SICKER? Alot of competent, compassionate, highly educated professionals went to work for the State in the 80's & 90's (Myself included because of the fascination of working in forensics which was new to me) and for the benefits "promised" for life. I know this, I am one of them who left Hopkins to work for the State leaving a fabulous salary and an educative environment for experience in forensic psychiatry. In conclusion, I would strongly urge the State to reinstate our Rx plan as is. We earned those benefits and signed a contract upon hire that indicated we would have the benefits we have now for life. What if this were to happen to you and your family? How would you feel? How easy will it be for you to make a decision between buying your medications at a very high cost or putting food on the table for your children? Will it become medications versus mortgage or rent? I'm wondering if retirees on low incomes will be able to afford to survive and watch their families grow and thrive. How very sad. Do members of the State that are trying to take away our prescription plan have a conscience? Compassion for the ill or elderly? This will happen to you too as you age, you realize. Sadly, wondering if death rates will climb and people will not have monies for a proper burial. Just think about that. It could be one of your family members. We just want to be safe, live a good life and take joy in watching our families grow and thrive. So please, if you have read this far, please support us State retirees who need the Rx plan to stay as it is.
Do the right thing and give us what we were promised for our years of hard work
We State employees have carried the burden of budgetary cutbacks throughout our careers via furloughs, loss of COLAs, and frozen step increases. This is an unfair and shameful attack on a diminishing population. Please approve SB349 and HB670.
Let Maryland State Retirees keep their Rx drug plan !!
We earned and paid for the prescription coverage for lifetime after retirement. It was promised. Many of us worked for the state instead of taking a higher paying position because of the promise.
Stop the theft!
The proposed legislation is discriminatory against the longest-serving employees in the state. It is shameful that the legislature is considering it.
Retirees dedicating 20-50 years of their working life in service to the State - most of whom were on the lower rung of the pay scales resulting in lower income in retirement too, now elderly, perhaps physically or mentally unwell, or were injured on the job and disabled - are somehow disposable? Do retirees deserve punishment because of the State’s imprudent fiscal practices relative to the OPEB trust? Hey Government of the State of Maryland - where's your humanity?
The burden of resolving state budget issues shouldn't fall unfairly and disproportionately on the backs of one small segment of Marylanders.
I brought my family with me 25 years ago because of the support for medical costs including prescriptions that would be available after I retired. Taking that away now is just plain dishonest.
Hard to imagine the legislature of our great state could possibly not keep the contractual commitment made when we were hired. Please approve SB349 and HB670.
In addition to the clear concerns for retirees, turning on a promise this significant is bad signal in attempts to retain/hire employees
To remove the prescription coverage is unfair and will impact my family.
This is shameful and will set a very bad precedent. If they can retroactively take the prescription coverage now, they can very well take the health insurance coverage in the future. It is also concerning the lack of communication, since until recently, most employees were not aware this benefit was going away.
Please keep prescription drug coverage for retirees for the state of Maryland.
Please do not take away what was promised to us.
Outrageous Policy for the State of Maryland to enact - fearlessly forward - striving towards excellence. Can't do those if you undercut your faculty and staff. Professor Clare Lyons
As an employee hired prior to 2011 this was a benefit which was included in my hire package and promised. I don't believe that this should be removed at this time or any time for those hired prior to 2011.