Month: December 2015

Medicare Health Subsidy

The maximum monthly Medicare Health Insurance Subsidy for LAFPP pensioners enrolled in Medicare Parts A and B is decreasing by $35.54 in 2016.

The decrease is in accordance with City of Los Angeles Administrative Code Section 4.1154(c), which limits the maximum amounts for the Medicare Health Insurance Subsidy affecting members and qualified survivors enrolled in Medicare Parts A and B, to the Los Angeles City Employees’ Retirement System (LACERS) plan premiums.  Effective 1/1/2016, the highest LACERS Medicare plan premium is $487.71/month; therefore, the LAFPP maximum Medicare Health Insurance Subsidy will decrease from $523.25/month to $487.71/month effective on the 12/31/2015 pension roll.

As a result, LAFPP members may see a reduction of up to $35.54 from their pension check due to the subsidy decreasing on the 12/31/2015 pension roll. If you have further questions please contact the Medical & Dental Benefits Section at (213) 978-4560 or (800) 787-2489, EXT. 84560, and we will be happy to assist you.

Two-Tier Medicare Part B Premium Reimbursement in 2016

Category 1

• Pensioners who: (1) are already enrolled in Medicare Parts A and B (prior to 2016), (2) have their Part B Premium deducted from their monthly Social Security benefit check, and (3) have yearly incomes of $85,000 or less (or $170,000 or less for joint filers) will continue to pay the same $104.90 per month Part B premium amount as they paid in 2015.  LAFPP pensioners meeting all three of these conditions need not take any further action, as they will continue to receive the lower-tier monthly reimbursement of $104.90 in 2016.

Category 2

• Pensioners who enroll in Medicare Parts A and B for the first time in 2016 will pay the higher-tier Part B premium of $121.80 per month. LAFPP pensioners in this category will not be required to provide any documentation beyond that which is requested upon enrollment in a Medicare Health Plan in order to receive the higher-tier reimbursement of $121.80 per month.

Category 3

• Pensioners who are billed directly by Medicare for their Part B premiums and pensioners whose annual incomes are $85,000 or more ($170,000 or more for joint filers) will be charged the higher-tier Part B premium of $121.80 per month in 2016 (NOTE: Pensioners with incomes exceeding the above thresholds may pay a higher amount). LAFPP pensioners in this category must provide supporting documentation in order to receive the higher-tier Part B Premium Reimbursement of $121.80.  Please complete the HIGHER TIER MEDICARE PART B PREMIUM REIMBURSEMENT AGREEMENT  form and return to our office along with applicable documentation by December 31, 2015 in order to request the higher-tier reimbursement of $121.80 per month.

Completed forms and documentation may be faxed to (213) 978-4504; scanned and sent by email to: PENSIONS@LAFPP.COM, or mailed to the following address:

Department of Fire and Police Pensions

ATTN: Medical and Dental Benefits Section

360 E. 2nd Street, Suite 400

Los Angeles, CA  90012

Police Officers and Firefighters are constantly in the public eye while protecting and serving our community. Constant exposure may lend itself to the risk of identity theft, especially during the holiday season.  Your online identity, which includes but is not limited to, your bank account, Social Security number and various log-in passwords, can be stolen or compromised if you are not careful and alert. You can take preventative measures to avoid falling victim to identity theft: 

• Create strong passwords – and update them frequently! Avoid using simple, common, or easy-to-guess passwords like your birth date, pet’s name, or something related to your line of work. Try to utilize upper and lower case letters, as well as symbols to keep identity thieves and scammers from figuring out your passwords.
• Keep personal and financial documents secure. This goes for both electronic and paper documents. If you store personal and financial documents on your computer, make sure that you install a firewall, utilize anti-spyware and anti-virus software to keep your internet browser up-to-date and to ensure that your wireless network is secure. If you are throwing away any paper documents with confidential or sensitive information, make sure that you shred them before they are disposed. And, if you are keeping any hard copies of the documents, make sure they are secured in a safe area. 
• Be careful what you share on social media! Your social media accounts, such as Facebook, LinkedIn, Google+, and Twitter may have a lot more personal information available than you think. Review the information you currently have in your accounts and limit the amount of personal information you have available to the public.
• Don’t fall for email/Phishing scams! There are a large number of fraudulent emails that claim to be from trustworthy sources, like a bank or a government agency. They are designed to seem as legitimate as possible. You are often asked to click on a link and enter personal information such as account numbers or even your Social Security number. Trustworthy companies would never ask for your personal or sensitive information before first having you sign into your account behind a secure firewall.
• Monitor your credit report! You are entitled to one free credit report per year. Take advantage of this opportunity to catch any possible fraudulent activity and errors. If any information has been compromised, set up a fraud alert with the major credit bureaus (Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion) to put a freeze on your files. For a free credit report, you may visit https://www.annualcreditreport.com/index.action.
• Restrict address information! For Active and Retired Police Officers, you have the opportunity to restrict your home address information through the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) if requested, according to Vehicle Code Section 1808.4.

The above tips are only a handful of the ways to reduce the chances of your identity and personal information from being stolen. Always use common sense and consideration when dealing with your personal sensitive information.