2024 Non-Medicare Health Subsidy Increase

The new approved amount for the maximum non-Medicare health subsidy is $2,241.39 per month, effective July 1, 2024.

On May 2, 2024, the Board of Fire and Police Pension Commissioners approved a 3.3% increase to the maximum non-Medicare health subsidy.  With this increase, many retired members under age 65 will experience lower out-of-pocket costs.

The new maximum subsidy will fully subsidize all LAFRA, LAPRA, or UFLAC single-party and two-party non-Medicare plan premiums, as well as some family plan coverage levels, for retired members with a non-frozen subsidy and at least 25 years of service.

Each year, the Board has the authority to increase the non-Medicare subsidy by up to the lesser of 7% or the actuarial medical trend rate for the upcoming fiscal year. The non-Medicare actuarial medical trend rate applicable to fiscal year 2024-2025 is 7.25%.

The actuarial medical trend rate is an actuarial assumption that is determined annually by the Board in consultation with their actuary. It is one of several assumptions used to determine the long-term liabilities for the annual retiree health valuation.

How did the Board determine the non-Medicare health subsidy increase?

On May 2, 2024, the Board of Fire and Police Pension Commissioners approved a new policy with a formula to determine the annual non-Medicare health subsidy increases. The formula for the maximum non-Medicare Health Subsidy, which was developed with input from Los Angeles Firemen’s Relief Association (LAFRA), Los Angeles Police Protective League (LAPPL), Los Angeles Police Relief Association (LAPRA), and United Firefighters of Los Angeles City (UFLAC), will determine future increases as the lesser of:

  1. The average of the annual increase in the Los Angeles Medical Care Index published by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics as of the previous December and 7%; or
  2. The maximum allowable increase to the Non-Medicare Health Subsidy pursuant to Los Angeles Administrative Code Section 4.1154(e).

Based on this data, the Board approved a 3.3% increase to the maximum non-Medicare health subsidy.

Do I qualify to receive the non-Medicare subsidy?

The actual increase in subsidy benefit per member is dependent upon eligibility and the retiree’s respective health plan premium. The approved increase to the maximum non-Medicare subsidy provides fully subsidized single- and two-party coverage for all eligible retired members with 25+ years of service. Qualified survivors who are under the age of 65 and pensioners who are enrolled in a Board-approved HMO or PPO single-party Medicare health plan are not impacted by the maximum non-Medicare subsidy increase.

Where can I get more information?

If you have questions or need more information regarding the non-Medicare Health Subsidy increase, please contact the Medical & Dental Benefits section by calling (213) 279-3115 or toll-free at (844) 88-LAFPP, Monday-Friday from 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. (PDT), excluding weekends and City holidays. You can also reach us by email at mdb@lafpp.com.

Related Articles:

https://www.lafpp.com/members_information/health-insurance-subsidy-for-members

https://www.lafpp.com/members_information/health-subsidies-and-medicare-requirements

Police Officer Recruitment Incentive Program

Refer a candidate to become an LAPD officer and receive $1,000 when they are hired, and $1,000 upon their graduation from the Police Academy. There is no limit to the number of candidates you can refer. Invite your candidate today, encourage them throughout the process, and very soon you’ll see the incentive added to your paycheck!

Retired City Employee Robert Long earned $2,000 with the Police Officer Recruitment Incentive Program. View the YouTube video to watch his story and learn how you can earn $2,000 too!

For more information on the Police Officer Recruitment Incentive Program go to https://www.joinlapd.com/apply/porip or email personnel.psbrecruitment@lacity.org

Human Resources and Payroll (HRP) Project Q&As

The City of Los Angeles’ Human Resources and Payroll (HRP) project is currently in Phase 2 of implementing “Workday“. The Phase 2 go-live date is scheduled for June 16, 2024, and will impact how you view your paystubs and deductions.

What is HRP?

The Human Resources and Payroll (HRP) project is implementing “Workday to improve the human resource and payroll process for the City of Los Angeles employees. This new project will replace the City’s legacy payroll system, PaySR, with Workday, a modernized software platform for human resource management and payroll.

Read more about the HRP Workday project through the City’s Intranet (City Google log in required)

How will this change affect me?

This change will only affect Active and DROP members. As with any new system, there is always a possibility that issues may occur during the transition period. You may experience errors and/or differences in your pay, deductions, and contributions. Some of the causes for the potential pay differences may include:

  • User error – This may result from errors in data entry, submission and approval of time and absences within the appropriate pay period.
  • Poor data quality – Missing information or inaccurate time.
  • City policy or processes not configured in the same manner – This may arise from a difference in configuration between Workday and PaySr.
  • System Differences – Differences may arise from PaySr and Workday having different methodologies.

What action do I need to take?

BEFORE THE TRANSITION:

You should review your paystubs to ensure you are familiar with your pension contributions and/or deductions. Pension contributions may include:

PAYROLL CODEDESCRIPTION
03Regular contributions
03FVoluntary deductions for public service purchase contracts
03CVoluntary deductions for purchases of Academy or Drill Tower, or Workers Compensation period
03R or 03UVoluntary retiree health contributions

AFTER JUNE 16, 2024:

The first paycheck that will be paid in Workday is on July 10, 2024. Please review and verify pension related contributions and deductions on your paystub to ensure the amounts match what was on your check prior to the transition to Workday. 

What should I do if my pension related contributions are missing or are incorrect on my paycheck?

Should you notice any discrepancies on your pension-related contributions after Workday goes live, contact Active Member Services at (213) 279-3140 or by email at amssection@lafpp.com.

What should I do if I notice incorrect non-pension related information on my paycheck?

For discrepancies related to earnings and non-pension related deductions, contact your department’s payroll section.

Police payroll: (213) 978-6650

Fire payroll: (213) 978-3440

Port Police payroll: (310) 732-3739

Airport Police payroll: (424) 646-7772

Deferred Compensation: (844) 523-2457

For other issues related to Workday, you may visit HRP FAQ.

Fiscal Summary of the LAFPP Fund

Presentation to the Budget and Finance Committee

On August 26, 2013, the General Manager gave a presentation to the City Council’s Budget and Finance Committee summarizing the 2012 Annual Report and preliminary results for the most recent fiscal year ending June 30, 2013. Click here to review a PDF copy of the presentation.

LAFPP Reports Revised Preliminary Return of 13.01 Percent for 2012–13

LAFPP REPORTS REVISED PRELIMINARY RETURN OF 13.01 PERCENT FOR 2012-13

Los Angeles Fire and Police Pensions (LAFPP) is reporting a revised preliminary return of 13.01 percent for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2013 (updated from the preliminary return of 12.67 percent reported on July 17, 2013).
The gain was led by LAFPP’s strong performance in the domestic and international equity markets including the developed and emerging markets, demonstrating returns over their benchmarks. LAFPP’s real estate investments also showed strong performance for the year.
LAFPP’s 13.01 percent return is well above the Fund’s discount rate of 7.75 percent, which is the long-term return required to meet current and future obligations for members. LAFPP’s 10-year investment return is 7.66 percent, while its 20-year return is 8.01 percent.
LAFPP has a long-term investment horizon and uses an asset allocation which encompasses a strategic long-term perspective of the capital markets.
Returns for real estate, private equity and some components of the inflation assets reflect market values through March 31, 2013 (not June 30, 2013). Final performance including the last quarter of the fiscal year will be available after asset valuations are completed.
LAFPP is one of the largest fire and police pension funds in the U.S. The retirement system administers retirement benefits for more than 25,000 current and retired safety employees for the City of Los Angeles. More information is available at About LAFPP.

Health Insurance Exchanges and LAFPP

As part of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) several states, including California, have set up health insurance exchanges. These exchanges allow those who do not have access to affordable health insurance to purchase individual health insurance plans with standardized benefits.

“Covered California,” California’s health insurance exchange, will begin accepting applications from individuals for health insurance coverage beginning on October 1, 2013. If you are already enrolled in an LAFPP-approved health insurance plan, you are NOT required to sign up for health insurance through Covered California.
LAFPP-approved health insurance plans include those offered by:

  • Los Angeles Fire & Police Pensions (LAFPP)
  • Los Angeles Firemen’s Relief Association (LAFRA)
  • Los Angeles Police Relief Association (LAPRA)
  • United Firefighters of Los Angeles City (UFLAC)

LAFPP-Approved Health Plans Have You Covered!

Beginning in 2014, most people will be required to have health insurance that provides “minimum essential coverage.” Those who do not have health insurance, or who have insurance that does not meet the minimum essential coverage requirement may be assessed a fee when filing their 2014 taxes.

All of the health insurance plans offered by LAFPP, LAFRA, LAPRA and UFLAC meet the minimum essential coverage requirements under healthcare reform. Those who enroll and remain enrolled in plans offered by these organizations will not be subject to the fee levied on uninsured individuals in 2014.

What if you don’t qualify for a health insurance subsidy, or don’t have health insurance?If you are an LAFPP retired member or surviving spouse/domestic partner who does not have health insurance, you may wish to contact one of the organizations above to learn about your insurance options. If you do not qualify for a health subsidy from LAFPP, or you do not currently have health insurance, you may also wish to explore your options through Covered California at www.coveredca.com.

Questions?

If you have other questions regarding LAFPP health benefits, please call our Medical & Dental Benefits Section at (213) 978-4560 or (800) 787-2489 ext. 84560. Keep checking our website for the latest information on ACA and how it may affect you.

Attention Active Fire Members: Under–Collection of Pension Contributions

ATTENTION ACTIVE FIRE MEMBERS: UNDER-COLLECTION OF PENSION CONTRIBUTIONS FOR PAY PERIODS 1, 2 & 3

LAFPP staff has been advised by the Controller’s Office that pension contributions were under–collected for members of MOU 23 – Firefighters and Fire Captains.
The problem affected approximately 900 Fire members who were receiving a longevity bonus. This bonus is pensionable and therefore, is subject to pension deduction. However, during system programming for the July 1, 2013 pay increase, the longevity bonus was mistakenly coded as “not pensionable”, resulting in an under–collection of pension contributions for Pay Periods 1, 2 and 3.
While the error was corrected in Pay Period 4 by the Controller’s Office, in accordance with LAFPP Board Rule 5.3, the under–collected amount will be deducted on the October 16, 2013 pay check for those affected. Note that the average under–collected amount is approximately $60 for all three pay periods combined.
For questions or concerns, please contact LAFPP Active Member Services at (213) 978-4522.

LAFPP Hits $17 Billion!

For the first time in LAFPP history, the Fund’s total assets reached an unaudited market value in excess of $17 billion dollars on October 15, 2013. This increase, up from the June 30, 2013 value of $15.75 billion, confirms that we are making great progress on rebuilding our portfolio after the losses sustained in the 2008-09 Great Recession.
As highlighted in the October 2, 2013 report on the Fund’s investment return, the market gain was fueled by the strong performance in the domestic and international equity markets. The real estate investments continue to show promising returns as well.
LAFPP is one of the largest public safety pension funds in the country, administering retirement benefits for more than 25,000 active and retired sworn employees of the City of Los Angeles. More information is available at About LAFPP.