Mass Retirees

05/29/2026

Weekly Update: May 29, 2026: Thus far, the Fiscal Year 2027 budget process has proven to be highly beneficial to public retirees. Not only have the budgets filed by Governor Maura Healey and since passed by the House and Senate met the state’s commitment to retirees, but the legislature has opted to include several measures of great importance to our members.

Just last week, the State Senate unanimously approved the addition of two retiree focused amendments to the FY27 budget. An amendment initiated by the Mass Police Association and backed by Mass Retirees, filed by Senator Michael Moore, would increase post-retirement work earnings limits. A second adopted amendment, filed by Senator Cindy Friedman, helps protect access to out-of-network healthcare services for GIC enrollees here in Massachusetts.

The Senate’s support for public retirees follows the House of Representative’s passage of a landmark COLA Reform measure contained within its version of the FY27 budget approved in late April. While COLA Reform was not included within the Senate budget due largely to timing, we remain cautiously optimistic that the measure will be included within the House/Senate FY27 Conference Committee report and passed into law this year.

Mass Retirees members should look to our Weekly Update email for further details on these issues, as well as the latest news related to retired Massachusetts public employees.

The Weekly Update is emailed to all Mass Retirees members, for whom we have a valid email address, every Friday morning at 6:00 AM.

If you are not currently a member of the Mass Retirees Association, please join today using the links below. Given the fight public retirees now face, maintaining a strong well-informed and engaged membership is more important than ever. Please help support the work we are doing on your behalf by becoming a member.

Founded in 1968, Mass Retirees is a private statewide nonprofit membership association advocating on behalf of ALL retired Massachusetts public employees and surviving spouses. If you are a retired Massachusetts public employee, but not currently a member, please join today at https://massretirees.com/new-members-join/

We also offer an Associate Membership option to allow active public employees nearing retirement age to subscribe to our Weekly Update, newsletter, and other informational resources that will keep you well informed and help you better prepare for your future retirement. Subscribe today at https://massretirees.com/subscribe/

05/24/2026

Waking to this news is incredibly heartbreaking. For generations, the Kilduff family have been true public servants in every sense - both on and off the job. BK’s dad, Bobby Kilduff, served as legislative agent for the Professional Fire Fighters of Massachusetts (PFFM) and worked closely with our Association for years advocating to protect ALL retired public employees. Bobby passed away in 2008 due to occupational cancer. Firefighting remains a very dangerous profession. RIP BK. Our deepest condolences to the Kilduff family, as well as to the men and women of Boston Firefighters Local 718 IAFF.

05/22/2026

Weekly Update, May 22, 2026: Mass Retirees members know that a main aspect of our day-to-day work focuses on retirees’ continued access to high quality and affordable health insurance, and healthcare. Sharply higher costs, combined with tightening state & local budgets, put these benefits at risk.

This week we return to the topic of healthcare to report on recent activity involving our Association, as well as administrative and legislative activity focusing on specific reforms.

Last Thursday, Mass Retirees officials participated in two separate important healthcare events: The BCBS 2026 Labor Affairs Forum and a meeting of the Health Policy Commission’s Advisory Committee - on which our Association’s Director of Healthcare and Retirement Advocacy Nancy McGovern is a recent appointee.

Mass Retirees has been a member of the BCBS Labor Forum for more than 40 years. Not only are the Blue’s an excellent source of healthcare information and policy research, but we have long worked closely on all issues impacting municipal insurance plans and, importantly, public retirees.

On the legislative front, action was taken in both the House and Senate this week to further protect public retirees and employees’ access to affordable healthcare. The Committee on Public Service favorably released a Mass Retirees backed bill aimed at requiring transparency in municipal health insurance was reported favorable. Just yesterday, the Senate approved budget amendment #493, which protects GIC enrollees seeking out-of-network care here in Massachusetts.

Finally, yesterday’s meeting of the state’s Group Insurance Commission included discussion on possible steps that can be taken to gain control over the rising costs of healthcare – specially hospital costs here in Massachusetts.

Please look to our Weekly Update email for full details on these issues. The Weekly Update is emailed to all Mass Retirees members, for whom we have a valid email address, every Friday morning at 6:00 AM.

If you are not currently a member of the Mass Retirees Association, we encourage you to please join today using the links below. Given the fight public retirees now face, maintaining a strong well-informed and engaged membership is more important than ever. Please help support the work we are doing on your behalf by becoming a member.

Founded in 1968, Mass Retirees is a private statewide nonprofit membership association advocating on behalf of ALL retired Massachusetts public employees and surviving spouses. If you are a retired Massachusetts public employee, but not currently a member, please join today at https://massretirees.com/new-members-join/

We also offer an Associate Membership option to allow active public employees nearing retirement age to subscribe to our Weekly Update, newsletter, and other informational resources that will keep you well informed and help you better prepare for your future retirement. Subscribe today at https://massretirees.com/subscribe/

05/20/2026

05/20/2026

Today, we mourn the loss of former Massachusetts Congressman Barney Frank and thank him for his commitment to retired public employees. Our Association's decades-long working relationship with Mr. Frank dates back to his time as a top aide to former Boston Mayor Kevin White, through his service as a State Representative in the 1970s, and ultimately during his 30+ years as a US Congressman. As a member of congress, Frank worked closely with Mass Retirees in our efforts to repeal the Social Security WEP and GPO laws. Frank was particularly concerned with the unfair financial impact of the GPO, which eliminated spousal Social Security benefits for most retired public employees. The door to Frank's Capitol Hill office was always open to Association officials, which was the location of the accompanying photo with then Mass Retirees Legislative Director Shawn Duhamel in March, 2010.

05/15/2026

Weekly Update, May 15, 2026: The Senate is scheduled to begin debate on its version of the FY27 State Budget on Monday. Due to a very tight legislative timeframe, COLA Reform is not included in the Senate. However, we remain cautiously optimistic for success in the House/Senate conference committee taking place in June.

Meanwhile, we are focusing on two budget amendments to be considered next week. Initiated by the Mass Police Association and backed by Mass Retirees, amendment #241 filed by Senator Michael Moore, seeks to increase allowable earnings for public sector post-retirement work. The last increase in allowable earnings occurred in 2014.

A second amendment, #493 filed by Senator Cindy Friedman, would protect the rights of GIC enrollees seeking out-of-network care here in Massachusetts.

The Senate’s appropriation to fund the Group Insurance Commission and the Commonwealth’s obligation to the State and Teachers’ Retirement Systems is the same as the FY27 budgets proposed by Governor Healey in January and passed by the House late last month. And like the governor’s and House budgets, the Senate has also authorized payment of a 3% COLA on a $13,000 base for State and Teacher retirees. Changes to the COLA base is addressed within the COLA Reform measure passed by the House.

Please look to our Weekly Update email for further details on these issues, as well as the latest news related to retired Massachusetts public employees.

The Weekly Update is emailed to all Mass Retirees members, for whom we have a valid email address, every Friday morning at 6:00 AM.

If you are not currently a member of the Mass Retirees Association, please consider joining today using the links below. Given the fight public retirees now face, maintaining a strong well-informed and engaged membership is more important than ever. Please help support the work we are doing on your behalf by becoming a member.

Founded in 1968, Mass Retirees is a private statewide nonprofit membership association advocating on behalf of ALL retired Massachusetts public employees and surviving spouses. If you are a retired Massachusetts public employee, but not currently a member, please join today at https://massretirees.com/new-members-join/

We also offer an Associate Membership option to allow active public employees nearing retirement age to subscribe to our Weekly Update, newsletter, and other informational resources that will keep you well informed and help you better prepare for your future retirement. Subscribe today at https://massretirees.com/subscribe/

05/08/2026

Weekly Update, May 8, 2026: While our all-out effort to pass a landmark COLA Reform bill in 2026 continues, it is important not to lose sight of serval other pending bills of direct importance to public retirees that remain under active consideration for passage this legislative session.

Of the bills put forth by Mass Retirees, six have advanced through various stages of the process. These include Option B/C Recalculation; Insurance contribution rate protection for municipal retirees; Surviving spouse protections and benefit increases; Increases to the veterans’ bonus; and Modernization of the definition of veteran for retirement purposes.

On the health insurance front, we continue to strongly advocate for the state implementation of Medicare Buy-In program and for passage of legislation regulating the role of insurance brokers and consultants with municipal healthcare plans.

We are also working closely with our public safety union allies to pass legislation increasing the post-retirement work earnings limits, which were last increased in 2014.

Please look to this week’s Weekly Update email for the latest news on COLA Reform, as well as detailed information on the legislative proposals mentioned above.

The Weekly Update is emailed to all Mass Retirees members, for whom we have a valid email address, every Friday morning at 6:00 AM.

If you are not currently a member of the Mass Retirees Association, please join today using the links below. Given the fight public retirees now face, maintaining a strong well-informed membership is more important than ever. Please help support the work we are doing on your behalf by becoming a member.

Founded in 1968, Mass Retirees is a private statewide nonprofit membership association advocating on behalf of ALL retired Massachusetts public employees and surviving spouses. If you are a retired Massachusetts public employee, but not currently a member, please join today at https://massretirees.com/new-members-join/

We also offer an Associate Membership option to allow active public employees nearing retirement age to subscribe to our Weekly Update, newsletter, and other informational resources that will keep you well informed and help you better prepare for your future retirement. Subscribe today at https://massretirees.com/subscribe/

05/01/2026

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1Jj5AavLoG/

The April 2026 Retiree eNews Bulletin is available to read online. This issue contains stories about the PRIM Election, a Working in Retirement reminder, COLA news, and more: https://ow.ly/irGe50YSpJJ

05/01/2026

Weekly Update, May 1, 2026: The House of Representatives has passed the COLA Reform proposal initiated by our Association. In addition to creating a new Enhanced COLA benefit for long-term retirees, the measure also establishes a COLA Reserve Fund that should prove to be pivotal in paying for future COLA improvements. Both features of the bill include a local option provision for adoption across the state’s 102 local retirement systems.

Contained within the outside sections of the FY27 state budget, the proposal now advances to the State Senate. Mass Retirees officials continue to meet with state officials to advocate for the passage of COLA Reform into law in 2026.

We must also remind retirees and employees enrolled in the state’s Group Insurance Commission’s health or dental plan that Friday, May 1, is the final day of Annual Enrollment. However, if you like your current insurance plan you need not take any action.

In addition, Mass Retirees members and associate members are invited to attend our Boston Area meeting taking place in Dorchester on Friday, May 8th. Area meetings and other Association events are exclusively open to all dues-paying Mass Retirees members. Please look to this week’s Weekly Update email or our April edition of The Voice for full event details.

The Weekly Update is emailed to all Mass Retirees members, for whom we have a valid email address, every Friday morning at 6:00 AM.

If you are not currently a member of the Mass Retirees Association, please join today using the links below. Given the fight public retirees now face, maintaining a strong well-informed membership is more important than ever. Please help support the work we are doing on your behalf by becoming a member.

Founded in 1968, Mass Retirees is a private statewide nonprofit membership association advocating on behalf of ALL retired Massachusetts public employees and surviving spouses. If you are a retired Massachusetts public employee, but not currently a member, please join today at https://massretirees.com/new-members-join/

We also offer an Associate Membership option to allow active public employees nearing retirement age to subscribe to our Weekly Update, newsletter, and other informational resources that will keep you well informed and help you better prepare for your future retirement. Subscribe today at https://massretirees.com/subscribe/

04/29/2026

Reminder: The Group Insurance Commission's Annual Enrollment period ends this Friday, May 1st. If you are a GIC enrollee and do not want to change your current plan, then there is nothing you need to do. https://www.facebook.com/share/p/17eUpYXDfz/

The Group Insurance Commission's (GIC) Annual Enrollment period ends on Friday, May 1, 2026. This period is an excellent time to review your benefit options and make changes. Click here for more information: https://ow.ly/4e8B50Yzqm8