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Our Mission Statement The Association is constituted to promote the welfare of public employees who have retired from service with the State of Illinois in all ways compatible with the public interest and to support and promote improvements in the public employee’s retirement systems of Illinois.
Retirement is when you spend less time worrying and more time enjoying
the “golden years”. ISEA Retirees can help eliminate your
worries by letting you discuss them with a live person rather than a
machine each weekday between 8:30 am and 4:30 pm. We can help eliminate
tax and retirement issues, insurance problems, long-term care questions
and rates, home safety with security systems and even help you get fresh
hearing aid batteries at blue light special prices. Our staff pledges
to help make your retirement truly a pleasant one.
Update on the HSHS and Aetna negotiations - May 30, 2024
The ISEA Retirees Association has been vigilant in protecting the rights of retired state employees. On January 3, 2014, ISEA Retirees was the first of all retirees organization to file a lawsuit in Sangamon County Court that challenged the constitutionality of the Pension Reform Act. That lawsuit was called Illinois State Employees Associate Retirees v the Board of Trustees of the State Employees' Retirement System, et Al and was case number 2014 Ch3. On May 14, 2014, a Sangamon County Judge stopped the Pension Reform Act from going into effect on July 1, 2014. The Illinois Supreme Court previously consolidated four other similar lawsuits to Sangamon County joining the lawsuit filed by ISEAR, which in essence challenged the changing of the 3% automatic annual increase as a violation of contractual law and the Illinois Constitution. The temporary injunction issued by the Sangamon County Judge only prevented the Pension Reform Act from going into effect on July 1 until the case was finalized in his court. In addition to our own pension lawsuit, ISEAR was the first retirees organization to contribute funds to help defray attorney's fees in the case entitled Kanerva v Weems. On July 3, 2014, the Illinois Supreme Court ruled that the state retirees' health insurance is a pension benefit that cannot be diminished or impaired by the Illinois General Assembly. Subsequently, the Supreme Court ruled that the Pension Reform Act was unconstitutional and that the pension benefits as provided by statute cannot be diminished or impaired.
Medicare Advantage InformationMedicare-eligible retirees and survivors have received information regarding the Total Retiree Advantage Illinois (TRAIL) Enrollment Period. The informational kits are mailed to Medicare retirees enrolled in the State Employees Group Insurance Program, the Teachers’ Retirement Program (TRIP) and the College Insurance Program (CIP).
If the member has a dependent on his/her coverage who is not enrolled in Medicare Parts A and B, the member will not be included in the group of members set to be offered a Medicare Advantage plan. The member and dependents will all remain in the current health plan. What happens to a member’s other State-offered plan benefits, like dental, vision and life insurance? Will a member still have them when changing to a Medicare Advantage plan? Yes, members will continue to have the same dental, vision, and life plan benefits from the same plan administrators that they are currently enrolled. Will a member be able to make changes to his/her coverage during the annual Benefit Choice Period held in May each year? No. Retirees who become part of the State-sponsored Medicare Advantage group of members have a new annual enrollment period in the fall of each year to coincide with the federal Medicare calendar plan year. Do the State-sponsored Medicare Advantage plans include prescription coverage? Yes, all of the Medicare Advantage plans being offered have prescription drug coverage included with no gap (i.e., donut hole). Are there any special programs being offered through these Medicare Advantage plans? Yes, each Medicare Advantage plan offers a variety of wellness/clinical programs. Although the programs vary by health plan vendor, some examples include various wellness programs, disease management programs, case management programs, discount programs, medication therapy management and meal programs.
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