LOOK WHO IS TURNING "100!"

Why, it's our own, Wilbur Hutchins!

RMA Executive Trustee Wilbur Hutchins will turn "100" on Saturday April 3rd, 2021.

Wilbur informed us that he would like to receive some birthday cards in the US Mail. He said he would rather have the cards in hand that have e-mails sent to him. He said his computer is acting up anyway. You can send a Birthday wish to Wilbur and address it to:

Wilbur Hutchins

190-45 111th Road

St. Albans, NY 11412

Wilbur stated to us that he has received his second vaccine shot and feels good about getting the vaccine. However Wilbur has had to endure the effects of Cellulitis, recently, with some stays in the hospital because of it.

Wilbur is a devout member of the Retired Member's Association and has been at most, if not all of the meetings. In the picture he is celebrating his 98th Birthday at the April 2019 Meeting.

[Note: The event at Vulcan Hall has been cancelled.]

LATEST COVID UPDATE (3/31/21)

COVID-19 Expanded Eligibility Vaccine Now Available to FDNY Family Members

New First Dose Appointments: Additional first dose vaccination appointments are now available through April 12th, 2021. PLEASE NOTE: First dose appointments at the Fire Academy, Randall’s Island are no longer available. This site will remain open to administer second doses until May 3rd. All sites are closed Easter Sunday (April 4 th). The Department is now offering the COVID-19 vaccine to: ACTIVE & RETIRED EMPLOYEES: • FDNY employees (active or retired, even retirees not in our WTC Health Program). FDNY FAMILY MEMBERS: • Family members of active and retired FDNY employees ages 30 and older. The definition of a FDNY family member is consistent with the NYC Family Leave policy. • FDNY family members under age 30 must either have a NYS qualifying physical health condition (e.g., cancer, respiratory, cardiac, hypertension, diabetes, stroke, neuro, autoimmune disease such as rheumatoid arthritis, kidney or liver disease, or obesity) or be an eligible worker as defined by NY State. Follow this link for more NYS eligibility information:

https://covid19vaccine.health.ny.gov/phased-distribution-vaccine

Scheduling Appointments: • FDNY active employees, FDNY retired employees, and FDNY eligible retired employees and family members may schedule 1 st dose vaccine appointments by calling: 718-999-7000 • Call Center hours will be M-T-TH-F-SAT-SUN from 0800 – 1900. The Call Center will be staffed on Wednesdays from 1000 – 1900. Info Needed for Scheduling Appointments for Family Members: • FDNY active or retired member’s Employee Reference Number and/or First & Last Name • Family Member’s Last 4 numbers of their Social Security number • Family Member’s Name & Date of Birth • Family Member’s New York State Address • Contact Phone Number • Valid Email Address Call Center representatives will schedule eligible persons for the Moderna Vaccine at one of the three FDNY locations: o FDNY Headquarters, 9 Metrotech Center o EMS Academy, Fort Totten o Fire Academy, Randall’s Island (until 3/29 only) *Please note that all appointments are dependent on vaccine shipments meeting demand. Phasing Out of FDNY Vaccination Site: The Susan Wagner HS site is no longer administering first dose inoculations. This site will remain open until April 14th, 2021, to provide second dose inoculations. Reminders: • Active members can still be vaccinated even if they have previously declined it or have had the COVID-19 illness in the past. • FDNY active members (including civilians) are essential workers and can be vaccinated even without a physical health condition. • The Department has successfully vaccinated over 60,000 people (FDNY and non-FDNY employees) without any serious side effects. • Getting vaccinated is critical to protecting yourself, your loved ones, our FDNY family, and those we serve. This vaccine is 94% effective in preventing the COVID-19 infection after both doses. Even if you have recovered from COVID-19 and have antibodies, you still need the vaccine to prevent re-infection. • Now is the time to step-up and protect not only yourself but your family and coworkers as well. • You can find more information about the COVID-19 vaccine from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) at https://www.cdc.gov/

MEDICARE UPDATE

What you should know about the COVID-19 vaccines

As vaccines become more widely available, it's important to keep taking steps to slow the spread of COVID-19.

Limit gatherings with others.
Practice social distancing.
Wash your hands frequently.
Wear a mask in public.

Once the COVID-19 vaccine becomes available to you,

here's what you should know:

You will need 2 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine for it to be effective. When you receive your first dose, make sure to schedule your second dose.
Medicare covers the COVID-19 vaccine, so there will be no cost to you.
State governments are handling the distribution of COVID-19 vaccines. Look for updates from your state and local officials as more doses of the vaccine become available for additional priority groups.

Visit CDC.gov for additional trustworthy information on the COVID-19 vaccines.

Sincerely,

The Medicare Team

CLICK HERE TO FIND OUT WHERE YOUR NEAREST TESTING SITE IS LOCATED

click>FIND A VACCINATION SITE NEAR YOU<click

Find out more

You Can Now Wait Until 72 To Take Required Minimum Distributions. But Should You?

The Secure Act increased the required minimum distribution (RMD) age from 70 1/2 to 72, marking the first change to the RMD age since first becoming law in 1986. The age increase will only apply to anyone born on or after July 1, 1949. Now that some taxpayers will be able to defer distributions from retirement accounts until age 72, should they? It turns out, tax-deferred growth isn’t always a no-brainer.

First, as a practical matter, many retirees can’t actually afford to hold off on using their retirement savings until they’re 72. Even for those who can wait until they reach RMD age, it might not make sense to. The ‘right’ withdrawal strategy will depend on multiple factors, which change over time along with the laws, tax code, and the individual’s personal financial situation.

Here are some of the important considerations to discuss with your financial and tax advisor as you draft a retirement income strategy.

Taking advantage of low tax brackets

Especially for investors who have already retired, tax planning can really pay off. If you’ve already retired and don’t need income from retirement accounts before age 72, you could be living off funds from a taxable brokerage account and perhaps Social Security, too. Depending on your finances, this could land you in some of the lowest tax brackets.

In 2020, married couples filing jointly are in the 12% marginal tax bracket until $80,250 of taxable income before progressing into the 22% rate on the next dollar of income. For couples with less than $80,000 in taxable income, they may pay no tax at all on long-term capital gains!

In this type of situation, it could be advantageous for taxpayers to consider accelerating the realization of income to ensure they’re able to take full advantage of a favorable tax bracket. With some planning, you could calculate how much to take from tax-deferred accounts to stay under the next marginal tax bracket increase (or whatever metric makes sense for your tax and financial situation).

MEDICARE PART B REIMBURSEMENT INFO

(REIMBURSEMENTS COMMENCED MONDAY MARCH 23rd, 2021, EITHER THRU A CHECK IN THE US MAIL OR THRU A DIRECT DEPOSIT INTO YOUR ACCOUNT.)

TO WATCH A VIDEO ABOUT THE REIMBURSEMENT,

CLICK> https://www1.nyc.gov/site/olr/health/retiree/health-retiree-medb-irmaa.page

APRIL 2021 UPDATE:

Medicare Part B Reimbursements

Medicare Differential Payments were sent out by the NYC Office of Labor Relations (OLR) on or about Monday, March 22, 2021. These differential payments are only applicable to members on Medicare prior to 2016 who did not receive the full amount that they were entitled to.

The actual reimbursements for Medicare Part B will be sent to members in mid-April. If you have direct deposit for your pension check, it will be direct deposited. If you receive paper pension checks, you will be mailed a check.

Please refrain from contacting the NYC Office of Labor Relations until after you receive your Medicare Part B Reimbursements in mid-April.

Medicare Part B Reimbursements Incorrect Amounts

Retirees who believe they received the incorrect amount on their Reimbursement should submit the differential form along with the Social Security 1099s for the year(s) you feel you were shortchanged, using the Leapfile Website.

Form:
https://www1.nyc.gov/assets/olr/downloads/pdf/health/med-b-differential-form-2019.pdf

Leapfile Website (Select IRMAA/Differential, then upload the FORM and 1099s):

https://nycemployeebenefits.leapfile.net/

If you did NOT receive a Medicare Part B Reimbursement from the NYC Office of Labor Relations, it is probably because you have not yet submitted the Medicare Part B Reimbursement Application (along with a COPY of your Medicare Card). Alternatively, if you are not currently enrolled with the NYC Health Benefits / Medical Plan, you would not be eligible for the Part B Reimbursement.

If you have already uploaded the necessary Medicare Reimbursement Forms to OLR using the Leapfile Website, and/or if you have any follow up questions with the NYC Office of Labor Relations regarding your Medicare Part D Reimbursement, you can email healthbenefits@olr.nyc.gov.

~~~~

To all Retirees,

The following notice is to inform retirees on Medicare that your 2019 Standard Part B reimbursement from OLR (Office of Labor Relations) may not have been for the full amount you and/or spouse paid. This applies ONLY to those who were enrolled in Medicare PRIOR TO 2016. If you enrolled in Medicare in 2016 or later, the reimbursement amount

should have been accurate.

If affected, you will be required to fill out a Medicare Differential Form found in a link with this e mail. The reimbursement is scheduled for some time in the 1st quarter of 2021. Follow the instructions and return with the supporting paperwork stated in Section III of the form.

***SEE LINK FOR FORM BELOW ***

ALSO those recipients and/or spouse who are subject to IRMAA and were enrolled in Medicare prior to 2016 may not have received the full reimbursement for their standard Part B. IRMAA recipients do not need to file for the differential as long as they have submitted the IRMAA reimbursement form. When the IRMAA reimbursement is paid, (October 2020) the differential for the Standard Part B will be included. The form for IRMAA reimbursement is in the link below.

Note that if you had not filed for IRMAA reimbursement in the past but had paid IRMAA you can submit for 2018 and 2017 using the form below.

*** CONTINUE TO LINK BELOW ***

An explanation has been provided by OLR regarding this issue: As Part B premiums have increased, the amount of the increase has, at times, been more than what the social security COLA increase provided to some recipients. Had the full increase of the Part B premium been applied to all, a social security recipient could have had a net reduction in their monthly benefit.

Because of Medicare's "hold harmless” provision, the monthly increase to an individual's Part B premium could vary in order to avoid a reduction in that person's monthly Social Security benefit. This results in variable amounts being paid for Part B premiums that are specifically unique to each individual. The increase in Part B premiums could vary from $1 to $318 per person. Since, the City has no way of verifying what each person pays for their Medicare Part B premium, documentation of what an individual actually paid in Part B premiums is needed.

Medicare Part B reimbursements were issued for the calendar year 2019 for Medicare-eligible retirees and

Medicare-eligible dependents in April 2020.

Any retirees who were Medicare eligible on or after calendar year 2016 are eligible for $134.00 per month

(12 months= $1,608 per each eligible person).

They receive this amount automatically.

Any retirees who were Medicare eligible prior to the calendar year 2016 must complete the Medicare Part B differential Form (see below link) and provide SSA-1099 for the calendar year 2019. Those retirees who submit this form may receive an additional amount up to $300 under the Medicare Part B differential.

This payment will be issued in Spring 2021

>>>*CLICK HERE FOR THE UPDATED FORM FOR THIS YEAR'S ADDITIONAL PAYMENT OF $300.00 AND WHERE TO SEND IT*<<<

IT MUST BE SENT ELECTRONICALLY FOR

US MAIL IS NOT BEING ACCEPTED AT THIS TIME.

Due to the pandemic OLR’s offices were closed on March 17, 2020. Correspondence arriving after March 11 was not processed. Please review the following if you were impacted by this. You will have to resubmit forms and documentation electronically if you filed forms by U.S. Mail for the following:  2019 Medicare Part B Differential, or  2019 Medicare IRMAA reimbursement, or  Initial Enrollment for you or spouse in the Part B reimbursement plan Please visit the OLR website for instructions, step-by-step video and the needed forms to complete this task. OLR home page: healthbenefitshome (nyc.gov) Medicare Part B reimbursement information forms and links to submit via e mail. health-retiree-medb-irmaa (nyc.gov) Submitting instructions health-retiree-leapfile-instructions (nyc.gov) If you are submitting paperwork for future reimbursements such as 2020 Part B differential (Form will be available in April 2020) , IRMAA 2020, (Form not yet available) or initial Part B reimbursement enrollment, (Form is available on line) it is recommended to continue with the electronic filing unless instructed differently. Please monitor the OLR homepage for guidance.

******************************

VCF NEWS:

On July 29, 2019, the President signed into law The Never Forget the Heroes: James Zadroga, Ray Pfeifer, and Luis Alvarez Permanent Authorization of the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund. The VCF Permanent Authorization Act extends the VCF’s claim filing deadline from December 18, 2020, to October 1, 2090, and appropriates such funds as may be necessary to pay all approved claims. The VCF recognizes that claimants will have many questions about) the impact of the legislation on their claims. The VCF is committed to processing claims without interruption and issuing full payments to those who received a reduced award. Additional details about the VCF Permanent Authorization Act can be found here.

Please check this website frequently for updates.

-FOR MORE ABOUT THE VCF GO TO OUR HEALTH CARE PAGE-

About Us

Who We Are

Get Involved

We are Retired NYC Firefighters of all ranks. We meet five times per year at two locations; 901 Lakeville Road in New Hyde Park and 3051 Nostrand Ave in Brooklyn, NY. Through our Newsletter and this website we hope to keep you informed about your pensions.

Get Involved

Are you passionate about what we're doing? Let us know! We are always looking for volunteers to help us make our organization better for our members. We'll help you find a way to volunteer that best suits you. We're excited to have you join the team!

Thank You

Get Involved

Thank You

Whether you help through monetary donations, volunteering your time, or spreading our mission through word-of-mouth, thank you. We couldn't accomplish our goals without the help

of supporters like you.

JOIN US THE OLD FASHION WAY :

HERE'S HOW TO JOIN:

RETIRED MEMBER'S ASSOCIATION, INC
Fire Department City of New York
ORGANIZED JANUARY 1ST, 1946

APPLICATION FOR MEMBERSHIP
We offer three types of Membership.

Life Membership- one time payment of $150.00 gives you a gold RMA Membership Card and our periodic newsletters. This is for new members.

Life Membership-for existing members with a minimum total of
10 consecutive paid dues years. One time payment of $75.00 gives you a Gold RMA Membership Card and our periodic newsletters.

Annual Membership-Annual dues of $15.00 gives you 1 year of membership with associated Card, and one year of issued Newsletters.
Once you have decided on
the type of Membership you desire, download the PDF Application above, fill out and send with your check
made payable to the RMA
and send via US Mail to:
The RMA
PO Box 1332 Baldwin, NY 11510
Attn: Jim Hayhurst
(Membership Chairman)

Retired Member's Association,
Fire Dept.City of NY

Retired Member's Association,
Fire Dept.City of NY

Welcome to The Retired Member's Assoc. of the NYC Fire Dept.

VCF UPDATE:

LOOK WHO IS TURNING "100!"

Why, it's our own, Wilbur Hutchins!

NEW PAGE ADDED TO WEBSITE...

DEDICATED TO THE 20th ANNIVERSARY OF 9-11-01

DEDICATED TO THE 20th ANNIVERSARY OF 9-11-01

DEDICATED TO THE 20th ANNIVERSARY OF 9-11-01

OUR FIRST ARTICLE:

DEDICATED TO THE 20th ANNIVERSARY OF 9-11-01

DEDICATED TO THE 20th ANNIVERSARY OF 9-11-01

ELSASSER FUND BENEFIT-

LATEST COVID UPDATE (3/31/21)

COVID-19 Expanded Eligibility Vaccine Now Available to FDNY Family Members

STILL MORE COVID INFO:

MEDICARE UPDATE

What you should know about the COVID-19 vaccines

You Can Now Wait Until 72 To Take Required Minimum Distributions. But Should You?

Taking advantage of low tax brackets

NEW LOCATION AND PHONE NUMBER FOR FIRE PENSIONS

MEDICARE PART B REIMBURSEMENT INFO

About Us

Who We Are

Get Involved

Get Involved

Get Involved

Get Involved

Get Involved

Thank You

Get Involved

Thank You

Download The PDF Application

JOIN US THE OLD FASHION WAY :

HERE'S HOW TO JOIN:

Welcome to The Retired Member's Assoc. of the NYC Fire Dept.

VCF UPDATE:

LOOK WHO IS TURNING "100!"

Why, it's our own, Wilbur Hutchins!

NEW PAGE ADDED TO WEBSITE...

DEDICATED TO THE 20th ANNIVERSARY OF 9-11-01

DEDICATED TO THE 20th ANNIVERSARY OF 9-11-01

DEDICATED TO THE 20th ANNIVERSARY OF 9-11-01

OUR FIRST ARTICLE:

DEDICATED TO THE 20th ANNIVERSARY OF 9-11-01

DEDICATED TO THE 20th ANNIVERSARY OF 9-11-01

ELSASSER FUND BENEFIT-

LATEST COVID UPDATE (3/31/21)

**COVID-19 Expanded Eligibility** **Vaccine Now Available to FDNY Family Members**

STILL MORE COVID INFO:

MEDICARE UPDATE

What you should know about the COVID-19 vaccines

You Can Now Wait Until 72 To Take Required Minimum Distributions. But Should You?

Taking advantage of low tax brackets

NEW LOCATION AND PHONE NUMBER FOR FIRE PENSIONS

MEDICARE PART B REIMBURSEMENT INFO

About Us

Who We Are

Get Involved

Get Involved

Get Involved

Get Involved

Get Involved

Thank You

Get Involved

Thank You

Download The PDF Application

JOIN US THE OLD FASHION WAY :

HERE'S HOW TO JOIN:

COVID-19 Expanded Eligibility Vaccine Now Available to FDNY Family Members