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Staying Informed. Keeping Involved.

The University of Georgia Retirees Association (UGARA) includes all UGA retirees — faculty, staff and administrators — who become members when they officially retire (usually after 10 years of employment and having attained age 60 — usg.edu policy 8.2.8.2) from the University. UGARA’s primary mission is to represent the interests of its members.

Through its elected Council, UGARA will keep retirees informed of opportunities for engagement with the university community, of university benefits for which they are eligible, and of other resources available to them.

CURRENT NEWS

UGARA Meeting Minutes

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Duo Multi-Factor Authentication for Retirees

Beginning March 7, 2025, retirees will use Duo Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) to log into their UGA Microsoft 365 accounts, including UGAMail, from off-campus or untrusted networks. This update ensures that retirees are provided with the same protection as current students, faculty, and staff to help keep UGA accounts secure. Retirees received email and postal mail notices throughout February with instructions on how to use Duo. For more information and assistance with Duo, contact the EITS helpdesk at 706-542-3106 or helpdesk@uga.edu

Important reminders regarding your HRA account balances

If a retiree or dependent runs out of HRA money by the end of the year, Aon/Alight has always paid the balance of unreimbursed expenses submitted for reimbursement as soon as there is fresh credit in the HRA. (On January 1, each retiree’s and dependent’s account gets credited with the amount they are eligible to be reimbursed for over that year; the money actually stays with USG until Alight reimburses the retiree and then USG reimburses Alight that month.) It is to the retiree’s advantage to get THEIR money as soon as possible.

At the end of 2024, the retiree’s total medical expenses will be what they will be (as always, they’re reportable on one 2024 tax return), only some of which will have been reimbursed from one’s HRA. Spend the HRA money FIRST! It’s tax-sheltered and so taxes aren’t eating into the money going to pay for medical expenses. THEN spend other money for medical expenses and taxes. The HRA is YOUR tax-free money. SPEND IT. That’s why it’s called Your Spending Account (YSA), not Your Savings Account. Don’t save it for a rainy day!!!

For retirees and dependents who don’t run out of HRA money by the end of the year, FIND unreimbursed medical expenses to get reimbursed for. One can go back all the way to 2014 if necessary! Here’s a complete list of eligible expenses and rules about expenses.

At very least, every retiree and dependent on Medicare should scan the Social Security Administration – Important Information letter, dated November 22, 2023, listing Medicare amounts for 2024, and submit it to Alight. Medicare Part B, Part B IRMAA, Part D, and Part D IRMAA are all eligible for reimbursement from Alight!

One way that campus retiree organizations can help retirees is by providing computer assistance on spending one’s HRA, ideally in collaboration with the campus HR, but independently if necessary.

Retirees, go spend YOUR Spending Account Your YSA/HRA can NOT be inherited by your kids, your grandkids, or even your pet! 😊 SPEND IT!!!

If retirees or dependents have any questions, they can email me at dmarks@valdosta.edu.

Thanks,

Dennis

Dennis W. Marks
Past Chair, VSU Retirees Association
VSU Representative on USG Retiree Council
Past Chair, USG Retiree Council
USG Open Enrollment Communications Committee

Annual retiree MyID account review begins this month

Accounts deemed inactive after this review will be deactivated on July 31.

UGA retirees are currently able to keep their UGA MyID and UGAMail after retirement. This practice has allowed retirees to continue to access some UGA services after retiring.

UGA established an annual review process for retiree MyID accounts in 2023. Retiree MyID accounts that have not been accessed for a year or more are deemed inactive and will be deactivated. This practice reduces the potential risk of inappropriate use of UGA retiree accounts and better reduces IT security risk.

The 2024 retiree MyID account review will begin this month. Retirees with inactive accounts will receive notices and several reminders prior to deactivation. If retirees wish to keep their MyID and UGAMail active, they will have the opportunity to log in and have their account excluded from deactivation.

Retiree accounts deemed inactive after this review will be deactivated on July 31, 2024, and deleted on Aug. 31, 2024.

Information about this change is available here.

For more information, please contact Stacy Boyles at stacy.boyles@uga.edu.

Retiree MyID Account Changes

UGA retirees are currently able to keep their UGA MyID and UGAMail after retirement.  This practice has allowed retirees to continue to access some UGA services after retiring. To reduce the potential risk of inappropriate use of UGA retiree accounts and to better reduce IT security risk, UGA is changing processes regarding UGA retiree MyID Accounts. UGA retirees who do not access their accounts for a year or more will have their accounts deactivated. Retirees with inactive accounts will receive notices prior to deactivation; if they wish to keep their MyID and UGAMail active, they will have the opportunity to log in and have their account excluded from deactivation. This review and deactivation process for retiree MyID and UGAMail accounts will occur annually, with the first notices to retirees going out during the spring and summer of 2023. Eligible retiree accounts will be deactivated on July 31, 2023 and deleted on August 31, 2023. 

More information about this change is available at the EITS MyID account page HERE

Health & Well-Being

An employee must be enrolled in the Health and Life benefits coverage at the time of retirement in order to continue coverage in retirement. A qualifying life event does not allow a retiree to add coverage in retirement. An individual who has retired from another State of Georgia sponsored retirement plan may not count such retirement service toward meeting the criteria for being a career employee.

Please understand these consequences to dropping your USG or Alight health/pharmacy plan:

Once HRA funding or USG health plan coverage has been terminated it can never be reinstated.

Retirees who drop coverage in either a USG health plan (for pre-65 retirees) or the Alight Retiree Health Solutions and/or pharmacy plan (for post-65 retirees) face significant consequences.

In order to maintain dependent coverage on a USG health plan, or to maintain Health Reimbursement Account funding, the retiree must be CONTINUOUSLY enrolled in a USG health plan OR an Alight Retiree Health Solutions and/or pharmacy plan.

If the retiree drops his/her USG health plan OR his/her Alight Retiree Health Solutions and/or pharmacy plan, the Health Reimbursement Account funding for both the retiree and the spouse/dependents will terminate AND the USG health plan coverage of any pre-65 dependents will also terminate.

This provision has become sadly apparent to those who have chosen to go to an outside provider for a year and then attempted to return to USG or Alight coverage.

University System of Georgia pre-65 retirees and eligible spouses may carry USG health insurance for themselves and eligible pre-65 dependents into retirement. Post-65 retirees and eligible spouses may enroll in Alight Retiree Health Solutions health and/or pharmacy plans and receive Health Reimbursement Account funding from USG. If the retiree is post-65, any eligible pre-65 dependents may continue to be covered under a USG health plan. But, to reiterate, the coverage must be continuous.

Helpful Resources

To future UGA faculty/staff retirees:

We at the UGA Retirees Association often are asked, “What steps do I need to take as I approach retirement?”

Most of your questions can be answered by making an all-important appointment with an individual retirement counselor at UGA Human Resources. They will meet with you to review your individual UGA record and circumstances. They can provide you important information as to your optimal retirement timing and required steps. This should be done at least twice: once at two years before your anticipated retirement, and again a few months out when you’re ready to set the date and sign the final paperwork.

It also is advisable to schedule a similar meeting with a counselor at the local Social Security office, who similarly will counsel you on advisable timing and paths based on your individual Social Security contributions and work record. UGA HR cannot advise you on Social Security, and likewise Social Security does not advise you on your UGA retirement. It is advisable to meet with a counselor at each.

Best wishes as you consider this important step!

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