by Richard Warbrouck

It gives me great pleasure to announce the appointment of Monica Blum as our new Secretary/ Treasurer and Newsletter Editor. Monica (Rausch) Blum worked for Seattle Fire Fighters Union Local 27 for over 15 years as Editor/Communications Director. In 2002, she decided to leave the 9-5 office life to stay home to raise a family, which makes the RFFOW job a perfect fit! Monica went to high school in Spokane, where her father and sister still live, and came to Seattle after graduating from Carroll College in Helena, MT. She currently lives in Seattle with her husband Caleb (a WSU alum and devout Coug), and her children Hank (6) and Adele (3). Monica enjoys spending time at Open Circle Theater (which she has acted onstage and behind the scenes), various sporting events and vacations with her family and trips to Vegas with her husband... when they can get away!

We are fortunate to have Monica on staff to assist us with our administrative responsibilities. With her knowledge and expertise we will now be able to complete some programs that have been on hold. We want to thank Susan Lang for stepping in and helping us in a time of need as our interim Secretary/Treasurer. In Susan’s short term she was able to purge our files, update our membership roster and has suggested what is needed in the development of a new database.

I am also pleased to inform you that our 2010 Christmas Luncheon will be at the brand new Edmonds Yacht Club located next to Arnie’s Restaurant in Edmonds, December 8, 2010. The Edmonds Yacht Club is completing their new building on the Edmonds waterfront. I have toured the building now in the final stages of construction and I am very excited. I am confident that we will be able to host a luncheon that you will enjoy and of the quality that you as our members expect and deserve. Please mark your calendars now to reserve the date. This will be our first weekday luncheon and will coincide with our new meeting schedule on the second Wednesday of the month.

Local 27 is hosting a reception for Susan Lang, Sid Gill and Bob Anderson, the staff at the Seattle Fire Fighters Family Medical office. As many of you know, Family Medical was a continuation of the Seattle Fire Fighters Hospital Association which was started in 1949 in the home of firefighter Leo Wenner who was the first director of the Hospital Association and instrumental in its development. Leo went on to be the Fire Chief of Century 21, the World’s Fair and the first Fire Chief of the City of Bellevue. This was at a time when firefighter salaries were low, long before employer provided medical care was even thought of and medical insurance programs were in their infancy. After the advice of several insurance companies that a self-insured program like the Seattle Fire Fighter Hospital Association would never work, the committee was not distracted. They persevered until the Hospital Association was finally established. This was even before payroll deduction. The monthly dues had to be collected by the union’s house steward, who would stamp a member’s card as paid at each station on each shift and forward the dues to the Association’s office. The medical insurance program was administered by the hospital committee which included the executive board of Local 27 and the Secretary of the Hospital Association. The committee met each month before the union’s executive board meeting for the twenty-five years that I served on the board to administer the Hospital Association business. The Hospital Association was the only medical insurance we had for the Prior Act members, retirees, and family dependents when I entered the fire department in 1958. The in-house administered union sponsored Hospital Association and Family Medical Insurance Program continued after the development of the LEOFF 1 pension system for Prior Act retirees and for all firefighters, active and retired dependents. After employer provided medical insurance was established, Family Medical continued to offer medical insurance for all Prior Act retirees and their dependents, for the dependents of all LEOFF 1 retirees and for all LEOFF 11 retirees and their dependents.

Medical insurance coverage is now available through the Seattle Fire Fighters Health- Care Trust, sponsored by Seattle Fire Fighters Local 27. Recently Local 27 decided, after many years, to close the in-house office, hire an outside broker and a third party administrator, Benefit Solutions, (BSI). This caused a great concern to our members due to the short notice and the lack of an explanation, the closing of the in-house office and the dismissal of the Family Medical staff. It goes without saying that there have been many problems during the transition period. (Please see Mary Loar’s letter). After I received Mary’s letter I asked her to forward the letter to the union office. I told Mary that we would look into this situation and have since been advised that the calls to BSI are received at a front desk which is sometimes unattended, with calls being forwarded to an answering machine. Suzan Kolb, Sr. Account Executive, for the former Family Medical Program at BSI informed us that a new dedicated phone line will be installed for the Fire Fighter Insurance Program. When the new phone number is established, BSI will issue new membership cards with phone number and other pertinent information, however they did say if may take a month before these cards are issued. We have printed a sample letter for you to take with you when you visit your medical provider. The other information pertains to your coverage. We are disappointed that the Family Medical Insurance Program now under Seattle Fire Fighters HealthCare Trust is no longer available to all retirees throughout the state. I hope this is only for a temporary period. New memberships will only be offered to retired Seattle Firefighters. The RFFOW is looking into a plan that can be offered to all retirees. We hope to once again in the very near future be able to offer group medical insurance to our members.

We have just received two favorable decisions for LEOFF 1 members. Attorney Joe Fischnaller whom we converse with on a regular basis has advised of the decision in the Earl T. Swisher v. City of Moses Lake lawsuit. The first decision by the court reaffirms previous court decisions that the Disability Board has the authority to establish medical benefits in addition to those benefits as enumerated in RCW 41.26, the LEOFF President’s Message - Continued From Page 1 Act. The second decision in this case is that a member has the right to seek legal fees in a lawsuit against an employer for unpaid medical benefits as medical benefits are considered compensation.

The Court’s award against the City of Moses Lake requires the City to pay not only the original dental bills, together with interest at 12% per annum from the date of the Board’s approval of the bills, but all Court costs, filing fees, and service of process charges, as well. In addition, the Court issued an injunction against the City requiring it to promptly pay all future healthcare expenses that are approved by the Grant County Disability Board and not appealed by the City. Their failure to do so in the future would be contempt of Court and could result in severe fines and/or jail time for those City officials refusing to pay approved bills for LEOFF 1 members. In addition to all of this, the Court awarded $6,425.00 in attorney’s fees against the City. This is particularly important because it puts all LEOFF 1 employers across the State on notice that their defiance of Board Orders to pay health care bills for LEOFF 1 members will not be tolerated, and that any such defiance will likely require them to pay not only the approved bill, but all Court costs, and the LEOFF 1 member’s attorney’s fees, as well.

After several letters to the City of Hoquiam and a meeting with the City Attorney and Financial Director, we have received a favorable decision regarding the City’s policy requiring LEOFF 1 members to pay out of pocket for medical services. I must say that these two City of Hoquiam Officials were very cordial and willing to cooperate. The City will repeal the new policy. The City will follow a new policy and procedure to be written by the Gray’s Harbor County Disability Board for the payment of medical expenses for members of the LEOFF 1 system. In addition the City will reestablish the Prior Act Pension Board as established in RCW 41.16 which for some reason had been disbanded.

Please RSVP to Local 27 if you plan to attend the Family Medical Reception. Editor’s Note: On Page 3 is the letter by Mary Loar and the information you need for your new HealthCare Trust.