
<p>Retirement insights from a Colorado PERA perspective</p>



<p></p>


A distant view shows a mountainous landscape with sloping peaks, green trees in the foreground, and a cloudy sky above.


<p class="has-medium-font-size"><a href="https://coloradosun.com/2025/06/04/pera-colorado-law-enforcement-funding-deal-proposition-130/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><strong>How PERA Could Be the Big Winner of Colorado’s Police Funding Deal | The Colorado Sun</strong></a></p>



<p>One of the PERA-related bills that lawmakers passed during the recently concluded legislative session uses a unique funding mechanism for the voter-approved Proposition 130, which creates a fund to support public safety in Colorado. Under the bill, the State will give PERA a lump sum of $500 million and then may reduce its annual payments to PERA in future years based on our investment earnings, until the public safety fund reaches a total of $350 million.</p>



<p class="has-medium-font-size"><a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/social-security-fairness-act-payments-june-2025/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><strong>Social Security Says over 2.5 million Retroactive Payments Have Been Processed. Here&#8217;s What to Know. | CBS News</strong></a></p>



<p>The Social Security Administration says it has processed the majority of retroactive payments due to beneficiaries who had previously been affected by the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) and/or Government Pension Offset (GPO). The agency said that while affected individuals should have received their retroactive payments by the end of March and their updated benefit amounts in April, more complicated cases that require manual processing will take more time.</p>



<p class="has-medium-font-size"><a href="https://www.npr.org/sections/shots-health-news/2025/06/04/nx-s1-5423538/medicare-drug-price-negotiations-ozempic-otezla" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><strong>Medicare seeks lower prices for drugs, including Ozempic : Shots &#8211; Health News : NPR</strong></a></p>



<p>The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services has begun its second round of price negotiations with prescription drug manufacturers. The agency is targeting 15 drugs for lower prices, including popular weight-loss medications Ozempic and Wegovy. Any lower prices would go into effect in 2027.</p>



<p class="has-medium-font-size"><a href="https://www.investopedia.com/emergency-fund-for-retirement-11741359" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><strong>Retired? Here&#8217;s 5 Reasons You Still Need an Emergency Fund—Plus How Much It Should Cover | Investopedia</strong></a></p>



<p>If you’re retired, you may be thinking more about withdrawals from your savings rather than stashing away extra cash, but experts say it’s important to keep saving. Unexpected expenses such as medical bills, home repairs, and other emergencies can wreak havoc on any budget and especially for someone on a fixed income.</p>



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<p><em>News You Should Know is a digest of news from publications around the nation about finance, investing, and retirement.</em></p>


News You Should Know: PERA Could Benefit from Public Safety Law


<h2 class="wp-block-heading has-medium-font-size"><a href="https://www.coloradopolitics.com/governor/colorado-budget-signing/article_76cb6ca7-535d-4261-bd04-7d9305c4e5f7.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Colorado Gov. Polis Signs $44 Billion Budget into Law | Colorado Politics</a></h2>



<p>After months of debate and legislative work, the State of Colorado officially has a budget for the next fiscal year. Gov. Jared Polis signed the $44 billion budget bill into law this week. Lawmakers had to cut more than $1 billion in order to come up with a balanced budget.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading has-medium-font-size"><a href="https://www.kiplinger.com/retirement/despite-economic-uncertainty-americans-remain-confident-about-retirement" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Despite Economic Uncertainty, Americans Remain Confident About Retirement, Survey Shows | Kiplinger</a></h2>



<p>Workers and retirees alike are confident they’ll have enough money in retirement even amid widespread uncertainty about the economy, according to a recent survey. The survey, from the Employee Benefit Research Institute and Greenwald Research, found that 67% of workers and 78% of retirees are confident about retirement. However, survey respondents did express concern about changes at the federal level, particularly around Medicare and Social Security.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading has-medium-font-size"><a href="https://www.nextavenue.org/possible-tariffs-on-prescription-drugs/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">What Older Adults Need to Know About Possible Tariffs on Prescription Drugs | Next Avenue</a></h2>



<p>The federal government has proposed imposing tariffs on imported prescription medications, and that has the potential to affect many older Americans, who tend to take more medications than younger people. While there is still a lot of uncertainty about what the government will do, experts say drug manufacturers could face shortages and raise prices if tariffs do go into effect.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading has-medium-font-size"><a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/carolynrosenblatt/2025/04/15/caught-in-the-middle-the-sandwich-generations-financial--fears-about-aging-parents/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Caught In The Middle: The Sandwich Generation’s Financial Fears About Aging Parents | Forbes</a></h2>



<p>Being a member of the sandwich generation—people who find themselves caring for children and aging parents at the same time—means potentially having to pay for a parent’s long-term medical needs while also putting kids through school. Here are some tips for finding resources that might help ease some of the caretaking burden.</p>



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<p><em>News You Should Know is a digest of news from publications around the nation about finance, investing, and retirement.</em></p>


News You Should Know: Colo. Governor Signs $44 Billion Budget


<h2 style="color:#000000;" class="wp-block-heading has-black-color has-text-color has-medium-font-size"><a href="https://www.coloradopolitics.com/news/colorado-budget-cuts/article_21095d25-b442-45db-b75a-00bd4cd69f2e.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">$43.9 Billion Budget Bill Introduced in Colorado Senate | Colorado Politics</a></h2>



<p>State lawmakers have been working to build out the budget for the next fiscal year while trying to fill a $1.2 billion funding hole, and they released their proposal this week. In total, the budget calls for $43.9 billion in spending with dozens of accompanying bills that cut or transfer funds to fill the budget shortfall.</p>



<h2 style="color:#000000;" class="wp-block-heading has-black-color has-text-color has-medium-font-size"><a href="https://coloradosun.com/2025/04/01/amgen-enbrel-price-cap-lawsuit-dismissed/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Enbrel Maker&#8217;s Effort to Stop Colorado from Capping Drug Price Dismissed | The Colorado Sun</a></h2>



<p>The Legislature created the Colorado Prescription Drug Affordability Board in 2021 with the goal of reviewing the affordability of prescription drugs and capping the prices of medications deemed to be too unaffordable. Drugmaker Amgen filed a lawsuit trying to prevent the Board from capping the price of its autoimmune drug Enbrel, but a judge dismissed the suit.</p>



<h2 style="color:#000000;" class="wp-block-heading has-black-color has-text-color has-medium-font-size"><a href="https://www.npr.org/2025/03/26/nx-s1-5341780/social-security-administration-identity-requirements" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Social Security Officials Partially Walk Back Plans for In-Person Verification | NPR</a></h2>



<p>After previously announcing that some Social Security beneficiaries would need to verify their identities in-person at a Social Security office, the Social Security Administration is updating its policy and moving its deadline. The agency now says the in-person requirement will only apply to people who are trying to access retirement, survivor, or auxiliary benefits and who are unable to verify their identity online.</p>



<h2 style="color:#000000;" class="wp-block-heading has-black-color has-text-color has-medium-font-size"><a href="https://www.marketplace.org/shows/marketplace-tech/the-sec-invites-cryptocurrency-supporters-and-skeptics-to-the-table/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">The SEC Holds its First Cryptocurrency Roundtable | Marketplace</a></h2>



<p>The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), which enforces regulations in financial markets, held its first roundtable meeting on cryptocurrencies last month. The question at the center of the agency’s discussion is whether the SEC should regulate cryptocurrencies the same way it regulates stocks and bonds.</p>



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<p><em>News You Should Know is a digest of news from publications around the nation about finance, investing, and retirement.</em></p>


News You Should Know: State Lawmakers Introduce $43.9B Budget Proposal


<h2 style="color:#000000;" class="wp-block-heading has-black-color has-text-color has-medium-font-size"><a href="https://www.nextavenue.org/new-congress-new-president-now-what/?utm_source=Next+Avenue+Email+Newsletter&amp;utm_campaign=5d5d6cc4e9-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2024_08_09_05_41_COPY_01&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_term=0_-c30ea2364e-166628362&amp;mc_cid=5d5d6cc4e9&amp;mc_eid=d064809590" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">New Congress, New President: Now What for Older Americans?</a></h2>



<p>A new Congress and a new presidential administration are underway, bringing with them the potential for a slew of potential policy changes at the federal level. Here’s a look at some of what we can expect on topics such as Social Security and Medicare.</p>



<h2 style="color:#000000;" class="wp-block-heading has-black-color has-text-color has-medium-font-size"><a href="https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/irs-announces-jan-27-start-to-2025-tax-filing-season-agency-continues-historic-improvements-to-expand-enhance-tools-and-filing-options-to-help-taxpayers" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">IRS Announces Jan. 27 Start to 2025 Tax Filing Season | Internal Revenue Service</a></h2>



<p>Ready or not, tax season is upon us. The Internal Revenue Service says it will begin accepting tax returns on Monday, Jan. 27. The IRS also announced its Direct File pilot program has been expanded to include more states (though taxpayers in Colorado are not yet eligible to participate). PERA retirees can access tax forms in their <a href="https://secure.copera.org/secure/User/SignIn.jsp">secure member account</a> and paper forms will be mailed at the end of January.</p>



<h2 style="color:#000000;" class="wp-block-heading has-black-color has-text-color has-medium-font-size"><a href="https://www.aarp.org/pri/topics/health/prescription-drugs/prices-top-medicare-part-d-drugs-entering-market/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Prices for Top Medicare Part D Drugs Have Nearly Doubled Since Entering the Market | AARP</a></h2>



<p>A new analysis by AARP found that prices for the prescription medications that account for the most spending in Medicare Part D have risen by an average of 98 percent since entering the market. Note that PERACare plans protect against drug price increases by offering no deductibles for prescriptions, flat copays, and a cap on out-of-pocket costs.</p>



<h2 style="color:#000000;" class="wp-block-heading has-black-color has-text-color has-medium-font-size"><a href="https://www.kiplinger.com/retirement/more-secure-2-act-retirement-enhancements-kick-in-this-year" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">More SECURE 2.0 Retirement Enhancements Kick in This Year | Kiplinger</a></h2>



<p>Congress passed the large package of retirement-related provisions known as the SECURE Act 2.0 several years ago, but many aspects of the bill are still going into effect. This year, changes taking effect include automatic enrollment in 401(k) and 403(b) plans, expanded access for part-time workers, and a retirement savings lost and found.</p>



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<p><em>News You Should Know is a digest of news from publications around the nation about finance, investing, and retirement.</em></p>


News You Should Know: What a New Administration, Congress Mean for Older Americans


<h2 style="color:#000000;" class="wp-block-heading has-black-color has-text-color has-medium-font-size"><a href="https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/irs-releases-tax-inflation-adjustments-for-tax-year-2025" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">IRS Releases Tax Inflation Adjustments for Tax Year 2025 | Internal Revenue Service</a></h2>



<p>The new year is just two months away, and the Internal Revenue Service has announced some important tax-related updates. For tax year 2025, the IRS is making adjustments to various tax provisions based on inflation, including the standard deduction, marginal tax rates, earned income tax credits, and more.</p>



<h2 style="color:#000000;" class="wp-block-heading has-black-color has-text-color has-medium-font-size"><a href="https://qz.com/medicare-2-drug-list-medicaid-1851668732" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Medicare Wants to Make These Generic Drugs Available for Just $2 | Quartz</a></h2>



<p>The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services released a list of dozens of prescription medications that may be included in a pilot program to provide low-cost generic versions of drugs. The drugs—which include popular medications such as inhalers, antibiotics, blood thinners, and cholesterol pills—would be available for $2 beginning in 2027.</p>



<h2 style="color:#000000;" class="wp-block-heading has-black-color has-text-color has-medium-font-size"><a href="https://www.uchealth.org/today/new-blood-tests-for-alzheimers-may-allow-for-earlier-detection/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">New Blood Tests for Alzheimer’s May Allow for Earlier Detection | UCHealth Today</a></h2>



<p>Multiple companies have been rolling out new blood tests to help screen for Alzheimer’s disease, aiming to someday replace expensive and invasive procedures like spinal taps and imaging scans. Experts at UCHealth say that while the new tests are promising, there’s still more research that needs to be done before they can be made widely available, and the tests are not yet FDA-approved or covered by insurance or Medicare.</p>



<h2 style="color:#000000;" class="wp-block-heading has-black-color has-text-color has-medium-font-size"><a href="https://www.kiplinger.com/retirement/how-to-step-confidently-into-your-life-after-retirement" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">How to Step Confidently Into Your Life After Retirement | Kiplinger</a></h2>



<p>Retiring is a major life change that goes beyond a change in employment status, and that move often involves a shift in identity. Here are some tips for handling the transition and embracing a new phase of life.</p>



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<p><em>News You Should Know is a digest of news from publications around the nation about finance, investing, and retirement.</em></p>


News You Should Know: IRS Releases Tax Adjustments for 2025


<h2 style="color:#000000;" class="wp-block-heading has-black-color has-text-color has-medium-font-size"><a href="https://www.npr.org/sections/shots-health-news/2024/08/15/nx-s1-5075659/medicare-negotiated-drug-prices-for-the-first-time-heres-what-it-got" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Medicare Negotiated Drug Prices for the First Time. Here’s What It Got. | NPR</a></h2>



<p>Medicare has revealed the results of its first-ever negotiated drug prices. Officials have been negotiating with pharmaceutical companies for months, and that process just wrapped up, resulting in discounts on popular drugs for diabetes, cancer, arthritis, and other ailments. The new lower prices for the first batch of 10 prescription medications will take effect in 2026.</p>



<h2 style="color:#000000;" class="wp-block-heading has-black-color has-text-color has-medium-font-size"><a href="https://coloradosun.com/2024/08/15/colorado-special-session-property-taxes-election-2024/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Colorado Governor Calls Special Session on Property Taxes to Avoid Ballot Measure Fight in November</a></h2>



<p>Gov. Jared Polis called for a special legislative session to tackle the issue of property taxes in Colorado. Various advocacy groups had been calling on the legislature to take action and pass a bill to lower taxes rather than allow two tax-related initiatives to appear on the November ballot.</p>



<h2 style="color:#000000;" class="wp-block-heading has-black-color has-text-color has-medium-font-size"><a href="https://www.reuters.com/markets/rates-bonds/size-looming-fed-rate-cuts-may-hinge-job-market-2024-08-02/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Fed Rate Cuts Loom Large as US Job Market Slows Sharply | Reuters</a></h2>



<p>Prior to early August’s monthly jobs report, many analysts said the Federal Reserve would be likely to start lowering interest rates in September. That jobs report showed a noticeable increase in unemployment, signaling a weakening job market and all but guaranteeing a rate cut in the very near future.</p>



<h2 style="color:#000000;" class="wp-block-heading has-black-color has-text-color has-medium-font-size"><a href="https://www.plansponsor.com/milliman-reveals-health-care-costs-for-65-year-olds-retiring-in-2024/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Milliman Reveals Health Care Costs for 65-Year-Olds Retiring in 2024 | PLANSPONSOR</a></h2>



<p>A new report highlights the rising cost of retiree health care. According to the Milliman Retiree Health Cost Index, the amount of savings needed to cover health care costs for a couple retiring in 2024 has increased by $7,000 in the past year if that couple is enrolled in original Medicare with supplemental coverage. On the other hand, retirees with Medicare Advantage plans need less money saved up in order to pay for care.</p>



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<p><em>News You Should Know is a digest of news from publications around the nation about finance, investing, and retirement.</em></p>


News You Should Know: Medicare Wraps Up Drug Price Negotiations


<h2 style="color:#000000;" class="wp-block-heading has-black-color has-text-color has-medium-font-size"><a href="https://www.fiercehealthcare.com/payers/hhs-lowers-64-prescription-drug-prices-under-medicare-rebate-program" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">HHS Lowers Prescription Drug Prices Under IRA Medicare Rebates | Fierce Healthcare</a></h2>



<p>The federal government released the latest list of prescription medications that will be discounted under Medicare because their prices rose faster than inflation. The list includes 64 drugs that will be available for lower coinsurance percentages as of July 1.</p>



<h2 style="color:#000000;" class="wp-block-heading has-black-color has-text-color has-medium-font-size"><a href="https://www.marketplace.org/2024/06/28/lawmakers-managed-to-fix-social-security-in-the-1980s-but-those-fixes-wont-work-a-second-time/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Reagan-Era Social Security Fixes Won&#8217;t Work This Time | Marketplace</a></h2>



<p>There have been plenty of headlines about Social Security’s dwindling cash reserves—the latest projections show the program is likely to run out of cash in about a decade. But the question of what, if anything, lawmakers intend to do about it remains. While past reforms may provide some insight, lawmakers will likely have to come up with some new solutions this time around.</p>



<h2 style="color:#000000;" class="wp-block-heading has-black-color has-text-color has-medium-font-size"><a href="https://www.reuters.com/markets/us/us-banks-suffer-steeper-losses-retain-large-cushions-annual-fed-health-check-2024-06-26/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">US Banks Suffer Steeper Losses, But Retain Large Cushions in Annual Fed Health Check | Reuters</a></h2>



<p>Every year, the Federal Reserve conducts a “stress test” to assess the financial resilience of the country’s biggest banks. This year’s test found the banks would be able to withstand severe market volatility and other economic factors while still keeping enough money on hand to lend.</p>



<h2 style="color:#000000;" class="wp-block-heading has-black-color has-text-color has-medium-font-size"><a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2024/06/20/business/retirement/retire-advice-life-tips.html?unlocked_article_code=1.6E0.G3Q9.aN7ecjCdCYnK&amp;smid=url-share" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Stories About What Retirement Really Means | The New York Times</a></h2>



<p>The New York Times asked its readers to send in their perspectives, experiences, and advice on retirement. Almost 1,500 people responded, and their views on retirement show a wide breadth of sentiments—positive, negative, and in between.</p>



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<p><em>News You Should Know is a digest of news from publications around the nation about finance, investing, and retirement.</em></p>


News You Should Know: Dozens of Drugs to Be Discounted Under Medicare


<p>Prices for many prescription drugs have been rising for years. According to <a href="https://www.aarp.org/politics-society/advocacy/info-2021/prescription-price-increase-report.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">a 2021 report from AARP</a>, many of those prices have been rising faster than inflation, and that can be particularly challenging for retirees living on fixed incomes.</p>



<p>Colorado PERA, which offers pre-Medicare and Medicare coverage to public sector benefit recipients and their families, is joining other public plan administrators across the United States in urging Congress to take action and address the rising costs of prescription drugs.</p>



<p>The <a href="https://www.healthcareroundtable.org/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Public Sector HealthCare Roundtable</a>, a nonprofit, nonpartisan group of which PERA is a member, <a href="https://www.copera.org/pera-on-the-issues/pera-joins-other-public-plans-urging-action-on-drug-prices">sent </a><a href="https://www.copera.org/pera-on-the-issues/pera-joins-other-public-plans-urging-action-on-drug-prices" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">a</a><a href="https://www.copera.org/pera-on-the-issues/pera-joins-other-public-plans-urging-action-on-drug-prices"> letter</a> to congressional leadership in mid-March requesting lawmakers support a number of drug pricing recommendations put forth by the Senate Finance Committee.</p>



<p>Those recommendations include:</p>



<ul>
<li><strong>Allowing Medicare to negotiate Part B and Part D drug prices:</strong> Under current federal law, Medicare is not allowed to negotiate prices directly with drug manufacturers, so the government has to pay whatever price manufacturers set. By allowing direct negotiation, Medicare could secure lower prices for many expensive, name-brand medications.</li>



<li><strong>Penalizing drug manufacturers when a medication’s price rises faster than inflation:</strong> This proposal would require pharmaceutical companies to pay a rebate to Medicare when the price of a drug rises faster than the Consumer Price Index, a widely used measure of inflation.</li>



<li><strong>Capping out-of-pocket expenses for Part D prescription coverage:</strong> There is currently no hard cap on out-of-pocket drug spending in Medicare Part D plans, so retirees can end up spending thousands of dollars a year. This proposal would set the out-of-pocket maximum at $2,000 a year.</li>
</ul>



<p>PERA Director of Insurance Jessica Linart said prescription drug prices are among the fastest-rising costs associated with health care, and changes are needed to ensure programs like PERACare can continue offering coverage that’s within an affordable range.</p>



<p>“We often hear from PERACare enrollees who say the cost of medication is one of their biggest challenges in retirement,” Linart said. “We’re urging Congress to take up this issue and pass these much-needed reforms as soon as possible.”</p>



<p>Learn more about <a href="https://www.copera.org/retirees/health-benefits-peracare" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">PERACare coverage</a>.</p>


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