EUTF Rates & Bylaws Voting Results Published

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EUTF Voting Results 

Published on 4/14/23, the results are as follows:

Should the terms of the EUTF Tentative Agreement effective July 1, 2023 to June 30, 2025 be accepted?

  • 99.4% voted in favor
  • 0.6% voted to reject

Your new EUTF Rates

Based on the now-ratified EUTF Agreement, these are the rates going into effect on July 1, 2023.  EUTF Active Open Enrollment ends on Friday, May 12, 2023.  Get more information about EUTF Active Open Enrollment.  

Amended and Restated Bylaws Results

Published on 4/21/23, the results are as follows:

Should the Proposed Resolution to Adopt the Revised Amended and Restated Bylaws of the University of Hawaii Professional Assembly Be Approved?

  • 97.7% voted in favor
  • 2.3% voted not in favor

HMSA Hosting EUTF Online Webinar

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UHPA received this announcement from HMSA and is directly passing it on to our members.

Do you have questions about your HMSA health plan benefits or want to learn how you can get the most out of your plan?

Join us to learn about: 

  • Health plan options.
  • How your health plan works.
  • Online resources and tools to help you manage your plan.
  • Ways to save money.
  • Well-being programs.

Click any of the links below to register:

Open PDF version of HMSA EUTF seminar in New Window

Time Running Out To Cast Your ERS Trustee Ballot

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Have you cast your ballot for the next ERS Trustee?  The 10/22 deadline is fast-approaching and if you haven’t voted, we urge you all to cast your ballots for our very own Lynne Wilkens who has been endorsed by the HGEA, UPW, the Hawaii Fire Fighters Association, and of course UHPA.

Cast Your Ballot Before the Oct 22, 2021 

If you need a replacement ballot or have any questions, please email Rebecca Gleason at

ERSBallot@kmhllp.com or call (808) 543-3310.

Cast your ERS Trustee Ballot For Lynne Wilkens

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Lynne Wilkens

By now you should all have your ballot for the next ERS Trustee election and we urge you all to cast your ballots for our very own Lynne Wilkens who has been endorsed by the HGEA, UPW, the Hawaii Fire Fighters Association, and of course UHPA.

Deadline is Oct 22, 2021

If you need a replacement ballot or have any questions, please email Rebecca Gleason at

ERSBallot@kmhllp.com or call (808) 543-3310.

We urge you to check your mailbox and cast your vote for Lynne, a Trustee who will be committed to representing the retirement needs of Hawaii’s public sector employees.

UPW Endorses Lynne Wilkens for ERS Trustee

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We were very happy to see UPW’s endorsement of UHPA Member Lynne Wilkens below. Ballots have been sent and we ask that you cast your vote for Lynne.

Excerpted from UPW’s full endorsement:

We humbly ask our members to consider voting for Ms. Lynne Wilkens for this seat.

Lynne is well-qualified to serve in this seat. She has served in leadership roles with the University of Hawaii Cancer Center for over 30 years and has advocated for public employees for many years as an active UHPA (University of Hawaii Professional Assembly) member, having served as UHPA’s president, treasurer, and on its negotiating team.

Got ERS Trustee Ballot?

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Ballots for the next ERS Trustee election are being mailed out. On Friday Sept 3, the Hawaii Government Employees Association (HGEA) made the following endorsement for Lynne Wilkens:

Lynne wants to protect the hard-earned benefits of Hawaii’s public-sector employees!

HGEA endorses Lynne Wilkens for the Educator Seat on the State of Hawaii Employees’ Retirement System Board of Trustees. For more than 30 years, Lynne has worked at the University of Hawaii Cancer Center and is currently the Associate Director of Shared Resources. She has served on the board of the University of Hawaii Professional Assembly as a member of the negotiating team as well as treasurer and president.

Lynne is looking forward to using her experiences to have a greater impact for Hawaii’s working families. “Having an advocate who can work collaboratively with the other Trustees and respectfully influence decision-making is critical at a time when there are attempts to erode benefits for active employees and retirees … members need to know there is someone on the ERS Board of Trustees who has their back and is not afraid to call out unfairness and foul play.”

Excerpt from HGEA email sent to its members on 9/3/21

UHPA member Lynne Wikens has the full support and endorsement of UHPA, the Hawaii Fire Fighters Association.

We urge you to check your mailbox and cast your vote for Lynne, a Trustee who will be committed to representing the retirement needs of Hawaii’s public sector employees.

Possible paycheck deduction error on EUTF

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You may have a DAGS Error on 7/20/21 Paychecks on EUTF calculations

The below is excerpted from an email sent to EUTF trustees. If you have any questions or concerns UHPA recommends you do as directed below and contact EUTF directly.  

Late last week we found out that DAGS made an error on the 7/20/21 paychecks related to EUTF deductions.  DAGS normal process is to upload our EUTF file with the upcoming health benefit deductions.  For the 7/20/21 paycheck, DAGS was running the EUTF file and another file at the same time.  This resulted in 26,000 out of 109,000 rows (each row represents one employee’s deduction for EUTF medical, drug, dental or vision) not being updated properly.  The bulk of these updates are probably for the increase in premiums which would result in an under collection.  However, if the member during open enrollment dropped a dependent or changed to a lower cost plan, this would not have been reflected resulting in an over collection.  DAGS will resolve the issue by taking the following actions:

  1. Notify the departments of the issue (an email was sent on Friday, 7/16). 
  2. Determine the 7/20/21 over or under collection and will refund or collect the difference on the 8/5/21 paycheck.
  3. Implement procedures to prevent the same situation in the future. 

At this point, we do not have to make changes on our side.  However, please note the following:

  1. Shortage notices should not be sent out as any under collections should be resolved (i.e. 8/5/21) prior to the next shortage notice print out (i.e. mid August).
  2. EUTF staff will not issue refunds related to the 7/20/21 paycheck until we receive the 8/5/21 DAGS payroll deduction file. 
  3. Our Member Services Staff have been apprised of the situation and will be able to assist the members impacted.

HMSA publishes EUTF video on receiving care

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UHPA received the following (unedited) message from HMSA that may be of interest to our members:

We are now past the halfway point of 2021, and a return to normalcy is right around the corner. With the state slowly reopening and travel resuming, it has never been more important to feel safe. Here at HMSA we know this includes getting the care you want, when and where you need it. We created a video for your members to learn about HMSA’s extensive network and access to care. It can also be viewed at hmsa.com/eutf

To show our members all the different ways care is available to them, this video answers questions like:

– Where can you go for care outside of normal office hours?

– What kind of care can you receive on the outer islands? What about outside of Hawaii?

We hope this video will give your members peace of mind that they will always have access to the care they need.

Watch HMSA’s YouTube

Lynne Wilkens Endorsed by Hawaii Fire Fighters Association for ERS Board

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UHPA was copied on the below letter from the President of the Hawaii Fire Fighters Association endorsing Lynne Wilkens for the  Employees’ Retirement System Board of Trustees, and we could not be happier.   Please support Lynne in the upcoming ERS Board Trustee Election.

Dear Dr. Wilkens,

On behalf of the Hawaii Fire Fighters Association’s (HFFA) Executive Board, I am pleased to share HFFA’s endorsement of your candidacy for Trustee of the State of Hawaii’s Employees’ Retirement System.

Your professional qualification, experience within the higher education system, and your advocacy on behalf of the members of the University of Hawaii Professional Assembly over the many years makes you extremely qualified for the position on the Employees’ Retirement System Board of Trustees. HFFA is extremely confident that you will be an asset on the ERS Board and an advocate for all members, both active and retired. We will share HFFA’s endorsement with our retired and active members prior to ERS distributing the ballots in September.

Please feel free to call me if we can assist your candidacy and we look forward to working with you in 2022 as a Trustee on the Employees’ Retirement System Board.

Fraternally yours,
Robert H. Lee
President

Download the original PDF received: HFFA endorsement of Lynne Wilkens for ERS

UHPA Endorses Lynne Wilkens for ERS Board

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Lynne Wilkens

Fully endorsed by UHPA

Lynne Wilkens has all of the right qualities to serve in the Teacher Seat for the State of Hawai‘i Employees’ Retirement System. She has served in leadership roles with the University of Hawai‘i Cancer Center for the past 33 years and successfully led UHPA through difficult challenges. Over a five-year period, she tirelessly served as a Negotiating Team Member, Treasurer, and Board President. Your vote for Lynne will make sure the concerns of Hawai‘i’s employees are heard!

Lynne’s quote:

“Numbers and data play important roles in crafting good policy. I see this daily in my profession as a Biostatistician. I apply careful analysis to best understand how to prevent and treat disease in my work at the University of Hawai‘i Cancer Center and instill these skills in my students.

As an ERS Trustee, I’ll make sure the numbers make sense for you and me. Good retirement benefits help to attract and retain great employees, and this ensures we can have a better quality of life and maintain high standards of service for the community.”

Download and share the PDF version