Category: Newsroom

As a member of LAFPP, it is important that you understand the impact a dissolution of marriage may have on one of your largest assets – your pension. In California, any asset acquired, or income earned while married is considered community property. As part of this, pension benefits and contributions are subject to community property laws and, as assets, may be subject to division upon dissolution of marriage. If the court awards part of your pension to an ex-spouse, LAFPP must adhere to state law in the disposition (settlement) of your pension. This brochure provides an overview of how your pension benefits can be affected by a dissolution of marriage and what actions you need to take as the LAFPP Plan member.

In the Dissolution of Marriage Guide you will find important information on:

• What to consider in the event of Dissolution of Marriage
• What documents must be submitted to LAFPP
• How community property is calculated
• Frequently asked questions

If you would like more information or have questions, please contact the appropriate section listed below.

Active Members — Active Member Services Section at (213) 279-3140 or (844) 88-LAFPP. Email: amssection@lafpp.com

DROP Members — DROP/Service Pensions Section at (213) 279-3100 or (844) 88-LAFPP. Email: dropsp@lafpp.com

Retired Members — Retirement Services Section at (213) 279-3125 or (844) 88-LAFPP. Email: rs@lafpp.com

Other informational handbooks and guides may be found under the Forms and Publications.

We have heard from Members who are concerned regarding the financial strength of the LAFPP fund in light of the COVID-19 pandemic and the resulting downturn in the stock market that has harmed other pension systems throughout the country. Although the LAFPP fund has been affected by the recent market fluctuations, your fund remains strong with over $23 billion in assets as of June 19, 2020. Due to the prudent stewardship of this Board and the expertise of our investment staff and advisors, we were in a good financial position prior to the recent market downturn and therefore in a strong position to weather this storm. The fund has plenty of cash on hand to meet pension and DROP payment obligations in this volatile market. We will continue to evaluate and monitor our long-term investment strategies to ensure the health and sustainability of your fund.

We have also heard from Members asking whether the calls across the nation to “defund the police” could potentially affect the LAFPP fund or the benefits you have earned. The answer is no. With regard to local proposals to modify LAPD’s budget, these proposals focus on the budget for the ongoing operations and services provided by LAPD and its dedicated employees. If any budget reduction proposal for LAPD were to be adopted by the Mayor and City Council, it would not impact the substance of your LAFPP pension benefits, or the general obligation of the City under the Charter to contribute annually to the LAFPP in the amount determined by an independent actuary hired by this Board.

Your vested pension benefits, the City’s obligation to actuarially fund those benefits, and the independent authority of this Board to protect and invest the trust funds that will be used to pay those benefits, are protected by the California Constitution and the City Charter.

We trust that this message provides you with confidence that from a financial and legal perspective, your LAFPP benefits and the LAFPP fund you rely on to pay for those benefits remain safe and secure under the independent leadership of this Board. Thank you for your continued dedication and service to the residents of Los Angeles.

For any questions or concerns, please contact us at (213) 279-3000, (844) 88-LAFPP, or at Pensions@lafpp.com.

Daily, the news is focused on the COVID-19 pandemic, stock market volatility, the nation’s recession, and the protests for social justice changes. These issues are at the forefront of our lives and given the importance of each of these issues, we know that resolution will take time. However, we want to remind you that LAFPP continues our commitment to administer your pension benefits during these challenging times. Although we have implemented changes to our service delivery due to the COVID-19 crisis, we are still available to serve your pension-related needs.

You should also be assured that the Board and staff continually monitor your pension fund, which is invested for the long term. No matter the short-term market volatility, which is expected, there is a strategic asset allocation plan in place with ongoing adjustments to cope with these periodic fluctuations. This has proven to be the best safeguard to ensure the continued strength of LAFPP to pay retirement benefits since 1899.

Fairview Capital and Los Angeles Fire & Police Pensions (LAFPP) announce the inaugural “Investing in Inclusion” event on November 17, 2020 at 10:00 am PST. This webinar will be hosted by Fairview and will highlight LAFPP’s successful Private Equity Specialized Manager Program.

This unique opportunity provides access to key decision makers including LAFPP commissioners and staff alongside the Fairview team. Additionally, GPs currently investing on behalf of this program will profile their strategies and insights to navigate the fundraising process. This interactive experience will focus on nurturing the dialogue between institutional investors, asset managers and diverse GPs in the mission to increase diverse manager investments.

LAFPP’s Specialized Program focuses on attracting private equity funds that are first, second or third-time funds and with a fund size of approximately $500 million or less. Additionally, the focus is on funds that include minority, woman, Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer (LGBTQ) or disabled veteran ownership, investments in underserved areas, or investments in California or Los Angeles.

About LAFPP

LAFPP oversees the pension fund for sworn members of City of Los Angeles Fire, Police, Airport and Port departments. The fund is currently valued at over $25 billion in assets and serves over 26,500 members and beneficiaries.

About Fairview Capital

Fairview Capital Partners, Inc., is a leading private equity and venture capital investment management firm with significant expertise developing innovative and intelligent private market investment solutions for institutional investors. Fairview has provided investment solutions to a wide range of institutional investors, including some of the most sophisticated public and corporate pension plans, endowments, foundations, and family offices in the country.

Good news! Based on the actuarial report for the period ending June 30, 2020, the combined funded ratio for pension and health benefits is 88.6%, up slightly from 88.5% the previous year. This marks the third consecutive year that the combined funded ratio has increased for the System. Even though the pension benefit funded ratio is now 93.2%, down from 93.6%, the health benefit funded ratio increased from 56.2% to 59.7%. The favorable results indicate that the Plan remains strong despite a volatile year marked by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Every year a valuation of the LAFPP fund is performed by the Board’s actuary. The valuation reviews the System’s assets and liabilities and establishes the City’s (including the Harbor and Airport Departments) contribution to the fund for each fiscal year. The City’s combined contribution rate for July 15, 2021 will decrease by 0.91% of sworn payroll, from 46.60% to 45.69%. The contribution rate decrease is due to loss layers from the June 30, 1990 and June 30, 2005 valuations being fully amortized, amortizing the prior year’s unfunded actuarial accrued liability over a larger than expected projected total payroll, a higher than expected return on the valuation value of assets (after smoothing), and health premiums and subsidies being lower than projected in the prior valuation. The overall unfunded liabilities have increased from $3.0 billion to $3.1 billion.

The results of the valuation reflect the changes in actuarial assumptions adopted by the Board on May 21, 2020. The assumption changes include, but are not limited to, a 7% annual investment rate of return, inflation of 2.75%, and adjustments to expected active member salary increases, retirement, termination, and disability incidence rates.

The approved 2020 actuarial reports can be found on the Financial Reports page of our website.

Help us shape the future of LAFPP services by filling out our survey!

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the offices of Los Angeles Fire & Police Pensions ceased in-person visits in March 2020 and most staff began working remotely. LAFPP services have continued without interruption and we are continually evaluating how we can successfully provide our Active and Retired members with customer service in the most efficient, cost-effective manner.

This survey is designed to address three areas: ”Telephone Service”, “Virtual Counseling” and “Webinars/Benefits Education”. The survey takes less than 10 minutes and will be used to evaluate our current services and how we conduct future business to provide flexibility to our members.

If you participated in any of our services in the past year – we would especially like to hear from you! Please take a few moments to complete our survey and provide your feedback:

We appreciate your time and will use the results to strengthen our commitment to serving you. 

DROP Participants! View your DROP Semi-Annual Statements in MyLAFPP. 

You may now view and/or print your 2020 DROP Semi-Annual Statement for the period ending December 31, 2020, in MyLAFPP. This statement summarizes your individual DROP account balance, monthly pension deposits, ITD (inception-to-date) interest, and mandatory exit date.  

To view your statement, take the following steps: 

1. Log in to MyLAFPP. 
2. Click on Forms & Correspondence. 
3. Click on Statements. 
4. Click on the word “Document” next to the paperclip symbol. Your statement is provided in a PDF format. 

If you have not signed up or have questions regarding MyLAFPP, please visit our MyLAFPP Help Desk. 

If you have questions concerning your statement, contact the DROP/Service Pensions Section at dropsp@lafpp.com or call (213) 279-3100.

SPECIAL NOTICE: This article only applies to eligible retired members of Los Angeles Fire and Police Pensions and respective Qualified Surviving Spouses/Domestic Partners.

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has decreased the standard Medicare Part B monthly premium to $164.90 effective January 1, 2023; however, you may pay a different amount determined by CMS.

• If you are a new Medicare Part B enrollee in 2023, you will be reimbursed the standard monthly premium of $164.90 and will only need to provide a copy of your Medicare card.  
• If you received a Medicare Reimbursement less than $164.90 on your pension check in 2022, you will need to provide documentation to update your Part B reimbursement for 2023. 
• If you received a Medicare Reimbursement of $164.90 or more on your pension check in 2022, your reimbursement amount will be automatically adjusted on your December 31, 2022 pension check.

To update your Part B reimbursement for the 2023 calendar year: 

Please submit a copy of:

• The first page of your Social Security New Benefit Amount statement for 2023; or
• Your next Medicare monthly or quarterly billing statement (if you do not receive Social Security benefits)

To update your Part B reimbursement for premiums paid during the 2022 calendar year: 

Please submit a copy of your:

• Social Security Form 1099 for 2022; or
• Your first Medicare monthly or quarterly billing statement for 2022

Please redact any birthdate or SSN information and send all documents to LAFPP’s Medical and Dental Benefits Section via:

• Email to: mdb@lafpp.com;
• Fax to: (213) 628-7782; or
• Mail to: Department of Fire and Police Pensions, Attn: Medical & Dental Benefits, 701 E. 3rd Street, Suite 200, Los Angeles, CA 90013

Due to the anticipated high volume of submissions, it may take approximately three months to process your Part B documentation and update your reimbursement amount on your LAFPP pension payment.

As a reminder, Part B reimbursement only applies to Retired Members or Qualified Survivors who are eligible for an LAFPP health subsidy and are enrolled in both Medicare Parts A and B. Any additional Part B penalties or fees charged by CMS are not eligible for reimbursement.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. How do I know if I am eligible for Part B reimbursement?

You must be a retired member or qualified survivor who is receiving a pension and is eligible for a health subsidy, and enrolled in both Medicare Parts A and B.

2. What document do I need to submit to receive my correct Part B reimbursement amount?

You must submit a copy of your Social Security benefits verification statement (your “New Benefit Amount”) or a copy of a 2023 Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) billing statement.     

3. My spouse (non-LAFPP member) is currently enrolled in Medicare Parts A and B.  Does he/she need to submit Medicare Part B premium documentation?

No.  Only the retired member or Qualified Survivor enrolled in Parts A and B is eligible for Medicare Part B premium reimbursement. 

4. I received a letter stating that I pay a higher Part B premium based on my income level (Income-Related Monthly Adjustment Amount – “IRMAA”). May I submit this letter as proof of my Part B premium?

Yes.  You may submit a copy of the first page of your IRMAA letter if it contains your name, address and 2023 monthly Medicare Part B premium deduction.  LAFPP does not reimburse IRMAA fees, so your Part B reimbursement will not exceed the 2023 standard monthly premium of $164.90.  

5. I receive a monthly Social Security payment, but I did not receive/cannot locate my “New Benefit Amount” Statement from Social Security.  What should I do?

You may call or visit your local Social Security Administration (SSA) office. You may also access proof of your 2023 Medicare Part B basic premium online at the SSA website: www.ssa.gov/myaccount. You may be required to create or register your SSA account. Please note that once you have an online account, your SSA notifications will be emailed to you.

6. When do I need to provide LAFPP documentation of my Part B Premium?

You may submit your documentation as soon as it is available and receive a retroactive reimbursement for up to twelve (12) pension roll months from the date your submission is received. 

If you have additional questions about your Medicare Part B reimbursement, please contact the Medical and Dental Benefits Section at (213) 279-3115, toll free at (844) 88-LAFPP ext. 3115, or via email to mdb@lafpp.com.