Welcome EWU Retirees!
The EWU Retirees Association is an all-inclusive organization open to retired faculty and staff who worked at Eastern, and others. Our members enjoy good times and camaraderie while making a positive impact on students through the EWURA Golden Eagle Scholarship.
We Invite You to Join the EWURA
Joining the EWU Retirees Association (EWURA) is a great way to stay connected while engaging in fun and positive activities. Membership dues are affordable at just $25 a year for retirees and an additional $15 a year for partners and spouses. Visit our Join Us page to learn more.
Join Us to Make an Impact
EWURA members are dedicated to making a difference for hardworking students at Eastern Washington University. The EWURA Golden Eagle Scholarship Fund has provided more than 40 awards to help undergraduate students over the years. We contribute through membership dues, money raised by the Golden Eagle Golf League and special fundraisers.
Connect at Presentations and Gatherings
Connect with friends old and new during our EWURA presentations and special events. Meetings feature guest speakers who share expertise in topics ranging from the political climate in the Middle East to the history of our national parks. Special annual events include a music concert, a holiday party and breakfast with the university president.
Third-Thursday presentations are held most months during the academic year at 205 Monroe Hall on the EWU Cheney Campus. Social time with coffee and baked goods runs 9:30-10 a.m., followed by presentations from 10-11 a.m.
Upcoming Special Gatherings
Our EWURA program year will begin in September and we offer a calendar of monthly events throughout the academic year. Here are the first two speakers to kick off the fall lineup.
Nov. 20, 2025: EWU Athletics Director Tim Collins will talk about Eastern’s athletics’ program and its student athletes.
Dec. 18, 2025: EWURA Holiday Party: Join other retirees for a festive holiday gathering, from 2-4 p.m. in the Senior Hall Lounge. Please bring a snack or dessert to share. Beverages will be provided.
Jan. 15, 2026: EWU Provost Lorenzo Smith will share his insights with the group.
Feb.19, 2026: Robert Gibbs, retired physics professor and EWURA board member, will present “The Joy of Batik; Turning Cloth Into Art.”
Jan Bliss Offers Tips on Benefits
Jan Bliss, senior director of benefits for EWU, visited the retirees’ October meeting to share information and answer questions about benefits.
Open Enrollment runs till Nov. 24, 2025, with changes effective Jan. 1, 2026.
Bliss suggests researching and comparing the retiree plans offered by the state through Kaiser, UnitedHealthcare and Uniform, by visiting the Washington State Health Care Authority website.
Look for provider directories, plan-specific booklets, and even certificates of coverage, which can be found online.
Your choice should take into account the coverage that best fits you and your family’s preference for physicians and prescription medication needs.
Sometimes a plan may have a cheaper premium, but costs more overall, as coverage for prescriptions can make a difference in total out-of-pocket costs.
Lifestyle also factors into consideration. If you tend to stay close to home, Kaiser provides coverage that is primarily local. For retirees who travel or spend part of the year living in another state or country, UnitedHealthcare and Uniform provide nationwide coverage, and Uniform offers international coverage.
However, Bliss adds, retirees using UnitedHealthcare can purchase travelers’ insurance to travel abroad.
Although there are plenty of televised commercials about health insurance plans this time of the year, Bliss says the plans offered to EWU retirees are negotiated by the state and the insurer and tend to offer more value.
For instance, she says, the state’s retiree plans include pharmacy, vision and hearing benefits. (They do offer one Medicare supplement plan that does not include these benefits.) That combination of coverage isn’t typically included in the Medicare supplement plans insurers offer to the larger public.
Because of that value, Bliss suggests thinking carefully before exiting benefit plans provided by the state, saying, “If you drop out of the retiree coverage, you cannot come back.”
Although Health Care Authority recommends making changes on its 24/7 online system. Bliss says for folks who aren’t comfortable doing enrollment online, printed forms are available through EWU’s Benefits Office or by calling Heath Care Authority at 800.200.1004. “We always will have forms because you can still submit a form. You can mail it, fax it, upload it.”
