TRS explains who may access a member’s account information and how to authorize others

Unidentified Speaker, a TRS presenter, walked members through who may obtain information from a Teachers' Retirement System (TRS) account and the paperwork required to authorize third parties.

The presenter said TRS’s default policy is to provide account-specific information only to the member. “We will only provide this to you specifically, just you,” the presenter said, and added that a third party — including a spouse who is also a TRS member — must have explicit permission to receive account-specific details.

Members were told there are three levels of permission. The most basic is a confidential information release form. The form lets a member name a specific third party, specify which categories of information may be released, and set a duration (time-limited or indefinite). The presenter emphasized that the release “does not allow [the third party] to make any changes on your account.” The form must be printed, signed by the member (handwritten signature), and dated; TRS will scan it into the member record and add a note listing who can access which information.

A second, broader level is a power of attorney (POA) for property and financial affairs. TRS requires a copy of the complete POA document that explicitly authorizes property and financial transactions; a POA that covers only health care is not sufficient. The POA may make changes on the account, although the presenter said the member may still make changes unless a physician has declared the member incapacitated.

The most restrictive situation is a court-appointed guardianship. Because guardianship is imposed by a court, the member cannot remove a guardian by written request to TRS; TRS requires certified court documents to remove a guardianship. TRS also requires a POA/guardianship demographic form to record contact and mailing preferences for POAs or guardians.

On scope and privacy, the presenter noted members may exclude HIPAA-related or other protected categories on the release form and can limit which types of information are shared. To submit documentation, members may mail, fax or upload documents to their secure TRS account (upload is recommended as the easiest secure method). The presenter gave TRS contact details and service expectations: phone (877-927-5877) and a monitored members email (members@trsil.org) with an expected response time of about one to two business days. TRS’s website, trsil.org, and its social media channels were cited as additional resources; the session recording will be posted to TRS’s YouTube channel in the coming weeks.

The presentation focused on protecting member privacy while giving members options to authorize trusted third parties. Members with unusual circumstances were invited to call TRS for guidance on how to proceed.