Massachusetts administrator seeks to revamp retirement health care



By Hilary Russ

Fri Jan 11, 2013 4:30pm EST


(Reuters) – Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick pronounced on Friday that he will record legislation to renovate advantages for open retirees, including a offer to double a series of years an worker would have to offer to be eligible.

The check would need many stream employees of a state and a cities, towns and propagandize districts to work for 20 years instead of 10 years to turn authorised for health advantages when they retire.

Retirees would also have to compensate a aloft commission of their health word premiums, withdrawal a employer obliged for a smaller share.

The changes, that would not request to stream retirees or to employees who are within 5 years of retiring, would also lift a smallest age of eligibility to 60 from a stream 55.

States’ open grant systems are confronting vast unfunded liabilities that have led to reforms in many states. But large gaps in open supports to compensate for post-employment advantages have perceived reduction courtesy – until now.

On average, states have set aside usually about 5 percent of what is estimated to be their retirement health caring and other non-pension advantages such as life insurance. At a finish of 2010 that left a $627 billion gap, according to a news by a Pew Center on a States.

In response, a flourishing series of states and cities have begun expelling or shortening health coverage for retirees.

The due Massachusetts legislation could save a state and a internal governments adult to $20 billion over a subsequent 30 years, Patrick pronounced in a statement.

The country is scheduled to sell $230.5 million subsequent week and an additional $1.2 billion over a subsequent few months, according to a matter from Massachusetts Treasurer Steven Grossman.

“We consider this nation-leading remodel work will be reflected in reduce seductiveness costs for Massachusetts taxpayers,” Grossman said.

The $230.5 million sale of ubiquitous requirement refunding SIFMA index holds was deferred from December.

(Reporting by Hilary Russ, modifying by Tiziana Barghini)

Via: Health Medicine Network