“Thousands of retired Illinois
teachers, civil servants, and university staff will soon be seeing their health
coverage deductions cut in half.
“Illinois Department of Central
Management Services (CMS) has rescinded an emergency rule doubling retiree
health coverage premiums. The rollback came after SUAA Director Linda Brooks
contacted State Officials. The rule increasing premiums had gone into effect on
July 1 of this year. After Brooks made contact, Aaron Maduff, attorney for SUAA
followed up with a legal analysis of the recent Kanerva decision. A discussion
followed. The result is today’s rollback.
“The decision is welcome news to
retirees, some of whom saw their checks actually decrease when the old rule
went into effect. Retirees had been promised paid health coverage with 20 years
of service or better, but self-identified ‘pension reformers’ had campaigned
for several years for cut backs on previously earned pension benefits. Now the
courts are reversing pension reform.”
Walter Esler
is a member of AFSCME Retired and an activist.
Originally posted in Fred Klonsky’s Blog.
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