Posted on 06/21/2012 3:58:38 PM PDT by Hunton Peck
Gov. Pat Quinn today approved legislation requiring thousands of retired state employees to chip in on the costs of health care insurance that many of them get for little or nothing.
The law attempts to rein in the state’s rising costs but also seeks to share the expense with the 78,000 retirees who pay no premiums for their insurance now.
The Quinn administration will set premiums each year for the group health program, which includes retired judges, lawmakers, university employees and rank-and-file state workers.
Currently, retired legislators get free premium health insurance after four years, retired judges after six years and retired state and university employees after 20 years of service — one of the most generous plans in the country.
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The governor’s action immediately was criticized by the president of the retirees chapter of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees. Virginia Yates of Centralia, who worked 27 years at the Murray Developmental Center, said Quinn’s comments represent “political doubletalk.”
“Seniors like me and 114,000 other retirees and dependents already pay $3,000 a year or more in co-pays, deductibles and premiums,” she said in a statement. “By cutting retiree health care at the same time he’s handing out hundreds of millions in tax giveaways to big corporations, Governor Quinn shows his priorities are out of touch.”
(Excerpt) Read more at chicagotribune.com ...
Quinn has a bad case of Walker Envy and his union buds will crucify him for it.
Social Security recipients have to pay for parts A,B, D of medical coverage, but the thug union retirees want a continuing free ride?
Hell, with the retirement deal they are probably getting they should pay 100% of the premiums.
Starting at age 65; or 66; or whatever the current SS tables require.
Wisconsin — look what’s going on in Illinois ping...
FReep Mail me if you want on, or off, this Wisconsin interest ping list.
RATs here are having to go after the unions as well. It is kinda funny to see how differently they are treated as opposed to Walker.
as a nurse for 35 yrs, I get ZERO health care when or if I ever am able to retire...
So...have the protests started? Are union goons and their friends occupying the Illinois capitol building? Filing recall petitions?
I think you believe that expense category, employee pensions and benefits, is higher than it truly is. While there is no question that tighter control including increased employee contributions has to be put in place, I would guess that the redistributionist policies of the States consume more tax-payer funds than pensions, etc.
You get ZERO health care outside of Medicare when you retire.
I am sure that taxing pensions will be high on the states’ agendas as well. But every increase in taxation must be fought until costs are reigned in else it will just be handed out to buy more Democrat votes and the problem will not be addressed at all.
Tort reform is the biggest means of containing health care costs. States which undertake this will be the first to get a handle on these issues.
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