The Illinois Channel will televise some of the Government Forecasting and Accountability committee hearing, which heard testimony Wednesday on whether the state should require retired state employees to pay for a portion of their healthcare costs.
While changing the pensions on retirees may be unconstitutional, healthcare costs are NOT constitutionally protected.
At this time the state spends about $457 million on RETIREE costs, covering approximately 84,100 individuals. Some of those are family members of former state workers.
Before Gov Edgar's administration, workers had to only put in only 8 years of service to the state to get a LIFETIME of free healthcare benefits. Under Gov Edgar, this was changed to 20 years of service.
Watch this issue, as a majoy tussle this spring. Should the state begin charging retirees to pay a portion of their healthcare benefits -- it could add up to a major new source of income to the state. Some of the changes however may have to wait for a new contract with state workers, which may mean any changes in benefit costs could not take effect until July 2012.
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