Retirees’ and members’ health benefits caught in turbulent seas

By SHERRY HALBROOK
Health care is a prominent issue in the 2008 presidential races, and it’s also simmering just below the surface in Albany.

Gov. Eliot Spitzer turned thumbs down this summer on a bill to link state retirees’ health care benefits with those of state employees.

“It is disappointing the governor did not sign this legislation (S.6030/A.8829) that would have given greater protection to health insurance benefits for our members when they retire,” said PEF President Ken Brynien.

Steve Muscarella, president of PEF Retirees, said the retirees had sent many messages and petitions to the governor urging him to sign the bill, which would have prohibited the state from reducing the health benefits of retirees more than those of state employees.

Since the state must negotiate any changes in the contractual benefits of state employees with their unions, the bill would have indirectly extended to retirees that same protection.

“This is at least the fourth time a governor has vetoed this bill,” said PEF Legislative Director Brian Curran. “We had hoped Gov. Spitzer might be more ready to approve it than his predecessor.”

Therefore, PEF is considering other options for achieving its goal.

New approach
“A new bill that takes a different approach has been introduced in response to the veto,” Curran said. “This legislation (S.6457) was introduced by state Sen. Hugh Farley, who sponsored the Retirees Health Bill that was vetoed.”

The new bill would establish a 22-member state task force on retiree health insurance protection to study and report by May 1, 2008, “on effective strategies for protecting adequate and affordable health insurance coverage for retired public employees and their dependents.”

The task force would be co-chaired by the president of the state Civil Service Commission and the chairs of the Senate Committee on Civil Service and Pensions and the Assembly Committee on Governmental Employees. The task force members would be appointed by the governor and leaders of the Senate and Assembly and would include at least three representatives of the public employee unions and two representatives of public sector retirees.

Curran said the bill is so new that an Assembly sponsor has not yet come forward, nor have PEF leaders had a chance to discuss and take a position on it yet.

Other venues
And, because health benefits are a critical issue in the PS&T Contract negotiations between PEF and the state, the union is also taking a wait-and-see approach toward the work of a temporary state commission appointed by the governor to recommend ways to achieve universal health care in New York state

That commission is holding five hearings at various locations throughout the state and is charged with making its recommendations to Spitzer at the end of October for how to extend health coverage to New Yorkers who have none.

Reassignment bill nixed
Among the other bills taken up by the governor in late summer was the geographic reassignment bill (S.4820/A.6757), which was also vetoed.

This bill would have required the state to give employees 12-months advance notice and other transfer opportunities before reassigning them to worksites in other counties without their consent.

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