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« One More from the Onion | Main | 2008 »

December 31, 2007 |Permalink |Comments (1)

Ruh-Roh

Big business is ever eager to privatize the profits while at the same time socializing the risks...

Prediction: In 2007 we will see corporations dumping their obligations on public (tax-payer funded) safety net programs at a record pace.

Who knew that the big shots loved socialized medicine so much?

The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission said Wednesday that employers could reduce or eliminate health benefits for retirees when they turn 65 and become eligible for Medicare.

The policy, set forth in a new regulation, allows employers to establish two classes of retirees, with more comprehensive benefits for those under 65 and more limited benefits — or none at all — for those older.

More than 10 million retirees rely on employer-sponsored health plans as a primary source of coverage or as a supplement to Medicare, and Naomi C. Earp, the commission’s chairwoman, said, “This rule will help employers continue to voluntarily provide and maintain these critically important health benefits.”

Premiums for employer-sponsored health insurance rose an average of 6.1 percent this year and have increased 78 percent since 2001, according to surveys by the Kaiser Family Foundation. Because of the rising cost of health care and the increased life expectancy of workers, the commission said, many employers refuse to provide retiree health benefits or even to negotiate on the issue.

Comments ( 1)

This final rule by the EEOC is definitely a step backwards when it comes to addressing the fiscal challenges that our federal government faces as it continues to support entitlement programs that benefit older adults. First, the rule promotes private corporations dumping their liabilities on the public sector. Secondly, it does nothing to address the need to create a policy that encouarges older people to remain in the work force longer.

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