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MAY 1999 - Another
town has decided to do the right thing and provide health insurance
coverage for its retirees. Until voters approved section 9A of MGL
Chapter 32B at the town election on April 5, Leicester retirees were
forced to pay 100% of their health insurance costs.
Two retired Leicester teachers, Jim O'Donnell and Paige Rowden, headed up the effort on behalf of Leicester's retirees. O'Donnell and Rowden are the legislative co-chairmen of the Retired Educators Association of Massachusetts. After spending the last several years lobbying municipal officials, O'Donnell and Rowden initiated a meeting between Town Administrator James Purcell and Association Legislative Liaison Shawn Duhamel. At the meeting Duhamel presented Purcell with a number of options to help make a retiree insurance plan affordable. Purcell agreed to work towards developing a proposal to put on the ballot. The proposal, for the town to pay for 50% of the retiree's health care costs passed comfortably with 75% of the votes cast. O'Donnell and Rowden now hope to revisit the issue in the upcoming years to provide survivors' 50% coverage. Easthampton Waits The movement for a 50% insurance premium contribution by the Town of Easthampton is on hold. Retired teacher Donna Craig, chair of an ad hoc insurance group, reports that the Town has switched insurance plans from the MIAA plan to The Hampshire County Group Insurance Trust. "Mayor Tautznik says he's in favor of paying 50%, but has asked us to wait until the Town gets a handle on how much money will be available after the enrollment period for the new plan," she said. "The next fiscal year begins in two months...that's our goal." |
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