As members are aware, the state’s Group Insurance Commission had been working on a proposal that would raise the basic life insurance for both employees and retirees from the current $5,000 benefit to $10,000. The benefit has been frozen at its current rate since 1985.

After being postponed for several  months, the eleven member Commission voted unanimously at its October meeting to increase the basic life insurance benefit to $10,000 for active employees only. Under the proposal, retirees would remain at $5,000.
Romney administration officials and appointees, led by budget aide, Peter Schwarzenbach, vocally opposed the plan put forth by the GIC staff, which would have included retirees in the increase. Despite a detailed explanation by Executive Director Dolores Mitchell as to the merits of including retirees, the Commissioners were unmoved.

“It was obvious from the conversations held over the past few months that the Romney Administration was not interested in extending this benefit to retirees. In fact, the governor’s appointees seemed to be searching for reasons not to cover retirees,” said Association Legislative Liaison Shawn Duhamel. “What is most upsetting is that not a single Commissioner had the courage to do the right thing. “We have to give a lot of credit to Dolores Mitchell and the GIC staff. They did all they could do to include retirees in the proposal, but the Romney representatives just would not have it,” continued Duhamel. “Their philosophy has been anti-retiree. Hopefully with a new administration coming in, we will see a different mindset. “Thankfully the report, completed by Michael Kelleher (GIC staff), is very thorough and includes an analysis of the retiree costs, which are critical to us as we move forward. Most importantly, the Commissioners are not the final word on this issue.”