Commission to Allow Insurance Cuts for Retired Employees

WASHINGTON, April 22 — The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission voted Thursday to allow employers to reduce or eliminate health benefits for retirees when they become eligible for Medicare at age 65.

The agency approved a final rule saying that such cuts do not violate the civil rights law banning age discrimination. The vote was 3 to 1, with Republicans lining up in favor of the rule and a Democrat opposing it.

Employers and some labor unions supported the change, saying it would help preserve coverage for early retirees. But AARP, which represents millions of Americans age 50 and older, strenuously objected.

The new rule creates a potentially explosive political issue, because it will create anxiety for many of the 12 million Medicare beneficiaries who also receive health benefits from their former employers.

"We are aware of the anxieties and misperceptions that have taken root," said Cari M. Dominguez, chairwoman of the commission, which was deluged with letters opposing the rule from more than 50,000 AARP members.

more…
http://www.nytimes.com/2004/04/23/politics/23RETI.html?hp

Why would anyone vote for a pug? :freak:

Hmmm.. health care --> law of supply & demand :crazy:

But it demonstrates all the more clearly that we have to separate health care and employment.

"...anxieties and misperceptions..." is repug code-speak for "the truth we don't want you to know".

Good Lord, more and more of our benefits are being allowed to go away. Don't these people know that some of us depend on these benefits?

I am so angry everyday now. There's so much happening it's hard to respond to everything.

just run taxpayer funded campaign commercials expressly saying that this could NOT be done. I believe cbs ran these political ads right after refusing to show the ones from MoveOn.org. I guess its completely true, if our junta says it it is a lie.