California Healthline Highlights County Health Action
Riverside County supervisors are temporarily abandoning a plan to increase health insurance premiums for county workers who retire early, the Riverside Press-Enterprise reports. Supervisors said they will work to develop alternative plans.
Supervisors are seeking changes to early retiree benefits to address an estimated $354 million in unfunded health care liability over 30 years. Currently, the county pays $25 to $256 per month toward early retiree health plans. County employees on average pay an additional $20 per month to subsidize health plans for early retirees.
County Human Resources Director Ron Komers last month proposed monthly premiums increases ranging from $175 to $756.
Supervisor Marion Ashley said that Komers likely overestimated the unfunded liability and that supervisors are considering the financial impact of the changes on early retirees.
The county Pension Advisory Review Committee is expected to report to the Board of Supervisors on Aug. 29 (Trone, Riverside Press-Enterprise, 6/30).
The state has approved a San Bernardino County plan to expand mental health services using Proposition 63 funds, the Press-Enterprise reports. Voters in 2004 approved the state income tax increase on high-income residents to fund mental health care.
The county is expected to receive more than $17 million annually. County mental health officials said the money will be used to expand services for young adults leaving foster care, former jail inmates and senior citizens (McGavin, Riverside Press-Enterprise, 6/30).