Fresno County Considers Eliminating Health Benefit for Retirees
The Fresno County Retirement Board on Thursday discussed eliminating or lowering a supplemental health benefit for about 4,400 county retirees, the Fresno Bee reports. The benefit provides as much as $150 monthly for retirees' health services, but the money can be used for other purposes.
According to the board, the county's $60 million reserve fund will be able to sustain the program for retirees and more than 7,000 current workers for another 10 to 12 years.
The board is considering whether to eliminate the benefit when the reserve fund is depleted, give future retirees a lesser benefit than current retirees or set a deadline for enrollment in the benefit. The board is expected to make a final decision in February (Ginis, Fresno Bee, 12/16).