At a recent town financial forum in Belmont, a number of residents questioned whether we should continue to promise subsidized health plans for retirees from state and local government jobs. In this post I’d like to sketch a possible response to the problem and get some feedback.
OPEB Reform
Retiree Health Care Benefits
One of the critical issues before the Public Service Committee this year is retiree health care benefits. We recently held a hearing on the issue which Anne Landry has summarized — see below. I will be working closely with my colleagues to study the issue over the weeks to come. I welcome your thoughts and …
Health Care Benefit Cost Control — Recommendations Released
The final report of the OPEB commission came out last week. The report maps out $10 to $20 billion in savings.
Resources on retiree health benefits
Key resources on this issues include: Mass Taxpayers Foundations report on municipal liabilities. Pioneer Institute White Paper: The Elephant in the Room: Unfunded Public Employee Health Care Benefits and GASB 45. Actuarial Valuation Reports for the Commonwealth. Federal Reserve Bank overview brief..