Protect Retirees' Health Benefits

September 22, 2003

Contact the EEOC Today!

The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) – the Federal agency

charged with protecting the rights of older workers – has proposed a new rule

that would allow employers who offer retiree health to eliminate that benefit

for older retirees. The new rule would make it legal for an employer to reduce

or deny retiree health benefits if a retiree is eligible for Medicare or other

public health plan, even if the employer’s retiree health benefit is

substantially better.

This rule has been proposed for public comment. AARP urges you to contact the

EEOC in opposition to this rule, which gives employers a green light to

discriminate again the oldest of their retirees.

Under current law, employers must continue to provide benefits to Medicare

eligible retirees, but can save money by including Medicare and providing a

“wrap-around” benefit. Most employers who provide retiree health plans already

do this. But, if the EEOC rule becomes the law, employers will be able to simply

drop the age 65+ retirees from their retiree health plans altogether, leaving

them with substantially less benefits than they are currently entitled to

receive.

AARP believes that employers should not be allowed to discriminate in their

benefits based upon the age of the retiree or the employee. Please contact the

EEOC and ask it to withdraw its proposed rule.

NEW WEB MESSAGE BOARDS - JOIN HERE.

Alternative Medicine Message Boards.Info

Recommended Posts