Retired teachers face health plan changes
Retired school employees in Texas could face major changes to their health care because the state fund that pays for their insurance is projected to run out of money in 2015.
The Legislature will consider a host of funding options next year to keep the fund solvent, none of which will be particularly palatable to teachers, school districts or the 223,000 retirees and dependents who participate in the health benefit program, known as TRS-Care.
The potential changes include reducing benefits or eligibility; hiking premiums paid by the retirees; and increasing contributions from the state, employees and school districts.
"If there was an easy answer to this, we would have done it," said Brian Guthrie, executive director of the Teacher Retirement System of Texas, which oversees the health care program and the $110 billion pension fund.
http://www.statesman.com/news/texas-politics/retired-teachers-face-health-plan-changes-2233679.html
