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Thursday, February 09, 2006

Ind. Law - Garton: Legislators' lifetime insurance "changes" considered

A 2/7/06 story by Dave Evensen in the Columbus Republic (and the first story I've seen on the issue from the Columbus paper), available online today, headlined "Garton: Legislators' lifetime insurance changes considered," reports:

State Senate President Pro Tem Robert Garton, R-Columbus, said he is considering changes to an insurance plan that provides lifetime health insurance benefits to state senators who have served more than six years. * * *

Garton said six retired senators are under the plan, which allows them to remain covered by the state’s health insurance as if they were still employees. * * *

At Monday’s Third House, Garton acknowledged that the plan is a fringe benefit but fired back at critics of the plan.

“Why it’s being characterized as it is, I don’t know,” he said. “There are editors around the state of Indiana that have no idea” of the realities facing lawmakers.

“Most of us (legislators) carry two full-time responsibilities,” Garton said.

The law gives Garton authority to alter the five-year-old plan, and he said he will announce changes within the next two weeks.

Possible changes, he said, include bringing down premiums for retired Senate staffers so they have the same benefit as senators; adapting to changes in Medicare; and looking at the percent of premium paid.

In short, according to Garton, the current health care perks will continue in the Senate, for retired legislators and staff and those who retire in future years, with minor, if any, changes.

Note: Apparently the Columbus paper today also has an editorial headlined "Legislative health plan has black eye," but you have to be a paid subscriber to access it, meaning that the paper's editorial opinions will not resonate outside their subscription base.

[For earlier related ILB entries, select "Legislative Benefits" from the list of categories in the right column, or by selecting "Legislative Benefits" in the line directly below this entry.]

Posted by Marcia Oddi on February 9, 2006 06:48 AM
Posted to Indiana Government | Indiana Law | Legislative Benefits