Firms can drop retiree health plans

[jeffreyi]

Sorry if this is a dupe; don't remember seeing it. Kerry should jump all over this, and everybody else, too!!

http://tinyurl.com/ywu24

[madfloridian]

1. I have tried to get this noticed before. No one seems to care.

It appears they are sacrificing those over 65 to the corporate greed so that those who want to retire early can be insured. This will affect us, and millions of others.....many of those affected are uninsurable.

Here is another article yesterday from the NYT:
http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/national/AP-Medicare-Retirees.html

And another:
http://www.nytimes.com/2004/04/23/politics/23RETI.html

SNIP..." The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission voted Thursday to allow employers to reduce or eliminate health benefits for retirees when they become eligible for Medicare at age 65.

The agency approved a final rule saying that such cuts do not violate the civil rights law banning age discrimination. The vote was 3 to 1, with Republicans lining up in favor of the rule and a Democrat opposing it.

Employers and some labor unions supported the change, saying it would help preserve coverage for early retirees. But AARP, which represents millions of Americans age 50 and older, strenuously objected.

The new rule creates a potentially explosive political issue, because it will create anxiety for many of the 12 million Medicare beneficiaries who also receive health benefits from their former employers....."

[jeffreyi]

3. No Kiss, except for uber-rich

I don't get it either; this should be generating some excitement, as in "big money out of your pocket and your other assets too"!!

"The new rule creates a potentially explosive political issue, because it will create anxiety for many of the 12 million Medicare beneficiaries who also receive health benefits from their former employers....."

How about creating anxiety for the many more millions of us who are the children and relatives of those 12 million Medicare beneficiaries who will be stuck with medical bills not covered by the employer insurance!

[RebelOne]

4. I care because it's going to affect me.

[havocmom]

8. Not ignoring, more like seething

Between this and that bus load of seniors being shaken down by the FDA (of all agencies!?!?) I think there are probably a lot of 50+ people burning up their keyboards sending off nasty-grams to alleged reps and news agencies. I know they are around my house :evilgrin:

Starting to hear a few rumblings (in my ultra Republican area) that Ted Kaczynski may not be a nut case, but a man way ahead of his time when he started waging war on corporate rulers. When folks in my area, where a mere five years ago, the major fear was 'the secret UN plan to invade the wheat producing states...' start to say things like that, there is a sleeping giant waking in America.

[KC]

2. They sure can

They dropped it this year where I work.

KC

[SoCalDem]

5. Hey... the lady on tv said it was a "good thing"

Maybe all we need is another tax cut :evilgrin:

[madfloridian]

6. I am kicking this.

It deserves more interest than this.

[Karenina]

7. It's such a shame

when Ameircans are shown policies that are doing up the arse, they simply look away or ignore. :shrug:

[jeffreyi]

9. kick