JG-TC.com > News > State retirees to get hit with dental costs

TODAY'S HEADLINES

SPECIAL SECTION

ONLINE POLL

ONLINE EXTRAS

Shop Smart, Shop Local

SITE TOOLS

OTHER LINKS

St. Louis Post-Dispatch

Lee Enterprises

Tuesday, August 25, 2009 9:22 PM CDT
State retirees to get hit with dental costs

By MIKE RIOPELL, JG/T-C Springfield Bureau

SPRINGFIELD — In another attempt to cut state costs, thousands of state retirees will have to start paying for their dental benefits under a plan from Gov. Pat Quinn.

Now, about 76,000 retirees from state government jobs don’t have to pay premiums for the dental insurance they have. But Quinn wants them to pay the same amount as current state workers.

“This is one of the many tough decisions the governor has had to make to help cut costs and get the state’s financial situation back on track,” said Quinn administration spokeswoman Alka Nayyar.

The American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees union, though, says they were caught off guard by the idea and will try to stop it.

“The union had no warning of this policy change and we will use contractual, legal, and other tools to attempt to reverse this action by the Quinn administration,” Council 31 Executive Director Henry Bayer said on the union’s Web site.

Nayyar said the plan could save the state $12 million a year and would cost individual retirees $11 a month. Married couples would pay $17. It would take effect in October.

It’s not the first idea Quinn has had to reduce state spending by looking to state workers and retirees.

He’s proposed laying off 2,600 workers unless the union agrees to its members taking 12 unpaid furlough days off. AFSCME has sued to try to stop the layoffs and opposes the idea of furlough days.

The letter sent to state workers about the dental changes can be found at: http://www.state.il.us/srs/PDFILES/insurance/DentalRatesLetter.pdf.

Mike Riopell can be reached at mike.riopell@lee.net or 789-0865

Add your comments

*Member ID:
*Password:
Remember login? (requires cookies)
	Forgot Your Password?

Not already registered?
Then click Here.

Comment policy:

JG-TC.com encourages readers to engage in civil conversation with their neighbors. Comments that are submitted are not posted to the site immediately. They go into a queue to be moderated and may take several hours to be reviewed. Comments posted on Saturday may not be reviewed until Sunday afternoon.

In order to keep the page a set width, long lines (mostly long links) will be chopped. Try putting spaces in your links or consider using tinyurl.com to make a smaller link that you can include.

We will never edit or alter your comments, but we do reserve the right to remove comments that violate our code of conduct.

No comment may contain:

* Potentially libelous statements; such as accusing somebody of a crime, defamation of character, or statements that can harm somebody's reputation.
* Obscene, explicit, or racist language.
* Personal attacks, insults, threats, harassment or inciting violence.
* Commercial product promotions.

If you have any questions, please contact our moderator.

61938 wrote on Aug 25, 2009 9:35 PM:

" Looks like the unions are finally finding out just what those democraps that they have supported for years are really made of. "

devilishangel61401 wrote on Aug 26, 2009 12:26 PM:

" Yes the union should have been told ahead of time but I think this is a great idea. 12 Millon dollars a year? That is a lot of money. I know that no one including our state workers want to make sacrifiecs but if they expect the rest of us to make tough decisions in this economy the state workers should be willing to do the same. That 12 million dollars that is going to be saved can go to all of those programs for those who are truly needy, the devlopmentally disabled, the elderly and programs such as Headstart and other human services programs that recently took huge budget cuts. "

usmcvet wrote on Aug 26, 2009 3:18 PM:

" Now those state workers that get hid in the state shed in Mattoon for days on end deserve those benefits.They earned them now someone wants to take them away.How about they cut the fat to begin with,too many highway maintainers,etc; as it is,many of whom are overpaid for no more than they do.

We all know the old saying " what is big and orange and sleeps 4 ? You know the answer. "

Mama says wrote on Aug 26, 2009 7:53 PM:

" Now get a taste of what us ole folk contend with trying pay dental and medications. Nobody helped several I know. When saw what going on and no help it was cheaper get em pulled when needed then worry about false teeth. The cheaper dental clinic in Decatur, and Indiana is affordable since cannot eat after extractions too good gives time save up for false teeth. We were so good eating with gums could chew a steak. BE AFRAID, BE VERY AFRAID. hehe. "

Hammbone wrote on Aug 26, 2009 9:42 PM:

" It's about time... "

soybeanpod wrote on Aug 27, 2009 7:37 AM:

" Welcome to the real world. Other unions are having to suck it up and accept higher medical costs (CAT in Peoria, for instance). Being self employed, those costs and their increases have always been a major factor of our financial planning. I frankly think I am a better informed and a wiser purchaser of medical services because of this situation. "

lefty wrote on Aug 27, 2009 10:00 AM:

" Wow.... way to have compassion folks. When the local factories closed, did you say that those folks deserved it?

Seriously, what is wrong with you people who revel in this sort of sad news? When it happens to you, just know that when others show no compassion, you reap what you sowed. "

The Question wrote on Aug 27, 2009 3:22 PM:

" So you applaud when ordinary senior citizens are denied benefits they were promised, but fret that the poor widdle defenseless billionaires might pout and cry if they had to pay more income tax. You right wingers are geniuses. "

devilishangel61401 wrote on Aug 27, 2009 6:20 PM:

" Lol, good one Question. Lefty I have a great deal of compassion, but I feel its ridicolous for the state to pay the dental costs of Retired employees when so many programs for the elderly, disabled, and the poor just took huge budget cuts a few months ago. If our state workers, officials what have you want me to feel sorry for them because they have to help themselves when they have 10 times the income that us average folks have they are barking up the wrong tree! I think this is way overdue! I don't know many companies that allow you to retire and then pay your medical and dental coverage in full for you, the state is in debt up to its eyeballs, this is one place that the state can save money and spend it on programs for those who are truly needy I imagine anyone that's worked for the state retired on a nice income. "

Harry Potter wrote on Aug 27, 2009 7:14 PM:

" It never fails to amaze to see so many revel in the misery of others. "

lefty wrote on Aug 27, 2009 10:51 PM:

" OK, devilishangel61401, you said:

"If our state workers, officials what have you want me to feel sorry for them because they have to help themselves when they have 10 times the income that us average folks have they are barking up the wrong tree! I think this is way overdue!"

First, how many state workers make 10 times the wage of the avg worker? I believe the mean wage in Illinois is roughly 30k. State workers do not make 300k, especially on a pension. Retired community college presidents pull down about 100k in pension (there ain't alot of those, yknow?).

Many state retirees live on 20 - 40k, which is good, sure! But it doesn't mean they "DESERVE" an undue financial hit for critical health needs. No one "DESERVES" that. "

Hammbone wrote on Aug 27, 2009 11:10 PM:

" walk a mile in my shoes anyday pal "