Call to Action: Save Retiree Health Benefits

Contact your congressional reps and ask them to
support this bill!
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Emergency Retiree Health Benefits Protection Act of 2001
(H.R. 1322)
sponsored by Rep. John Tierney, D-Mass

Why is this important? 

Employers are cutting benefits that include free, subsidized or merely available lifetime medical coverage. Employee benefits consulting firm William M. Mercer says the number of companies with 500 or more employees offering medical plans that cover current and future retirees shrank substantially -- 4% -- in just one year alone. The percentage for "early retirees" (not yet eligible for Medicare coverage) shrank from 35% to 31% from 1999 to 2000, and the number for "regular retirees" (Medicare eligible) fell from 28% to 24%.

In many cases, these benefits were promised, and employees relied on those promises when they made their retirement plans and budgets. But between 5 million and 10 million retirees are paying more for medical coverage, have lost it altogether or find themselves doing the "medical plan shuffle" -- moving in retirement, then having to travel long distances to find a doctor who is part of their medical plan. The problem is especially acute for early retirees who aren't yet eligible for Medicare, because they may have a hard time finding other medical insurance. Continued coverage is often available, but it is very expensive. And federal Medicare coverage, which retirees must pay for, covers most, but hardly all, of the costs for those who are eligible.

Rep. John Tierney, D-Mass., is pushing the Emergency Retiree Health Benefits Protection Act of 2001 (H.R. 1322). The main provisions of the bill, which has 75 co-sponsors, are designed to prevent companies with more than 100 group health participants from reducing or eliminating promised retirement health benefits and to force those that have already made these cuts to reinstate the benefits. It provides an exemption for business hardship and creates a $5 billion loan fund for companies to borrow from so they can meet their obligations.

More information:
H.R.1322
Sponsor: Rep Tierney, John F. (introduced 3/29/2001)
Latest Major Action: 3/29/2001 Referred to House committee
Title: To amend title I of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 to provide emergency protection for retiree health benefits.

COSPONSORS(58), ALPHABETICAL
Rep Abercrombie, Neil - 3/29/2001
Rep Andrews, Robert E. - 3/29/2001
Rep Berman, Howard L. - 3/29/2001
Rep Bonior, David E. - 3/29/2001
Rep Borski, Robert A. - 3/29/2001
Rep Brady, Robert - 3/29/2001
Rep Brown, Sherrod - 3/29/2001
Rep Capuano, Michael E. - 3/29/2001
Rep Christensen, Donna M. - 3/29/2001
Rep Conyers, John, Jr. - 3/29/2001
Rep Crowley, Joseph - 3/29/2001
Rep Davis, Danny K. - 3/29/2001
Rep DeFazio, Peter A. - 3/29/2001
Rep Delahunt, William D. - 3/29/2001
Rep Dingell, John D. - 3/29/2001
Rep Evans, Lane - 3/29/2001
Rep Fattah, Chaka - 3/29/2001
Rep Filner, Bob - 3/29/2001
Rep Frank, Barney - 3/29/2001
Rep Frost, Martin - 3/29/2001 Rep Gonzalez, Charles A. - 3/29/2001
Rep Hastings, Alcee L. - 3/29/2001
Rep Hilliard, Earl F. - 3/29/2001
Rep Hinchey, Maurice D. - 3/29/2001
Rep Holden, Tim - 3/29/2001
Rep Hooley, Darlene - 3/29/2001
Rep Kildee, Dale E. - 3/29/2001
Rep Kilpatrick, Carolyn C. - 3/29/2001
Rep Kleczka, Gerald D. - 3/29/2001
Rep Kucinich, Dennis J. - 3/29/2001
Rep Lee, Barbara - 3/29/2001
Rep Lewis, John - 3/29/2001
Rep Maloney, Carolyn B. - 3/29/2001
Rep Markey, Edward J. - 3/29/2001
Rep McCarthy, Carolyn - 3/29/2001
Rep McDermott, Jim - 3/29/2001
Rep McGovern, James P. - 3/29/2001
Rep McKinney, Cynthia A. - 3/29/2001
Rep Meehan, Martin T. - 3/29/2001
Rep Millender-McDonald, Juanita - 3/29/2001
Rep Miller, George - 3/29/2001
Rep Mink, Patsy T. - 3/29/2001
Rep Murtha, John P. - 3/29/2001
Rep Napolitano, Grace F. - 3/29/2001
Rep Norton, Eleanor Holmes - 3/29/2001
Rep Oberstar, James L. - 3/29/2001
Rep Olver, John W. - 3/29/2001
Rep Owens, Major R. - 3/29/2001
Rep Payne, Donald M. - 3/29/2001
Rep Sanchez, Loretta - 3/29/2001
Rep Sanders, Bernard - 3/29/2001
Rep Schakowsky, Janice D. - 3/29/2001
Rep Sherman, Brad - 3/29/2001
Rep Thompson, Bennie G. - 3/29/2001
Rep Thurman, Karen L. - 3/29/2001
Rep Towns, Edolphus - 3/29/2001
Rep Underwood, Robert A. - 3/29/2001
Rep Waxman, Henry A. - 3/29/2001