Full Text of HR1346 95th General Assembly
HR1346 95TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
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| HOUSE RESOLUTION
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| WHEREAS, The Teachers' Retirement Insurance Program (TRIP) | 3 |
| was enacted in 1995 to provide medical coverage for teachers | 4 |
| during their retirement years following a financial crisis | 5 |
| brought on by changes in federal tax law that prevented the use | 6 |
| of Teacher Retirement System (TRS) Retirement Trust Fund moneys | 7 |
| for health insurance purposes; and
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| WHEREAS, Skyrocketing health insurance costs quickly | 9 |
| eroded available funds for the program, prompting General | 10 |
| Assembly legislative action in the 92nd General Assembly to | 11 |
| create a temporary solution that included (1) a July 1, 2004 | 12 |
| sunset date, (2) increase in State support, (3) increase in | 13 |
| retiree premiums, (4) active teacher contributions, and (5) | 14 |
| school district contributions; and
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| WHEREAS, In 2004 the associations representing the | 16 |
| education community, as well as retired teachers and the | 17 |
| Governor's Office, negotiated a 3-year health insurance | 18 |
| benefits package for retired teachers; and
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| WHEREAS, The 2004 negotiated health care benefits package | 20 |
| included a 3-year schedule of increases to (1) retiree premiums | 21 |
| and (2) contributions from active teachers, school districts, | 22 |
| and the State to sustain the program; and
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LRB095 21549 AMC 51375 r |
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| WHEREAS, A component of the 2004 agreement was a State | 2 |
| continuing appropriation of $13 million in Fiscal Years 2005, | 3 |
| 2006, and 2007 to sustain benefit enhancements included in the | 4 |
| TRIP program in 1999 for retired teachers; and
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| WHEREAS, The $13 million continuing appropriation helped | 6 |
| stabilize retiree premium increases and out-of-pocket expenses | 7 |
| and maintained basic health benefits; and | 8 |
| WHEREAS, The General Assembly authorized this three-year | 9 |
| negotiated agreement in Public Act 93-679; and | 10 |
| WHEREAS, The 2004 negotiated agreement ended at the end | 11 |
| Fiscal Year 2007, and the $13 million was not included in the | 12 |
| Fiscal Year 2008 budget and is not proposed by the Governor for | 13 |
| the Fiscal Year 2009 budget; and | 14 |
| WHEREAS, The Governor's Office and the Department of | 15 |
| Healthcare and Family Services recently released a new benefits | 16 |
| package for retired teachers participating in the TRIP program; | 17 |
| and | 18 |
| WHEREAS, Unlike the 2004 negotiated agreement, the new | 19 |
| benefit package for retired teachers was not negotiated with | 20 |
| the associations representing the education community and |
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| retired teachers and was announced to all parties by the | 2 |
| Governor's Office after the benefits package was finalized; and | 3 |
| WHEREAS, The new Fiscal Year 2009 TRIP benefit package, | 4 |
| which is effective on July 1, 2008 through June 30, 2009 and | 5 |
| administered by the Department of Central Management Services, | 6 |
| increases fees, deductibles, and co-payments for medical | 7 |
| services to make up for the loss of the $13 million State | 8 |
| contribution; and | 9 |
| WHEREAS, The increased fees, deductibles, and co-payments | 10 |
| for basic medical services are a hardship on retired teachers | 11 |
| who are on fixed incomes and rely on and deserve basic health | 12 |
| insurance benefits; therefore, be it
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| RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE | 14 |
| NINETY-FIFTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that | 15 |
| teachers deserve affordable health care benefits upon | 16 |
| retirement; and be it further
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| RESOLVED, That the State of Illinois should negotiate | 18 |
| benefit packages in good faith with all stakeholders | 19 |
| contributing to TRIP; and be it further
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| RESOLVED, That we urge the Governor to reconsider the | 21 |
| catastrophic increases to the fees, deductibles, and |
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| co-payments for basic medical services provided in the Fiscal | 2 |
| Year 2009 TRIP benefit package; and be it further | 3 |
| RESOLVED, That we urge that $13 million be included in the | 4 |
| Fiscal Year 2009 budget to sustain basic, affordable health | 5 |
| benefits for teachers upon retirement and to prevent escalating | 6 |
| out-of-pocket costs for retirees; and be it further | 7 |
| RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be | 8 |
| delivered to the Governor.
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