Retiree Healthcare Benefits Report to be Discussed in Joint House and Senate Health Committee Hearing
The chairs of the House and Senate health committees will hold a joint hearing on Monday, February 19th, at 2 p.m. to review a report pertaining to retiree healthcare benefits. Lieutenant Governor Bethany Hall-Long, will lead a presentation to members of the House Health and Human Development Committee and Senate Health and Social Services Committee on the Healthcare Benefits Advisory Subcommittee (RHBAS) Report. Included in the presentation by RHBAS Chair Lieutenant Governor Hall-Long will be a detailed overview of the subcommittee’s findings and recommendations regarding retiree healthcare benefits. Created in 2023 as an advisory subcommittee of the State Employee Benefits Committee, RHBAS was tasked with soliciting public comments and evaluating options for providing strong and fiscally sustainable State retiree healthcare benefits.
Additional Information from the Delaware House of Representatives
The subcommittee’s report was published on December 31, 2023, and addresses several aspects of retiree healthcare, including strategies to address the Other Post-Employment Benefits (OPEB) Fund liability and recommended changes to the process by which the State selects state retiree healthcare plans.
“After a year of dedicated work by the RHBAS to compile this comprehensive report, I’m looking forward to hearing their recommendations and findings. Their insights will serve as an important guide, helping us make decisions that prioritize the well-being of our retirees and our state as a whole,” said Rep. Kerri Evelyn Harris, chair of the House Health and Human Development Committee.
“Our state retirees have dedicated much of their lives to serving our communities and we want to ensure that the state fulfills its commitment to support their health and welfare in their golden years.”
“Every Delaware resident deserves affordable, high-quality health care, especially our state retirees who have dedicated their lives and their careers to serving their neighbors,” said Sen. Sarah McBride, chair of the Senate Health and Social Services Committee.
“That’s why we voted to give retirees, current state workers, and the labor unions that represent them seats at the table, and I look forward to hearing their recommendations for how we can ensure that current and future retirees continue to receive world-class healthcare services now and in the decades ahead.”
“Our hard-working state employees keep Delaware running every day, in our schools, parks, beaches, medical facilities and every corner of our state,” said Lt. Governor Bethany Hall-Long, who chairs the subcommittee. “During this very public process, we heard from countless retirees and workers about how they relied on – and valued – their current healthcare benefits. This opened the door for a serious and purposeful conversation on the state’s healthcare offerings and the looming unfunded OPEB liability. These recommendations are designed to strike a balance, protecting healthcare benefits for current retirees and addressing long-term sustainability so we can provide the best healthcare system for current and future workers.
“Now’s not the time for Band-Aids. We have an actionable roadmap to guide how we can protect our retirees’ healthcare and continue to support a vibrant state workforce. I look forward to continuing to find solutions with legislative partners, retirees, union leaders and cabinet members.”
