Contact: Zach Lowe or Katie Rowley – (202) 224-5323
Washington, D.C. – Today U.S. Senator Russ Feingold and several Wisconsin businesses highlighted the new Early Retiree Reinsurance Program that is part of the new health insurance reform law. Prior to enactment of the law, many employers struggled to provide good, affordable health care coverage for retired employees. Now, more than 90 Wisconsin businesses, unions, employers, school districts, cities and counties are eligible to start receiving relief from this early retiree program, which provides reimbursement for medical claims for early retirees and their spouses and dependents. The savings Wisconsin businesses receive from this program can be used to reduce employer health care costs and provide premium relief to their workers and families.
“Health insurance premiums for older Americans can be more than four times as expensive as premiums for young adults, making early retirement an extremely risky decision for many, simply based on health care costs,” Feingold said. “This program will help Wisconsin businesses save money while also ensuring early retirees continue to have good, affordable health care. I am pleased to see so many Wisconsin companies taking advantage of one of the many important benefits of the historic health insurance reform law.”
Kerry Arent, VP for Human Resources at Appleton Papers Inc. said, “The early retiree reinsurance program should help reduce future retiree healthcare increases for all of Appleton’s pre-Medicare retirees who currently pay a portion of the premium. This is an attractive benefit of health care reform.”
Mary Nick, Chief Human Resources Officer at Meriter Health Services said, “Due to the rising cost of care, offering health insurance to current and retired employees is getting increasingly difficult. The Early Retiree Reinsurance Program will help us contain cost increases and make providing much needed coverage to retirees more affordable.”
The current list of Wisconsin companies that are enrolled in the Early Retiree Assistance Program can be viewed below or at http://www.healthcare.gov/law/provisions/retirement/states/wi.html.
* Alaska Carpenters Health & Welfare Trust Fund
* Appleton Papers Inc.
* Bay Area Medical Center
* Board of School Directors – Milwaukee Public Schools
* Board of Trustees – Milwaukee Painters Local Union
* Board of Trustees – Wisconsin Laborers Health Fund
* Board of Trustees of Plumbers Local 75 Health Fund
* Local Unions Nos. 19 & 27 Health & Welfare Fund
* Wisconsin Pipe Trades Health Fund
* Briggs & Stratton Power Products Group, LLC
* Brillion Iron Works, Inc
* Calumet County
* Case New Holland Inc.
* City of Antigo
* City of DePere
* City of Green Bay
* City of Neenah
* City of Platteville
* City of Waukesha
* City of Wauwatosa
* City of West Allis
* City of Wisconsin Rapids
* County of Adams
* County of Dane
* County of Marinette
* County of Milwaukee
* County of Outagamie
* CUNA Mutual Insurance Society
* D.C. Everest Area School District
* Foley & Lardner, LLP
* Fox Valley Sheet Metal Health Plan
* Gehl Company
* Great Northern Corporation
* Green Bay Area Public School District
* H G Weber and Company, Inc.
* Harley-Davidson Motor Company Group, LLC
* InSinkErator Division Emerson Electric Co
* Iron Workers Local No 8 Welfare Fund
* Ironworkers Local 383 Health Care Plan
* Johnson Controls, Inc.
* Jones Dairy Farm
* Journal Communications, Inc.
* Kenosha Building & Construction Trades Welfare Fund
* Kimberly Area School District
* Kimberly-Clark Corporation
* Local Unions No. 19 & 127 Health & Welfare
* Madison Area Technical College
* Madison Gas and Electric Company
* Manitowoc County
* Manpower Inc
* Marshall & llsley Corporation
* Master Lock Company
* Meriter Health Services
* Middletown Works Hourly and Salaried Union Retiree
* Mid-State Technical College District
* Milwaukee Area Technical College
* Milwaukee Carpenters District Council Health Fund
* Milwaukee Drivers Health & Welfare Trust Fund
* Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage-District
* Milwaukee Roofers Health Fund
* North Central States Regional Council of Carpenters
* Northcentral Technical College
* Northwestern Mutual Life Ins Co
* Operating Engineers Local 169 Health Benefit Fund
* Plumbers and Steamfitters Local 400
* Portage Community Schools
* ProHealth Care, Inc.
* Racine County
* Racine Unified School District
* Rexnord LLC
* Richardson Industries, Inc.
* Rockwell Automation, Inc.
* S.C. Johnson & Son, Inc
* School District of Poynette
* Sentry Insurance, a Mutual Company
* Snap-on Incorporated
* Strattec SecurityCorporation
* ThyssenKrupp Waupaca, Inc.
* Unified School District of Antigo
* Washington County
* Waukesha County Area Technical College District
* Wausau Paper Corp.
* Webcrafters, Inc.
* WELS Voluntary Employees’ Beneficiary Association
* Wipfli LLP
* Wisconsin Education Association Insurance Trust
* Wisconsin Electric Power Company
* Wisconsin Health Fund
* Wisconsin Pipe Trades Health Fund
* Wisconsin Sheet Metal Health & Welfare
