ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Thursday, August 15, 1996 TAG: 9608150060
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: C-3 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
DATELINE: BEDFORD
SOURCE: JENNIFER MILLER STAFF WRITER
MEMO: NOTE: Shorter version ran in Metro edition.
Johnny Martin didn't plan on working again after he retired from the Bedford County Sheriff's Office last December after more than 25 years of service.
But 61-year-old Martin returned to work part-time in April to make ends meet.
Martin is one of nine former county workers who have had to rethink retirement since Bedford County changed insurance policies last May. The county switched to Mid-Atlantic Medical Services Inc. after Trigon Blue Cross Blue Shield said it would raise the county's rates by as much as 60 percent because of the increasing number of expensive, long-term illnesses among county employees.
But insurance rates under the new policy still climbed by 30 percent to 40 percent.
The nine retirees approached the Board of Supervisors in July to ask for the same relief that active employees get from the county - as much as $216 per worker - but the board voted 6-1 Tuesday night not to help retirees with their payments.
County Administrator Bill Rolfe said, after studying surrounding localities' insurance policies towards their retirees, the board decided it would be too costly to cover them.
Rolfe pointed out that Campbell and Roanoke counties and the city of Lynchburg pay up to the single-employee rate for their retirees' insurance. Retirees in these areas are responsible for paying the difference in the premium.
However, in the city of Bedford, retirees who are covered under the city's insurance policy pay the full premium.
"The majority of the surrounding counties are doing the same thing as Bedford County - a retiree can stay on the county insurance plan, but he has to pay the full premium," Rolfe said. "We want to keep it along the same lines with other counties."
Rolfe also pointed out that there were more than the nine municipal retirees the board had to consider. Even though the county School Board voted unanimously in June to leave the county insurance plan, both the county and the School Board would like to have equal benefit packages, which includes health insurance.
"This costs a lot more than everyone says," Rolfe said. "The board realizes that there are 40 teachers who took early retirement" who would also like help with their insurance.
Meanwhile Martin, whose insurance covers both himself and his wife, Iva, must pay $590 a month for his insurance rather than the $311 active county workers pay. - a $279-a-month difference.
"We never dreamed of paying insurance like that," said Iva Martin, who works at a hair salon to help make the payments. "I think they should have helped some with it, because [the retirees] gave some 25 to 30 years of their lives to the county."
LENGTH: Medium: 61 linesby CNB