State debts growing at an alarming rate while trying to accommodate the public sector retiree’s health insurance costs.

The general assembly had given Gov. Pat Quinn the authority to increase the amount of premium paid by the retirees, though the governor made only some marginal changes. Taxpayers will pick up the deficit which was $900 million for the year 2014.
These problems will increase and in the next 10 years the taxpayer costs for these programs will increase to $2.6 billion. Retirees from the private sector usually pay their own health insurance, as compared to government and university employees who can afford to take an early retirement - in their mid-fifties. In most states government retirees pay 54% of their own health insurance costs.
In most other states, public employees pay 54% of their health insurance costs which is considered generous enough. The Illinois state has a $56 billion debt due to the retiree health insurance which is not a publicized fact, though the growing debt is reducing resources for other priorities. Steps should be taken to establish a system which can take care of the current and future retirees, in a fair manner, so that the tax hikes may be avoided.
References:
Dave, May 2014
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Source-Medindia