With many NYSUT retirees facing rising health care expenses, it's only fair that all public sector employees should be able to use pre-tax pension money to help cover the cost of their health insurance premiums.

That's why NYSUT — along with the American Federation of Teachers and the National Education Association — is working for the expansion of the federal Public Protection Act of 2006.

Under that act, public safety retirees such as police officers and firefighters can use up to $3,000 in annual pre-tax pension distributions to pay for qualified health insurance premiums, including health, accident or long-term care.

An expansion of this act would mean that all NYSUT public sector retirees would also be able to use this pre-tax portion of their pension money to help lessen the burden of their health care costs.

At a time when the federal government has devised an economic stimulus package, it also makes sense to help one of the most vulnerable segments of the American economy — retirees on fixed incomes — as they struggle to pay health insurance premiums.

Any such help means retirees will have more disposable income to spend on things other than their health insurance.

"This pre-tax benefit would be a great help for our retired members, some of whom are paying co-pays and premiums," Donahue said.

She noted that it would help stretch the dollars they are currently spending on health care.

With this benefit currently available to in-service members, Donahue said, "There is no reason not to extend this benefit to our retirees." Her office oversees retiree and health-related issues for NYSUT.

The AFT is working on new bill language that would incorporate all public sector employees. NYSUT plans to back those efforts by helping find co-sponsors from the New York congressional delegation.

Judith Rudman, who represents retirees on the NYSUT Board of Directors, said retirees consider the expansion of the act to all public sector retirees a matter of fair play.

"We have all these benefits when we're working, and when we're retired, we have the same expenses and the same needs," said Rudman, a former French teacher in West Hempstead on Long Island. "In fact, as retirees, when it comes to health care, it's often more expensive."

Please see the NYSUT Web site (http://www.nysut.org/) for a letter you can send to your federal legislators, urging their action on this important issue.

— Darryl McGrath