Free health insurance for life for 26 former Orange officials
But five legislators and three countywide officials who then left office at the end of 2013 are getting free medical coverage today at county taxpayers' expense, with no 12 percent cost share. That is because the county continued to offer free health insurance in perpetuity to former officials who had served at least eight years and reached age 55.
Twenty-six former officials in all currently get that benefit, according to a list the county provided the Times Herald-Record. It included 18 part-time legislators who left office as long ago as 1989; former county executives
Most are now 65 or older, which means they are eligible for Medicare and must use
The total expense was not available. If all 26 retirees were using the county's free insurance as a Medicare supplement only, the total annual premiums would range from about
Among the former legislators receiving free health insurance is state Sen.
Bonacic, who is 74 and retiring in December after 28 years in
"The health benefits he receives were earned and paid for," spokesman
Elected officials represent only a sliver of
"Take it from the taxpayer's point of view," Hoefer said. "Do you want to be on the hook for this forever? It seems like a lot of benefit for the work provided."
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