Health care costs slam retirees

[Omaha Steve]

http://www.omaha.com/index.php?u_page=1208&u_sid=2369026

Published Friday | April 20, 2007
Health care costs slam retirees
BY LEIA BAEZ
WORLD-HERALD STAFF WRITER


Alice Woods should see a doctor regularly, but the Omaha woman said she often is reluctant to go.

That's because she is one of about 2,600 Lucent Technologies retirees in Nebraska and Iowa facing increases of as much as 150 percent in their health insurance premiums.

A meeting organized by the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers and the Communications Workers of America on Thursday drew about 500 retirees to the Millard American Legion Hall.

Corporations nationwide are trimming or eliminating retiree health insurance benefits.

"They keep raising the premiums and everything is too high," said Woods, who retired in 2000. "We are too old to figure out how to make more money to pay for health care. It's time for somebody to do something."

Nearly 8,000 people worked at the plant at 12000 I St. when Western Electric operated it in 1970. The factory later became part of Lucent Technologies, Avaya Inc. and, eventually, Connectivity Solutions.

FULL story at link.