...universal, and high quality.

Unfortunately that is not yet the case, but if it were, perhaps the health care costs of Hartford retirees would not be about to increase by over 200%. Christine Stuart at CT News Junkie reports:

Flora Long and her husband currently pay about $4,900 a year for their health insurance, but as of July 1, they will be asked to pay $12,100 a year.

As a retired executive assistant to a school principal, Long said the 251 percent increase is simply unaffordable. “It’s incredulous to take on the group that’s the most vulnerable,” Long said before rejoining the picket line of about 50 other retired city and school workers outside City Hall Wednesday.

“This is not the City of Hartford I worked for,” Kathleen Collins, vice president of the Hartford Federation of Retired Teachers, said.

These retirees are covered for as long as they can afford to keep up with the ever-increasing contribution levels asked of them, but what kind of security is that? The fact that the costs borne by the retirees can increase unpredictably (and exorbitantly) from year-to-year requires them to make difficult decisions based on financial considerations as opposed to what is best for their health.

The CT News Junkie report about these retirees just serves as a reminder of why we are working toward health care that is continuous, affordable, and sustainable. When we get to that point, retirees will no longer have to protest a 251% increase in their premiums, levied on them in order to balance a municipal budget.