Cuomo Vetoes Retiree Health Insurance Bill

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) has vetoed a bill that would have required municipalities to award retirees 30 days' notice before changing health insurance plans or adjusting retirees' premiums or copays, reports Crain's New York Business . The state Legislature has passed versions of the bill in each of the past three years, but each time Cuomo has killed the legislation. Earlier versions called for 60 and 45 days' notice to the retired public employees. The bill was endorsed by the Retired Public Employees Association (RPEA), which advocates on behalf of roughly 200,000 people. The group said the bill would have helped retirees, many of whom live on fixed incomes, prepare for changes that could cause them financial hardship. "Allowing retirees to plan for changes to their health care is a small but significant courtesy, and they have earned the respect to receive notification," the RPEA said.