The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission gave a Christmas present to corporations Wednesday with a ruling which states health benefits for former employees over age 65 may be eliminated.  In other words, if you’re over 65, your employer-sponsored health benefits could become  a thing of the past.

AARP  immediately went on the record strongly condemning the decision which is estimated to affect up to 10 million people.

"This rule gives employers free rein to use age as a basis for reducing or eliminating health care benefits for retirees 65 and older," said AARP attorney Christopher Mackaronis.  

As always there are various opinions. 

Health care costs are skyrocketing and employers are trying to stop the bleeding.  There is a strong possibility very few people will be able to pay expensive premiums in the near future anyway. And employers view it as  just passing on the retirees to the government. Benefits will come from the government. Or will they?

The main problem  I see is people were promised certain benefits while they were working. It is wrong to renege on those promises now when they need them the most.   Why can’t the grandparents be grandfathered in? Why can’t corporations cut costs by reducing future benefits; not those benefits already promised?

However, there’s a very lively debate about the issue going on over at Steve Benen’s blog, The Carpetbagger Report.

You can go there and read some of his readers’ responses.  You will not be bored. 

Read EEOC Clears Path for Reduced Retiree Benefits

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