It is called ERRP Early Retiree Reinsurance Program (ERRP)
The Early Retiree Reinsurance Program provides $5 billion in financial assistance to employers and unions to help them maintain coverage for early retirees age 55 and older who are not yet eligible for Medicare.
Businesses, other employers, and unions that were accepted into the program will receive reimbursement for medical claims for early retirees and their spouses, surviving spouses, and dependents. Savings can be used to reduce employer health care costs, provide premium relief to workers and families, or both. ERRP provides reinsurance for the claims of high-cost retirees and their families (80 percent of the costs from $15,000 to $90,000). The program ends on January 1, 2014 when State health insurance Exchanges are up and running. The $5 billion was to last till 2014 but already has run out of money.
The Early Retiree Reinsurance Program provides much-needed financial relief for employers so retirees can get quality, affordable insurance by passing on the reduced costs in lower premiums to the retirees.
Rising health care costs have made it difficult for employers to provide quality, affordable health insurance for workers and retirees. The percentage of large firms providing workers with retiree health coverage has dropped from 66 percent in 1988 to 29 percent in 2009. Health insurance premiums for older Americans are over four times more expensive than they are for young adults, and the deductible these enrollees pay is, on average, almost four times that for a typical employer-sponsored insurance plan.
The bottom line is just about every city, county government, school system, large and small business in the country signed up for the funds which were paid out to decrease pre 65 retirees premiums. See a list of participating employers in your state. http://www.healthcare.gov/...
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