Town Retiree Health Insurance Advisory Committee

About the Committee

The original charge of the committee established back at the 2014 Spring Town Meeting was to meet regularly, as required, and to advise and report to the Select Board and Town Meeting not later than the 2015 Spring Annual Town Meeting, on further developments regarding health insurance premium matters and health care plans for Town retirees, including but not limited to, in particular:

• Implementation of recently adopted changes in health insurance rate splits between the Town and retirees, in particular communications with retirees;
• Analysis of the impacts of past and future health insurance changes, including changes in Medicare, on the current and future retiree population;
• Updates of all initiatives in the Massachusetts State Legislature regarding retirees' health insurance and the OPEB liability;
• Review and analysis of the health insurance policies of the towns that Winchester compares itself to and competes with in hiring highly qualified employees;
• Suggest methods of communication designed to be effective with the retiree population; and
• Consider issues as they arise regarding retirees, future retirees, health care insurance OPEB and advise Town Meeting.

This Committee continued to meet beyond the 2015 Spring Town Meeting and report regularly to Town Meeting and Town Management because the charge remained important and relevant.  The Committee decided to transition from ad hoc to permanent by creating a new bylaw, which was approved by the 2022 Spring Town Meeting.  The Committee’s new charge remains the same as the one the 2014 Spring Town Meeting initially voted for. The only change to the original Committee is the make-up, which now includes more members and provisions for member duration of service.