I'm concerned about the health care funding crisis faced by my retirement system, STRS Ohio. The money that is available for the STRS Ohio Health Care Program will run out in just a few short years. Without additional money, the STRS Oho retiree health care program will end. Many retirees and disabled teachers will not be able to afford the health care coverage that is available on the open market. That will cause more Ohioans to become uninsured.

Having access to affordable health care coverage in retirement is important to my fellow teachers retirees and me. That's why I support the health care legislative initiative that is proposed by STRS Ohio and supported by the Health Care Advocates for STRS. This proposal increases contributions from active teachers by 2.5% and from employers by 2.5%. The increases would be phased in over a five-year period, rather than implemented all at once. The additional dollars that these increases would generate will be placed in STRS Ohio's health care fund to help ensure that affordable health care coverage continues for current and future retired teachers.

This is an equitable plan that shares the responsibility for health care coverage among retirees, active teachers, and employers. For the first time, active teachers will be contributing to their own future health care coverage.

I am here to ask you to support this proposal. If you cannot support this proposal, I would like to know what you could support or what alternative you might offer to fund retiree health care.

This article is a reprint of the STRS One-Minute Message. It is imperative that everyone know and understand the importance of HB315 to our future health care and to our pension system. Please continue to get the word out!