Illinois’ Healthcare Debt

Simply put, this piece of Illinois healthcare news doesn’t look good for the state’s teachers or its residents.

Every adult in Illinois is on the hook for $4,000 in retired teacher healthcare costs, according to a Bellwether Education Partners study, released on Tuesday, September 18, 2018. The state owes $54 billion in future health care costs, ranking as the sixth most in-debt place out of all states based on the adult population. Chad Aldeman of Bellwether Education Partners offered a handful of solutions for managing the growing bills from healthcare.

In one scenario, the state could rescind coverage of retirees making more than a certain amount. “The state is providing retiree benefits even to a retired superintendent who’s making $150,000 or $200,000 a year in a pension and they get free healthcare on top of that,” Aldeman said. “That may not be a good use of public dollars.”