Ohio Police and Fire Pension Fund under fire after deep cuts to retirees' medical coverage

CLEVELAND, OH (WOIO) - First responder retirees are fuming after a series of reports by Cleveland 19 shed light on the elimination of health care insurance by the Ohio Police and Fire Pension Fund.

Their coverage was replaced by a stipend, and they say the monthly check doesn’t come close to covering the costs of the coverage they had.

David Graham, a spokesman for the pension, insisted that AON -- the company administering the changes -- was doing a good job.

Let’s have the numbers do the talking: before 2013, 6.75% of a worker’s wage went to fund insurance. That year, it was lowered to 4.69%. and then lowered again to 2.85%.

After that, and with no vote, the contribution is down to one half of one percent.

One solution is to require cities employing members to up their contributions to the fund. Cleveland 19 talked to Tom Patton, a seasoned state representative, and he said it’s an impossible sell at the Ohio Statehouse.

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