Letter to the Editor: November 17, 2022

For many in the safety forces, while they were working, they were not allowed to pay into Social Security/Medicare. They had no choice but to pay into the Police and Fire Disability and Pension Fund. To my knowledge, since its inception, this fund has covered medical coverage for retirees similar to Medicare, but, about three years ago, the fund decided not to cover the equivalent of Medicare for hundreds of retirees over 65 years old. Basically, these folks now have to pay the full cost of Medicare, around $8,000 per year, out of their meager pensions or do without any medical insurance.

The last time I checked the Ohio Police and Fire Fund was the only one of the six public pension funds in Ohio to treat literally hundreds of retirees this way as second-class citizens. The other funds have stated to me that they cover the equivalent of Medicare for retirees that do not have enough Social Security/Medicare credits.

Police and fire individuals die 10 years sooner than other typical Ohio citizens on average. They deserve to be treated as retirees better than others but would settle for being treated at least as good as the worst of the other six pension funds regarding health care.

The Police and Fire Pension Fund is presently supporting a bill in the Ohio House (HB 512) that would require employers of the safety forces to increase their contributions to the fund. I am opposing this bill unless it is amended to require the fund to cover the equivalent of Medicare for retired individuals who do not have enough credits for Social Security/Medicare.

If you really support the thin blue line, perhaps you should contact your Ohio House representative and Ohio senator and urge them to join me. Likely, they will be holding hearings on HB 512 this month. You are encouraged to testify, as I will.

Police officers and/or fire personnel in many cities are retiring or resigning in droves, because the jobs are dangerous and difficult and officers are often are not well supported. The Cleveland Police Department, for example, has hundreds of openings they have not been able to fill with competent personnel. Unless the safety forces are treated better, we will get more individuals in these jobs that like to be bullies, kneel on people’s necks and get enjoyment hiding around corners waiting to give tickets to folks that may not come to an absolute, complete stop at stop signs. Not a good sign for the future. So sad. 

John G. Augustine

Parkman