LANSING, Mich. (AP) — A new study says many Michigan county governments haven't set aside enough money to pay for their retirees' health care costs and need to take steps to get the growing costs under control.
The nonpartisan Citizens Research Council says in a study released Friday that 29 of Michigan's 83 counties offer full health care benefits to retirees, 15 provide limited benefits and 39 provide no benefits or require retirees to pay 100 percent of the costs.
Seventeen counties have stopped providing retiree health care benefits to new employees. But the study says that still leaves an accrued liability of well over $4 billion, "the vast majority" of which is unfunded.
It adds that financially struggling counties likely will need to take steps to reduce retiree health care costs.
