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Supporters urge Massachusetts to create Medicare Part A buy‑in for certain state retirees
Summary
At a Joint Committee on Public Service hearing, advocates and affected retirees urged passage of House Bill 2874 to have the Commonwealth pay Medicare Part A premiums and late enrollment penalties for retirees age 65+ who lack Medicare eligibility, arguing it would save public employers money and broaden retirees' access to benefits.
Supporters of House Bill 2874 told the Joint Committee on Public Service that the Commonwealth should implement a Medicare buy‑in program to enroll certain state retirees into Medicare Part A by having the state pay Part A premiums and any late enrollment penalties.
"This legislation will create a critical opportunity to improve the efficiency, equity, and sustainability of retiree health benefits in the Commonwealth," Representative Hendricks said, urging a favorable report on the bill. Hendricks told the committee the proposal would require the Commonwealth Group Insurance Commission to implement the program by July 2026 and said it would reduce reliance on more expensive public retiree plans while allowing affected retirees access to Medicare Part A hospital coverage.
A retiree who testified said thousands of former state employees lack Medicare because the Commonwealth did not pay into the federal program on their behalf while they were working. "I and the 10,000 plus additional non‑Medicare eligible state retirees are patiently waiting for enrollment into the Medicare buy in program," Don Buckley told the committee, describing a 38‑year career in state public health service and saying he retired July 1, 2015. Buckley said affected retirees often have smaller pensions and higher premiums and deductibles than Medicare; he cited a May 20, 2024 article in the Voice of the Retired Public Employee and told the committee that, as of April 2024, about 60.7 million people nationally were enrolled in Medicare, with 89.5% at least 65 years old.
Witnesses and supporters said the buy‑in would cover only Medicare Part A (hospital insurance); Representative Hendricks noted that Part B (outpatient coverage) is not included in the bill. Proponents also said other states and some municipal employers have taken similar steps, shifting costs to Medicare and reducing local retiree insurance spending.
No committee action was taken at the hearing. Committee staff announced the committee will accept written testimony through June 18; members did not vote on the measure during the session.
