Employees tell Fulton County council they lost HSA contributions after following Medicare guidance; council to follow up

Several county employees raised a sustained concern during public-comments and the old-business segment of the Oct. 21 Fulton County council meeting: they said they were told — incorrectly, they later learned — to enroll in Medicare, and that action caused them to lose their health‑savings‑account eligibility and employer contributions.

One employee summarized the complaint: "We was told we had to sign up for Medicare and we lost our HSA," and said the group later learned from benefits counsel that employees who have employer coverage with an employer of 20 or more employees may not have been required to enroll in Medicare. Employees said the incorrect guidance led to a loss of benefits and asked the council to make them whole for any HSA contributions they missed during that period.

Council members acknowledged the concern and agreed to follow up. The chair said staff would consult Kathy (county benefits staff) and Christine (Clawson referenced) and that they likely need to reconvene the insurer or benefits adviser (Darren) to clarify the facts and potential remedies. One council member noted that any remedial policy would need to consider equity across employees, since a decision to compensate some employees for lost HSA contributions could create similar expectations among other staff.

No formal remedy was decided at the meeting; the council asked staff to gather relevant records and to return with options.

The employees asked that the issue appear on the next meeting’s agenda for a fuller discussion with benefits staff present.