Commissioners warned House Bill 4144 could create contingent liabilities for counties

A staff member briefed the court on House Bill 4144, which the presenter said requires public entities to provide a benefit to qualifying retired firefighters and law-enforcement officers diagnosed with stroke, heart attack or cancer within three years of retirement. The presenter said insurance products were not widely available immediately after enactment and that one vendor solution (MetLife) could cost roughly $300 per qualifying retiree per month. "It's gonna be about $300 per month, which is about $3,600 per year that would provide that coverage," the presenter said.

The presenter also warned of a contingent county liability if the county had to provide direct payments; he said that liability could be roughly equal to one year's salary for a qualifying retiree ("you're looking at probably something 70,000, 80,000 or more"). Commissioners asked whether Medicare or Social Security eligibility would modify the obligation; the presenter said he would research specific bill language and could not recall a Medicare caveat in his recollection.