Dear Mr. Rentfrow:

Thank you for contacting AARP about the important issue of retiree health benefits.

Employers are not required to provide retiree health benefits.

However, if they choose to provide these benefits, the employer must comply with the Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA). AARP strongly supports measures to protect the right of all retirees to fair and equitable treatment in retiree health benefits.

The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) approved a rule that would permit employers to reduce or eliminate retirees' health benefits upon eligibility for Medicare, while continuing to provide full health benefits to younger retirees. AARP strongly believes that the EEOC acted unlawfully when it approved this exemption to the ADEA. If it is allowed to stand, the EEOC rule will jeopardize the health benefits of the more than 12 million current Medicare-eligible retirees-and millions of future retirees-who belong to a supplemental health plan through their former employer. These supplemental benefits are a valuable addition to retirees living on fixed incomes, and often encourage people to seek health care in a timely fashion.

If the EEOC is allowed to issue its rule, the likely result is that more employers will reduce health care benefits for older retirees.

AARP has challenged the proposed EEOC rule in federal court. While we are appealing the most recent court ruling, we are heartened by a prior ruling and we continue to believe that the EEOC rule violates the ADEA.

Those of our members who were aware of the proposed regulations overwhelmingly wrote to oppose the EEOC rule. Almost 60,000 older Americans filed comments with the EEOC in opposition to the rule when it was originally proposed. More than 150,000 contacted their Representative and Senators. If you were one of these writers or callers, many thanks!

With the support of you and thousands of AARP members, we will continue our fight to prevent the EEOC from issuing this illegal rule, and we'll work to stop legislation to weaken ADEA protections.

If there is any issue, service or product that we can assist you with in the future, please don't hesitate to ask.

HELPFUL INFORMATION ABOUT PENSION COUNSELING

AARP works hard in Washington to advocate for legislation to protect and strengthen pensions, and all workers' pension benefit rights. We believe that is the most effective way to allocate our limited resources on behalf of the maximum number of members. Unfortunately, due to our large membership and limited staff we are unable to help resolve individual benefit issues case-by-case.

However, the Administration on Aging funds several pension counseling organizations, which do guide individuals through the legal maze that sometimes bars people from receiving their earned benefits. Below is a list of addresses and telephone numbers for a number of organizations. Hopefully, one of the organizations listed will be able to help resolve your pension problem. These pension-counseling projects provide a range of services from answering questions about expected retirement benefits to providing legal assistance.

If you or someone you know requires assistance, we urge you to contact the nearest regional pension-counseling project on the enclosed list, or call your local Area Agency on Aging (number in the blue, government pages of your phone book) for additional referrals.

"Pension Help" on the left side of the page. If you do not have

your own computer, your library can help you access this information online.

We are sending you, separately, our free booklet titled, "Your Pension Plan" (D13533), which lists additional sources of help and information. It is on the way to you, if you have provided your mailing address.

In addition, if you care to write the non-profit Pension Rights Center, 918 Sixteenth St., NW, Suite 704, Washington, DC 20006, you may purchase a comprehensive publication for $8.50 (enclose your

The U.S. Department of Labor publishes a number of documents on pension law including: "What You Should Know about Pension Laws."

You can receive this document free by writing to the address below, or calling toll free: 1-866-444-3272.

Pension and Welfare Benefit Administration Division of Public Information 200 Constitution Avenue, NW Room N-5666 Washington, DC 20210

I hope these sources prove helpful. I want to wish you every success in resolving your pension problem. Again, thank you for getting in touch with us. If we can assist you in the future with an issue, product, or service, please do not hesitate to ask.

Sincerely,

June

Member Communications

Member@aarp.org

Referral List

PENSION COUNSELING REFERRALS

Chicago Pension Information Effort

Chicago Department on Aging, Chicago, IL

(312) 745-4430

Michigan Office of Services to the Aging Elder Law of Michigan, Lansing MI

(800) 347-5297

Upper Midwest Pension Rights Project

Minnesota Senior Federation

St. Paul, MN

(651) 783-5021

Midwest Pension Rights Project

St. Louis, MO

(314) 725-1516

(877) 725-1516

New England Pension Action Center

Gerontology Institute

University of Massachusetts

Boston, MA (617) 287-7307

Mid-Atlantic Pension Rights Project

Legal Services for the Elderly

For New York and New Jersey

(646) 442-3310

(800) 355-7714

Ohio Pension Rights Project

Pro Seniors, Inc

(513) 345-4160

(800) 488-6070

Wisconsin Pension Rights Project

Coalition of Wisconsin Aging Groups

Madison (608) 224-0606

National (800) 488-2596

Toll-free 1-888-OUR-AARP (1-888-687-2277).

Toll-free 1-877-434-7598 TTY

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