No misstatements regarding health coverage

In Article 10.1.1. of the AFT Contract 1493 and San Mateo County Community College District which expired June 30, 2009 states that only "spouses and domestic partners” of retirees are granted full medical benefits for life — that does not include "dependents.”

Since contact negotiations are now underway, I would like to see medical benefits such as these in SMCCD be cafeteria plan or marital status or domestic partner neutral. This concept of extended family benefits are reflecting in the evolving U.S. demographics. The reason my daughter was not added to the district health care plan two years is the fact I had no intentions of retiring at the time, and the shortfall in the premium was financially prohibitive, and still is.

The current "monthly charge” the vice chancellor alluded to in his recent response letter is over $7,000 annually and projected to increase to over $9,000 and more when I retire in the future. That monthly charge is costly for any retiree.

Since I am a breast cancer survivor and I am a good mother, I want comparable medical coverage for my daughter in case anything happens to her. It is PERSCARE Blue Cross Anthem (Prudent PPO) with high co-pays and $500 deductible. I want my child to have adequate coverage, if God forbid, she developed cancer.

After 30 years in education working with students with disabilities and cumulatively 36.5 years, I think our retiree medical benefits should be equitable in San Mateo County Community College District and not cost prohibitive in my case and other colleagues who want to retire. They are discriminatory unless you are married or have a domestic partner.

I am not alone in our district for wanting such equity/nondiscrimination when it comes to our hard-earned retirement benefits.

My daughter deserves that; I earned those benefits. I want the district to add one word to our contract, "dependent” when it comes to Article 10 as well as CSEA 33 Contract.

Jane A. Hetrick

San Carlos

The letter writer is a former disabled students coordinator and developmental skills professor