Chair highlights NSRS breakdown of health-care savings plans for police and fire; employee-side data missing

The Chair of the Legislative Commission on Pensions and Retirement said the commission has a new NSRS document that ‘‘breaks down health care savings plans for law enforcement and fire groups’’ and suggested it should help subgroup one as it reviews benefit options. The document, compiled by Aaron from NSRS, categorizes plans by employer type (city or county), who is covered, and by whether contributions were part of collective bargaining agreements.

The Chair pointed to examples recorded in the document, including Hennepin County and the Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office, and noted that some accounts collect sick and severance pay via payroll deduction. ‘‘That's all recorded on there, and then we have a 1% employee contribution that we make,’’ the Chair said, adding that the sheet does not track the employee side of contributions and the chair did not want to assume employee contribution levels. The gap means the commission and its subcommittees may need follow-up to determine typical employee contribution amounts and how plans are structured across employers.

Commission staff proposed using the linked document as a snapshot to guide subgroup analysis and suggested members examine employer-side contribution patterns and collective-bargaining distinctions. Members did not take a formal vote on policy; staff indicated subgroup one would use the resource to compare options and report back.

Proper names and sources mentioned in the discussion included Aaron (document author) and Hennepin County; the transcript also references NSRS as the compiling organization. The commission did not adopt any motions on this item during the session.