Op. Atty. Gen. 125a-28 (Cr. Ref. 59a-25 161b-7)

**What Happened** Itasca County wanted to know if it could change health insurance benefits for retired employees when negotiating a new union contract. The county questioned whether it had the legal right to modify retiree health coverage, such as adding or increasing co-pays that retirees would have to pay for their medical care. **What the Court Decided** The Minnesota Attorney General ruled that counties can modify health insurance coverage for retired employees through collective bargaining agreements. However, there are important limits: if the county wants to add co-pays or increase costs for retirees, the same changes must also apply to current working employees. The county cannot single out retirees for worse treatment than active workers. **Why This Matters for Workers** This ruling affects both current and retired public employees. While it allows employers to reduce retiree benefits during contract negotiations, it provides important protection by requiring equal treatment between active and retired workers. If you're a public employee, this means your employer cannot unfairly target retirees with benefit cuts that don't also affect current workers. However, it also means retiree benefits aren't completely protected from changes during union contract talks.