I guess there could always be a sequel to the saga. . . The Philadelphia Inquirer has this article--"EEOC says health benefits can be cut"--which alludes to the fact that there could be even more legal battles ahead for companies as they grapple with the retiree health benefit challenge:
Advocates for seniors said yesterday that more than 12 million retirees age 65 and older who have employer-sponsored health coverage could see those benefits cut or dropped after the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission found that doing so would not violate federal age-discrimination laws.Posted by B. Janell Grenier at April 25, 2004 07:50 PMOfficials at the AARP, the nation's largest seniors group, said they would work with government agencies and private employers - and in court if necessary - to preserve the benefits despite the EEOC's finding.
"We think we have a very good legal case, and we think we can win in court. And we're prepared to take that step if necessary," said Michael Naylor, AARP's director of advocacy.