Pre-65-year-old retirees are currently offered an OPERS group plan, where OPERS picks up between 51 percent to 90 percent of the cost. On average, retirees are paying $354 a month.

Retirees and government workers in the Ohio Public Employees Retirement System will shoulder higher costs for health care beginning Jan. 1, 2022. OPERS trustees voted 9-2 on Wednesday to make ...

Director of human resource Kristen Treadway told ThisWeek plans were just approved by OPERS for Jan. 1 through Dec. 31, 2011, and letters hadn't yet been sent to employees about the retirement option.

But OPERS’ analysts estimate it will be at least 15 years before the pension fund can resume setting aside money for the health fund. “So, obviously, the math doesn’t work,” Carraher said.