TheBakersfieldCalifornian.com

Retired city of Bakersfield employees are upset city officials are making moves to change their health care plan.

A letter sent Tuesday, signed by 100 former staffers, was just the latest communique in a mini-drama that has been unfolding since at least September.

The city's human resources manager, Javier Lozano, says officials are simply trying to reduce costs for retirees and for the city.

"If it looks like a good product," Lozano said, the city should "at least look at it."

An insurance committee has been exploring the possibility of moving retirees to a plan administered by the county of Riverside called Exclusive Care Select. Retirees could save nearly $885,000 in premium costs in 2010 and the city about $490,000, a September memo from Lozano said. Monthly premiums for the current Blue Cross plan will go up 41.5 percent next year, the memo says.

Tuesday's letter from retirees raises several concerns:

* The Riverside plan works more like an HMO than the PPO, or preferred provider organization, most retirees have now;

* Coverage for equipment such as wheelchairs and hospital beds would be limited to $1,000 a year; the current plan has no maximum;

* Riverside's plan was only recently extended to Ventura and Orange counties, providing an "extremely limited" history of claim processing and service.

Many retirees also question the city's savings estimates, saying additional out-of-pocket expenses could cancel out lower premiums.

Gregory Klimko, the city's former finance director, is among those who signed the letter.

City officials have been acting like "they know what's best for us," he said, when their actions indicate the real goal is "to save them money."

A new plan, for example, wouldn't impact active employees. That fact has some seeing the city's push as, effectively, a contract amendment for retirees.

Currently, Riverside plan administrators are negotiating with local providers and hospitals, Lozano said. They're also holding three sessions for retirees next week to answer questions.

Any change would ultimately be made by the City Council, but the issue is unlikely to go to the council until at least January, he said.