A judge's ruling that the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department doesn't have to pay a state-mandated subsidy for its retirees who join the Public Employee Benefits Program may force as many as 3,500 retirees out of the state plan.
PEBP director Leslie Johnstone said District Judge Mark Denton agreed with Metro's union that because its health benefits are provided by a collectively bargained trust, it is outside the control of NRS287.
She said what the judge probably didn't realize is that only public retirees from jurisdictions covered by that statute are eligible to be in PEBP.
So his ruling means not only will about 100 retired Metro retirees be booted out of the state benefits program, every other retiree whose benefits were provided through a collectively bargained trust will have to leave with them.
"We don't know the total number that will impact but we think it's close to 3,500 people," Johnstone said.
But she said she is certain it will include some 1,900 Clark County School District retirees because they are covered by a similar trust fund.