Ruling stirs debate on retiree healthcare

Some employer and labor groups welcomed a federal decision allowing employers to offer different health benefits to retirees under 65 and those 65 and over. The ruling this week by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, they said, will allow employers to maintain benefits for younger retirees who aren't yet eligible for Medicare. Supporters of the EEOC's decision say a ruling that would have made it illegal to offer lower benefits to older retirees could have led employers to cut retiree health benefits altogether.