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More Pennsylvania employers and unions will receive help providing health coverage to early retirees and their families.

Nearly 1,000 additional employers and unions have been approved to participate in the Affordable Care Act's Early Retiree Reinsurance Program, bringing total participants to 3,000 to date; applications still being accepted

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) today announced additional employers and unions accepted into the Early Retiree Reinsurance Program, including a number of applicants in Pennsylvania.  Nearly 1,000 large and small businesses, state and local governments, educational institutions, non-profit organizations, and unions have been accepted into the program and will begin to receive reimbursements for their early retirees' medical claims this fall.  The approvals announced today bring the total number of approvals to nearly 3,000 organizations.  HHS announced the first round of nearly 2,000 approvals in August.

"I am incredibly pleased to see so many employers embrace this important new program to maintain coverage for people who often have a difficult time finding affordable coverage," said HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius. "The Affordable Care Act helps large and small businesses to provide security to early retirees and their families."

Secretary Sebelius made the announcement from the Mine Safety Appliances Company (MSA) manufacturing plant in Cranberry Township, Pennsylvania – one of the now nearly 3,000 organizations participating in the Early Retiree Reinsurance Program.

Created by the Affordable Care Act as another bridge to the new health insurance Exchanges in 2014, the Early Retiree Reinsurance Program provides $5 billion in financial assistance to employers and unions to help them maintain coverage for early retirees ages 55 and older who are not yet eligible for Medicare.  Businesses and other employers and unions that are accepted into the program will receive reimbursement for medical claims of their early retirees and their spouses, surviving spouses, and dependents.  Savings may be used to reduce employer or union health care costs, provide premium or out-of-pocket relief to workers, retirees, and their families, or both.  The program ends on January 1, 2014, when the State-based health insurance Exchanges will be up and running.

HHS' Office of Consumer Information and Insurance Oversight has approved nearly 3,000 employer and union plans, representing a broad range of employers and unions from all 50 States and the District of Columbia, for participation in the Early Retiree Reinsurance Program, with more applications being reviewed every day.  In Pennsylvania, the following 165 organizations have been approved to date, including 62 new organizations.

1.            Accuride Erie L.P.

2.            Adams Electric Cooperative, Inc.*

3.            Administrative Office of the Pennsylvania Courts

4.            Air Products and Chemicals, inc.

5.            Alcoa Inc.

6.            Allegheny College*

7.            Allegheny County Schools Health Insurance Consortium*

8.            Allegheny Technologies Incorporated

9.            Allegheny Technologies Incorporated*

10.        AmerisourceBergen Corporation

11.        Arkema Inc.

12.        Armstrong World Industries, Inc.*

13.        Asbestos Workers Philadelphia Welfare Fund

14.        Bank of New York Mellon Corporation *

15.        Bayer Corporation*

16.        Bensalem Township School District

17.        Berwind Corporation

18.        Bimbo Bakeries USA, Inc.

19.        Board of Trustees Operating Engineers Local 66 Welfare Fund*

20.        Board of Trustees Southeastern Ironworker Health Care Plan

21.        Bucknell University

22.        Building Trades Health and Welfare Fund

23.        Burnharn Holdings, Inc.

24.        Carmeuse Lime, Inc.

25.        Carpenter Technology Corporation*

26.        Carpenters Health & Welfare Fund of Philadelphia & Vicinity

27.        Central Susquehanna Region School Employees' Health & Welfare Trust*

28.        Central York School District*

29.        CENTRIA *

30.        Ceratizit USA, Inc.

31.        Cigna Corporation*

32.        Citizens & Northern Corporation*

33.        City of Chester*

34.        City of Lancaster

35.        City of Philadelphia

36.        City of Pittsburgh

37.        City Of Reading*

38.        City of Sharon

39.        City of York School District*

40.        Columbia Borough School District

41.        Comcast Corporation

42.        Commonwealth of Pennsylvania

43.        CONSOL Energy, Inc.*

44.        Cork & Seal USA, Inc.

45.        County of Allegheny

46.        County of Berks*

47.        County of Blair*

48.        County of Delaware*

49.        County of Lancaster

50.        County of Schuylkill*

51.        County of York*

52.        Cranberry Area School District

53.        Crayola LLC

54.        Dallas School District

55.        DENTSPLY International Inc.

56.        Dickinson College*

57.        Dover Area School District*

58.        Downingtown Area School District

59.        Duquesne Light Holdings, Inc.

60.        East Penn Mfg. Co., Inc.

61.        Elizabethtown Area School District

62.        Elizabethtown Borough Office

63.        Elkern Metals, Inc.

64.        Evonik Rohmax USA, Inc.*

65.        Fairview School District*

66.        FMC Corporation

67.        Fort LeBoeuf School District

68.        Franklin County Career and Technology Center*

69.        Geisinger System Services*

70.        Giant Eagle, Inc.*

71.        GlaxoSmithKIine LLC*

72.        Graphic Communications National Health and Welfare

73.        H.J. Heinz Company

74.        Hanover Public School District*

75.        Harbor Creek School District

76.        Hempfield School District

77.        Hershey Entertainment & Resorts Company

78.        Highmark Inc.

79.        Hospital Service Association of Northeastern Penns

80.        IAFF, Local 22, Joint Health Benefit Trust

81.        IBEW No 743 & Nation*

82.        Independence Blue Cross*

83.        International Union of Operating Engineers Welfare Fund of Eastern Pennsylvania and Delaware

84.        Iron Workers Welfare Plan of Western Pennsylvania

85.        IUPAT District Council No. 21 Welfare Fund

86.        Juniata College

87.        Keystone Foods LLC

88.        Lampeter-Strasburg School District

89.        Local 6 BC&T Workers International Union AFL-CIO

90.        Longwood Gardens, Inc.

91.        Lower Paxton Township

92.        Magnesita Refractories Company

93.        Matthews International Corporation

94.        Millcreek Township School District

95.        Millcreek Township Supervisors

96.        Mine Safety Appliances Company*

97.        Montgomery County Community College

98.        Neville Chemical Company*

99.        New Enterprise Stone & Lime Co., Inc.*

100.    Northeast Pennsylvania School Districts Health Trust*

101.    Northeastern School District*

102.    NOVA Chemicals Inc.*

103.    Oglebay Norton Company

104.    Ohio State Plumbers & Pipefitters Health & Welfare Fund

105.    Oil City Area School District

106.    Painters District Council No. 71 Health & Welfare

107.    Penncrest School District

108.    Pennsylvania House of Representatives*

109.    Pennsylvania National Mutual Casualty Insurance Co.

110.    Pennsylvania State Education Association

111.    Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission

112.    Penske Truck Leasing, Co. LP*

113.    Pequea Valley School District*

114.    PG Publishing Company*

115.    Pittsburgh Corning Corporation

116.    Pleasant Ridge Manor*

117.    Plumbers & Pipe Fitters Local 354

118.    Plumbers & Steamfitters Local 47 of Northwest PA W*

119.    Plumbers Local Union No. 690 Health Plan

120.    Pottsgrove School District*

121.    PPG Industries, Inc.

122.    PPL Services Corporation*

123.    Public School Employees' Retirement System*

124.    Republic Retiree VEBA Benefit Trust

125.    Retirees of The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company

126.    Ridley Township*

127.    Saint-Gobain Corporation*

128.    Sheet Metal Workers Health Fund

129.    South Western School District*

130.    Southco, Inc.

131.    Spang & Company

132.    Stearnfitters Local Union No. 420 Welfare Plan

133.    Steelworkers Health and Welfare Fund

134.    Sunbury Generation, LP*

135.    Sunoco, Inc

136.    Teachers Protective Mutual Life Insurance Company

137.    Teamsters #261 & Employers Welfare Fund*

138.    Teleflex Incorporated

139.    Temple University

140.    The Beistle Company

141.    The Board of Pensions of the Presbyterian Church

142.    The Hershey Company

143.    The Milton S. Hershey Medical Center

144.    The Pennsylvania State University

145.    The PNC Financial Services Group

146.    Township of Haverford

147.    Township of Haverford*

148.    Township of Marple*

149.    Trustees of the IBEW Local Union No. 380 Health and Welfare Fund

150.    Trustees of the UFCW Local 23 and Employers Health Fund

151.    Trustees of the University of Pennsylvania

152.    TSK Partners, Inc.

153.    TWU Westchester Private Bus Lines Health Benefit Trust

154.    UFCW Local 1776

155.    United Refining Company

156.    United States Steel Corporation*

157.    University of Pennsylvania Health System*

158.    Univest Corporation of Pennsylvania

159.    Upper Darby Township*

160.    USW Retirees of the Dana Corporation Health Care Trust

161.    Villanova University

162.    Wabtec Corporation*

163.    Warren County Courthouse*

164.    Wattsburg Area School District*

165.    Westinghouse Electric Company LLC

*Indicates newly approved applicant.

HHS has set up a website, www.ERRP.gov, where sponsors can begin submitting information today to qualify early retirees, spouses, surviving spouses, and dependents for claims reimbursements.  Starting in October, sponsors with approved applications who submit funding requests will begin to receive reimbursement for eligible claims.

Employers and unions interested in the Early Retiree Reinsurance Program should visit www.ERRP.gov or call 1-877-574-3777 or 877-574-ERRP.  Employers and unions can find the application form and application instructions, as well as other relevant guidance and regulations from HHS, online.

More information about the Early Retiree Reinsurance Program, a full alphabetical list of participants, and an interactive map displaying participants by state is available online.  Going forward, this list will be updated regularly.  To find this information, please visit:

http://www.healthcare.gov/news/factsheets/early_retiree_reinsurance_program.html

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