Posted: 3:48 PM Apr 28, 2012
Reporter: Chad Mills

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Saturday, April 28, 2012

AIKEN, S.C. -- Savannah River Site retirees have kept phones at congressional and Department of Energy offices ringing. They don’t want to swallow the pill of change -- change that will likely overhaul their medical benefits system.

Now, two U.S. lawmakers are putting more pressure on the Department of Energy for answers.

The Savannah River Site Retiree Association crammed into St. Angela's Hall in downtown Aiken a few weeks ago for their annual meeting. The medical benefit changes was the topic of concern.

Many of them could lose their benefits at the beginning of next year. Retirees over 65 would be forced off the site benefits plan and be forced to buy commercial health insurance. They'll get DOE money for that, but they don't know how much. For those under 65, their premiums would increase under the planned changes.

"The next steps are working with Sen. Graham's office and with Sen. Jim DeMint's office," said Congressman Joe Wilson, R-S.C., a few weeks ago.

Now, his office is working with Sen. Lindsey Graham’s, R-S.C., to do just that.

News 12 obtained a copy of a letter delivered on Friday to David Huizenga, the senior manager for Environment Management at the Department of Energy.

The letter reiterates questions about the proposed changes that would take effect on Jan. 1, 2013. It also offers several suggestions as the health benefits overhaul is finalized.

News 12 has documentation showing that Sen. Graham has sent a similar letter to the Department of Energy before. In that letter from December 2011, he asked the Department of Energy to sit down with the SRS Retirees Association, Savannah River Nuclear Solutions and congressional staffers for a meeting. DOE sent a letter back to Graham promising a meeting as he requested. News 12 is told that meeting never happened. The letter DOE received Friday makes that request again.

“We continue to hear from the SRS retirees in our state and we would like the renew our request for a meeting between the Department of Energy, the SRS Management and Operations Contractor (M & O) and the Savannah River Site Retiree Association,” it reads.

News 12 will continue to follow this story as it develops.

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