Henderson to consider ending employee retirement health care subsidy program

Henderson City Council is preparing to vote on a proposal to terminate the Retiree Health Insurance Premium Assistance (RHIPA) program and shift affected workers to Retirement Health Savings (RHS) accounts. The measure, which would amend joint benefits agreements with the Henderson Police Officers Association, the Henderson Police Supervisors Association and Henderson Professional Firefighters Local 1883, is slated for discussion at Tuesday’s council meeting, according to an online agenda. A vote on the amendments will follow the presentations, a city spokesperson said on Monday. If ratified, the change would apply to union members as well as non‑represented employees, moving them away from RHIPA—which provides a monthly subsidy of $200 to $400 based on years of service—and toward enhanced RHS accounts usable for eligible retirement health expenses. RHIPA was created in 2014; employees originally contributed $15 to $20 per paycheck, a figure that was raised to $24.20 per paycheck after amendments in 2019 and 2023. Contributions are scheduled to rise automatically by 10 percent every five years, beginning in