UI, retirees settle lawsuit

MOSCOW, Idaho – The University of Idaho and more than 250 retired employees have settled a lawsuit over changes to the retirees’ insurance benefits.

The settlement was approved by the Latah County District Court on Thursday, and it says that barring a financial emergency, health insurance premiums for retirees won’t increase by more than 10 percent over the previous year. The settlement also holds that life insurance benefits won’t drop below $10,000.

The terms of the settlement were short of what retirees had hoped for, but it means they won’t have to pay the university’s attorney’s fees.

The retirees had originally contended that the school agreed to pay the full tab for medical and life insurance premiums, but later revised the benefits. But the school maintained it had reserved the right to change benefits.