Retired town employee brought action for declaration that town was obligated to pay fifty percent of the full premium cost for health insurance for retired town employees and their dependent spouses.
The Superior Court granted summary judgment to employee. Town appealed.
After sua sponte transfer of case, the Supreme Judicial Court held that:
- Statute providing for town, after adoption of statute, to pay 50 percent of amount of health care premium “to be paid by a retired employee” requires town to cover 50 percent of premium that retired employee is to pay, not 50 percent of cost to cover retired employee individually if retired employee’s selected plan is for family rather than individual coverage, and
- Allegedly misleading language in ballot question did not invalidate town’s adoption of such statute.