Boston: Report says Brockton owes more for healthcare than other big MA cities

A new report says Brockton owes a lot of money in health care costs to the city’s future retirees, more than most local officials realized.

The study, from the Massachusetts Taxpayers Foundation, shows that Brockton owes more per household than any of the ten cities analyzed.

Brockton owes just under $700 million in health care benefits for current and future retirees over the next 30 years.

The city has not set aside any money toward that bill, which will continue to grow with inflation.

In recent years, Brockton has taken measures to slow the cost increase, requiring all city employees to enroll in Medicare when eligible, increasing insurance premiums for most employees, and closing the most expensive health care plan to new enrollees.

The report says Brockton owes more than Lawrence, Lowell, Worcester, Springfield, New Bedford, Haverhill, Holyoke, Fitchburg, and Pittsfield.