FRANKFORT, Ky. — The president of the Kentucky Education Association said Monday that “a lot of anger is growing” among teachers and state employees who have to subsidize health coverage for retired employees of cities, counties and universities.

        Those retirees, with their higher average health-care costs, account for 5,600 of the 174,000 people eligible for inclusion in the state's health-insurance group, according to Personnel Cabinet figures.

        When dependents are included, the group contains 230,000 people.

        Active workers of the universities and local governments do not have to join in the state group, however. The teacher union has complained for years that those “non-participating agencies” have dumped their retirees. Meanwhile, coverage costs have increased for state government employees, school employees and dependents.

        “A solution to this problem must be found,” Judith Gambill, president of the teacher union, told the House State Government Committee.

        “It is not an option for state group members to continue to subsidize retirees from non-participating agencies. A lot of anger is growing among state group members over this problem.”

        The chairman of the committee, Rep. Charles Geveden of Wickliffe, said he planned to bring legislation this week to require agencies and institutions participating in a state-run retirement system to also be part of the state-sponsored health-insurance program.

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