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Benefits Unit
County Of Sonoma › Administrative Support & Fiscal Services › Human Resources › Divisions and Units › Benefits › Retiree Benefits › SCARE Class Action Settlement
Benefits Unit

Sonoma County Associate of Retired Employees (SCARE) Class Action Settlement

The County received the Court’s Order Granting Final Approval of the class action Settlement Agreement between Sonoma County Association of Retirees, et. al. v. Sonoma County, CV 09-4432 CW on April 18, 2017. See the Final Court Judgment for additional details.  Additional information regarding the settlement can be found on the SCARE website at: http://www.sonomacountyretirees.com/legal.shtml

Employees hired before January 1, 2009 and who are still actively employed, and recent retirees who retired on or after July 1, 2016 are not impacted by this class action Settlement Agreement. 

Retiree medical benefits are governed by the Salary Resolution.  Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) may contain specific agreements related to retiree medical benefits, and these agreements are for a defined contract period.

Class Action Settlement

Final Court Judgment

Certified Settling Retiree Class - Eligible County Retirees Defined

Eligible County Retirees means retired former employees of Sonoma County or County Special Districts who meet the following criteria: 

  • Retired from the County or a County Special District on or before June 30, 2016; and
  • Were hired by the County or a County Special District on or before December 31, 1989, and had been a contributing member of the Sonoma County Employees Retirement Association (SCERA) and retired directly from the County or a County Special District service: OR
  • Were hired by the County or a County Special District on or after January 1, 1990 through December 31, 2008, had at least 10 consecutive years of full time paid County or a County Special District service, and had been a contributing member of the Sonoma County Employees Retirement Association (SCERA) and retired directly from the County or a County Special District employment.

Eligible County Retirees Also Include:

  • Retirees of the Sonoma County Superior Court who were County employees at the time of retirement before January 1, 2001 and who upon retirement, enrolled in a County Offered Medical Plan, were eligible to receive a monthly medical contribution, and met the eligibility criteria in No. 2 or No. 3, above.
  • County or County Special District employees who retired on or before June 30, 2016 and upon retirement were eligible to receive a monthly medical contribution and upon retirement or thereafter waived coverage for themselves and the Eligible County Retiree's Eligible Dependent(s) as defined in Paragraph 3.13 of the Settlement Agreement) and have a signed "Waiver of Medical Plan Acknowledgement" on file with the County. County employees who cancelled or dropped coverage in writing at the time of retirement, or at a later date, without a right to re-enroll are not Eligible County Retirees.
  • Any retired employee of a County Special District currently receiving a $500 monthly medical contribution from the County as of June 30, 2016, including without limitation such retired employees of Sonoma County Transportation Authority, In Home Support Services Public Authority, or the Sonoma County Law Library.
  • Any surviving spouse of a deceased Settling County Retiree, as defined in the Settlement Agreement, who is enrolled in a County Offered Medical Plan and was receiving a $500 or less County Medical Contribution as of June 30, 2016.

Health Reimbursement Arrangement (SCARE-HRA)

The Sonoma County Association of Retired Employees Health Reimbursement Arrangement (SCARE-HRA) has been established pursuant to the Settlement Agreement in the lawsuit entitled Sonoma County Association of Retirees, et. al. v. Sonoma County, CV 09-4432 CW. Only members of the Settlement Class in this lawsuit are eligible for the benefits of the SCARE-HRA.

County contributions, totaling approximately $12 million, will be paid in three (3) increments on or before the following dates: June 30, 2017, June 30, 2018, and June 30, 2019.  The County contributions to individual SCARE-HRA participant accounts will be made on a pro rata basis and will be based on the number of surviving participants. County contribution amounts in 2017, 2018 and 2019 will be determined annually; amount of the contribution will vary each year.