Illinois Public Employers May Have To Pay For the Health Insurance of Line-Of-Duty Pensioners

On March 20, 2003, the Illinois Supreme Court issued its long-awaited decision in Krohe v. City of Bloomington , Case No. 94112 (March 20, 2003), in which the Court interpreted the term "catastrophic injury" as used in the Public Safety Employee Benefits Act ("PSEBA"). The Supreme Court interpreted the term "catastrophic injury" to mean any injury that qualifies an individual for a line-of-duty disability pension. Since then, the City of Bloomington has filed a petition for rehearing with the Supreme Court. Assuming that the Court does not reverse itself, its decision will have serious financial ramifications for all Illinois public employers who employ full-time public safety officers such as firefighters, police and correctional officers.