Lawmakers seek health care and retirement protections for Steward Health Care workers

By STEVE LeBLANC
Associated Press

BOSTON (AP) — A group of Democratic members of Congress is seeking reassurances that workers at hospitals owned by Steward Health Care will have their health care and retirement benefits protected. Steward last month said it plans to sell off all its hospitals after announcing that it filed for bankruptcy protection. In a letter to acting Labor Secretary Julie Su on Monday, Sen. Edward Markey of Massachusetts said Steward’s bankruptcy “poses concerns for the nearly 30,000 workers including nearly 10,000 in Massachusetts, who rely on Steward Health Care for their paychecks, health care plans, and retirement benefits.”