Judge Signs Off on Pension Singing River Health System Pension Settlement

More than three weeks of waiting on a decision from a federal court judge on the Singing River Health System pension plan settlement is finally over. Today, U.S. District Court Judge Louis Guirola signed off on the settlement, meaning he believes it is fair, reasonable and adequate.
The settlement gives the health system 35 years to pay back the $55 million unaccounted for between 2009 and 2014, which totals nearly $150 million with interest. It also releases Singing River Health System and Jackson County from any liability. It applies to more than 3,000 current and former employees including more than 200 who oppose the settlement. Their lawyers say they plan to appeal. SRHS retiree attorney Harvey Barton said, “We’re looking at all the options and there’s several balls in play. One is the appeal from what the board of supervisors did on the bill of exceptions and obviously an appeal from this decision to the fifth circuit court of appeals. So the appellate court is probably the only way we’ll go but we’re weighing all those options right now.”