After 20+ years with the sheriff’s office retirees are losing their free healthcare benefits
Michael Logerwell
UPDATE 10/24/2025: A spokesperson with El Paso County says that El Paso County Health Plan Trust Board has requested that the board reconsider its decision on the retiree plans. The board plans to discuss the topic on Wednesday, Oct. 29 at 8 a.m. in the District Attorney’s Office, 105 E. Vermijo Avenue, 4th Floor, Main Conference Room. Members of the public may attend.
EL PASO COUNTY, Colo. (KRDO) – On October 8, retired El Paso County Sergeant Emil Lucero received a letter from El Paso County alerting Lucero to a change in the retiree healthcare plan.
“I felt really disappointed. I felt like I was being left behind as a retiree who served this county for 20 years,” Lucero said.
Lucero worked for the sheriff’s office from 2002 to 2022. After spending years working in the county jail, Lucero then provided security at the courthouse and during El Paso County Commissioners’ meetings.
“A lot of things stand out, especially being attacked, having my front teeth broken. All the injuries that occurred with the sheriff’s office,” Lucero said. “Mostly the things that stand out are the injuries and stuff that I incurred over my 20 years with the office, defending and supporting the citizens of El Paso County.”
Now, to keep medical coverage to treat those injuries as he ages, Lucero is going to have to pay.
Chart provided by El Paso County
In 2026, Lucero will be on the hook for $56.08 a month, then in 2027, he will pay the same amount as active employees, $112.16. Lucero said that the monthly payment is just for him and not the rest of his family.
El Paso County will still be paying more than $1,000, but that won’t cover it all, and Lucero says that doesn’t include extra coverage for his family. He would have to pay extra for that.
For years, Lucero says, sheriff’s employees were promised free health coverage if they served 20 years or more for El Paso County.
“Every year, they would dangle a carrot in front of our face[s] so that they would keep retention so that people would stay. And it was a good benefit, and that’s one of the reasons why I stayed for 20 years,” Lucero said.
Lucero also shared this letter with KRDO13 from El Paso County Sheriff Joseph Roybal. In it, Sheriff Roybal writes that he is adamantly opposed to this change and says he will continue to advocate for quality benefits for the sheriff’s office retirees.
An El Paso County spokesperson said this move is projected to save the county $600,000 across 2026 and 2027.
This decision was made by the El Paso County Health Plan Trust Board. The board provided a statement on the decision:
“The El Paso County Health Plan Trust Board acknowledges the concerns raised by retirees regarding recent changes to retiree health insurance premiums and associated subsidies. We deeply value the dedicated service retirees have provided to our community and want to provide clarity on this matter.
Like many employers nationwide, the County has faced rising healthcare costs. Each year, thoughtful work goes into evaluating all our benefit offerings. This process involves careful analysis, thorough research, and collaborative effort. Our ongoing goal is to provide a robust and comprehensive benefits package that supports the health and well-being of our employees, retirees, and their qualified dependents at an affordable cost.
We strive to enhance our plans annually, while balancing affordability, access, and our responsibility to be good stewards of tax revenue received from the taxpayers of El Paso County. These efforts help ensure that our employees and retirees continue to receive meaningful benefits that meet their needs. To maintain the integrity and long-term sustainability of the plan, adjustments were necessary, and these changes were made to help preserve access to retiree medical coverage well into the future.
We remain committed to supporting our retirees and ensuring they continue to have access to quality healthcare options. Retirees with questions about their coverage or payment amounts are encouraged to contact the Benefits Division of the Human Resources Department at 719-520-7486 (option 2) or email employeebenefits@elpasoco.com“
“When I was a sergeant over at the board of county commissioners, I used to put myself in between them and the irate public during those meetings, and now I feel like they just left me, left me out to dry,” Lucero said.
KRDO13 is working to find out the full extent of the impacts of this decision and what those saved monies will be put towards.