RETIREES TO PAY PORTION OF BENEFITS.(CAPITAL REGION)

Byline: CHRIS STURGIS Staff writer

Cohoes Some city retirees will have to contribute to their health insurance and prescription drug benefits to help the city cope with rising costs.

The Common Council voted unanimously Tuesday to require retirees not covered by a current union contract to pay 25 percent of their health care premiums and a 20 percent co-pay for prescriptions.

``It's not a popular decision,'' Comptroller Michael Durocher said, but necessary because health care premiums have gone up 15 percent and prescriptions have increased by 84 percent since 1994.

The increased costs would not apply to workers whose unions had granted …