.: Our History And Our Futures

     Residents and business people in the City of Manhattan Beach might be surprised that most Manhattan Beach Police Officers retire with little, or no, medical insurance benefit. Years of stress and physical abuse in the service of the City takes a heavy toll on their bodies making good medical coverage even more important than for the average citizen. For many years prior to 1997, the Officers of the Manhattan Beach Police Department negotiated with the City of Manhattan Beach in an attempt to convince the City to provide a meaningful medical insurance benefit for retired Police Officers. Being unsuccessful in obtaining any such benefit from the City, in 1997 the Officers decided to take their futures into their own hands. They created the Manhattan Beach Police Officers' Association Retiree Medical Benefit Trust Fund. Member Officers contribute a small portion of each paycheck to the Trust Fund. The combined funds are invested and, hopefully, the fund grows. Upon retirement, members receive a monthly benefit based on their qualified medical expenses, up to their maximum monthly benefit. In this way, the members future is not subject to the uncertainties of labor contract negotiations.
     In January 2007, after ten years of fund growth, the Trust began paying benefits to retirees.