Last year, Jagadeesh Gokhale and I estimated [pdf] that state and local governments were sitting on about $1.4 trillion of promised, but unfunded, health care costs for their workers.


The Economist kindly discussed our estimate in their November 18 issue, but noted: “Even if Messrs Edwards and Gokhale have overstated the problem …”


It turns out that we hugely understated the problem for at least one state. We had New Jersey down for $20 billion, but news from that state today indicates that taxpayers may get hit with a $78 billion tab for state worker health costs unless are reforms are made (or $8,500 for every resident of the state).