Over 94,700 state government retirees have begun to receive refunds for past health insurance premium payments they made after a 2012 state law cut their free health insurance.

The refunds come after the Illinois Supreme Court ruled last year that state-subsidized health care premiums for the retirees are protected by the Illinois Constitution, and that the state legislature is "precluded from diminishing or impairing" that benefit.

Retirees will get back most of the $63 million in health insurance premiums collected from them, minus attorney costs, the State-Journal Register reported.