CHARLESTON, W.Va. — The first of a handful of public hearings across the state to discuss the Public Employees Insurance Agency’s insurance plan for next fiscal year took place Tuesday night in Charleston.
The plan under discussion for fiscal 2023 includes no change in premiums for state employees or non-medicare retirees. There is a proposed 5 percent increase for non-state employees.
Medicare retirees are anticipated to benefit from a 19 percent premium decrease for the current plan, with percentages varying by policy, years of service tier and tobacco habit status. The plan also notes no changes for medicare retirees in January 2023.
Jason Haught, acting director of Public Employees Insurance Agency (PEIA), said the PEIA Finance Board recently heard the proposal for coverage, which would take effect for fiscal 2023.
“What we are doing here is putting forth the plan we have for the next fiscal year, getting the comments and what you’re hearing is concerns about rising healthcare costs,” he told MetroNews of the process.
Concern was expressed Tuesday inside the State Culture Center, and in October as reported by MetroNews, on long-term projections anticipating employees would take on a 9 percent increase in 2024, then a 16 percent increase the next fiscal year and a 12 percent increase the following year.
Gov. Jim Justice said on Oct. 24 during a COVID-19 briefing that there will be no PEIA premium increases under his ‘watch.’
“You can either trust me or not. But I am the one that came with your great pay raises. I am the one who delivered you no premium increases in PEIA and I’m the one that’s telling you that unless there’s a meteorite to hit the earth your premiums are not going to go up ,” Justice said.
VIEW: The public hearing presentation
American Federation of Teachers-West Virginia President Fred Albert said on Tuesday he and his organization will hold Justice accountable for his pledge.
“We really do need to get serious about finding a funding source. While the governor can make that promise, he won’t always be the governor. We do appreciate the fact he was made this pledge and we will be waiting to make sure it does happen in the future,” Albert said.
Haught told MetroNews he anticipates the concerns of the years 2024, 2025 and beyond to be the main topic of discussion during these public meetings.
Public hearings to discuss the coming year’s plan are scheduled for Wednesday in Beckley at 6 p.m. Nov. 10; in Martinsburg at 6 p.m. Nov. 16; in Morgantown at 6 p.m. Nov. 17; and 6 p.m. Nov. 18 in Wheeling.
“Healthcare costs continue to increase at higher rates than any other economic sector in the country. We are not immune to those. In West Virginia, we also have to deal with these increased costs and everyone is concerned with how we are going to finance those,” Haught said.
Haught said after the public hearings the board will sit down and take all the comments that have been received into consideration and then determine if it will go through with the proposed plan or make revisions. After that decision, a vote would take place for the plan to begin July 1, 2022.