{Charleston,
West Virginia}…Although health insurance premiums were not on the table prior
to Thursday's meeting, Public Employees Insurance Agency officials planned to
recommend an increase in some employees' maximum out-of-pocket expenses in the
budget year that starts next summer. Thursday, Governor Earl Ray Tomblin told
PEIA it would receive an extra $4 million in next year's budget to prevent the
cost increases.
PEIA
families' out-of-pocket expenses currently are limited to one and a half times
those of single employees. Single employees making $30,000 a year pay a maximum
of $1,250 for health services each year, while families of employees who make
$30,000 pay $1,875 in out-of-pocket costs. PEIA had planned to increase
families' maximum out-of-pocket expenses to twice a single employee's limit.
