Charleston, WV (WOAY) – Governor Jim Justice suggests a 5% pay raise for West Virginia government employees in response to a proposed increase in PEIA insurance premiums.
Opponents of the rate hike argue that the 5% may not be enough to offset the increase.
Senate Bill 286 states the Public Employee Insurance Agency or PEIA must return an 80-20 cost share between employer and employee, which has already resulted in a 24% increase in premiums.
The PEIA Finance Board proposes an additional 10.5% premium increase with no changes to benefits and a 13% rate hike for local government employees that opt into PEIA with a $147 surcharge for eligible spouses.
People who are old enough to retire but not eligible for Medicare will face a 10% premium increase with no changes in benefits.
The PEIA Finance Board seeks public input and will host meetings statewide to get feedback.
The next meeting in Southern West Virginia will be held on Tuesday, November 14, at Bluefield State College’s Basic Sciences Auditorium, with registration starting at 5:00 p.m. and the meeting kicking off at 6:00 p.m.
There will also be a virtual public hearing on Thursday, November 16.
The entire meeting schedule and login information for the virtual hearing is available on peia.wv.gov.
The Board is expected to decide on their plan in December.
