SENATE BILL 268 MAKES CHANGES TO PEIA, PUBLIC HEARINGS ANNOUNCED AHEAD OF OPEN ENROLLMENT

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CHARLESTON, W.Va. - ​​Active and retired public employees, medical providers, and the public will soon see changes to the Public Employees Insurance Agency (PEIA) following the signing of SB 268 by Gov. Jim Justice. During his term, Gov. Justice has vowed to find a permanent solution to fund premiums and sustain the state insurance program. 

PEIA will offer four public hearings next week to address the changes, and a Finance Board Meeting will be held later this month to adopt the new plan prior to the open enrollment period beginning April 2, 2023.

The major changes, effective July 1, 2023, include:

• Imposition of the spouse surcharge for active employee policyholders from state agencies, colleges, universities, and county boards of education whose spouses are offered employer-sponsored insurance coverage but who choose to get coverage through a plan offered by PEIA. This change does not affect non-state agencies, retirees, spouses who are employed by PEIA-participating agencies, or spouses whose coverage is through Medicare, Medicaid, or TRICARE. 

• Increasing health premiums to get the plan back to an 80/20 employer/employee premium split for state agencies, colleges, universities, and county boards of education by July 1, 2023. 

• Increasing reimbursement to providers to a minimum of 110% of Medicare’s reimbursement.

The Finance Board public hearings to discuss the changes are as follows: 

• March 27, 6:00 - 8:00 p.m.: Public Hearing– Charleston, Culture Center Theater, 1900 Kanawha Blvd E, Charleston, WV 25305

• March 28, 6:00 - 8:00 p.m.: Public Hearing – Morgantown, Hampton Inn & Suites Morgantown/University Town Centre, 325 Granville Sq, Morgantown, WV 26501 AND

• March 28, 6:00 - 8:00 p.m.: Public Hearing – Huntington, Mountain Health Arena, 1 Civic Center Plaza, Huntington, WV

• March 29, 6:00 - 8:00 p.m.: Public Hearing – Martinsburg, Holiday Inn, 301 Foxcroft Ave, Martinsburg, WV 25401

• March 30, 1:00 - 3:00 p.m.: Finance Board Meeting to consider comments obtained in the public meetings and to adopt the Finance Plan for Plan Year 2024

For meeting information, visit https://peia.wv.gov/news_center/Pages/SB268Hearings.aspx.