Some Virginia public employees will pay more for health insurance starting July 1, according to the state's latest analysis and projections.
Overall, the state's Department of Human Resource Management has proposed a 6.3% increase in total premiums for the next fiscal year.
But employee contributions - the amounts deducted from paychecks - won't increase as much. For some plans, there will be no increase at all.
The increase in total insurance premiums is lower than the state average of 7 percent, according to a department report sent to the secretaries of finance and administration and senior staff in the governor's office.
The 6.3 percent increase is what budget writers expected, according to an analysis by the House Appropriations Committee of the budget proposed by Governor Glenn Jankin in December.
The General Assembly's revision of the proposal did not change the amounts appropriated for employee health insurance.
The assembly budget and amendments recommended by Youngkin now lie dormant. Both sides say they want to start over with a new budget proposal that lawmakers will consider in a special session in mid-May.
For the state's basic COVA Care state health plan, employee premiums will increase from 5.5% to 6.2%, depending on whether the employee covers only themselves, one person, or two or more people.
The percentage increase is less due to higher employee contributions for COVA Care plans, which added out-of-network coverage, expanded dental coverage, and vision and hearing coverage.
ER surcharge to rise to $300The plan's administrator, Anthem, is increasing the ER surcharge to $300 from $150, and adding a cancer care navigator, hearing aid coverage for children up to age 19, texting for mental health care and virtual physical therapy services.
Employee contributions are unchanged for COVA HealthAware's base plan with a higher deductible and an attached "medical reimbursement agreement" account for self-only coverage.
HealthAware plans that add extended dental coverage will increase by $1 to $2 per month, but employee premiums for extended dental and vision coverage will not increase.
Employees will not have to make any contributions if they choose a state high-deductible plan, while their contributions for high-deductible plans and extended dental coverage will remain the same.
Aetna, which operates a HealthAware plan, and Anthem, which operates a high-deductible plan, also added coverage for hearing aids for children, virtual physical therapy and text-based mental health services as benefits.
The state picks up most of the cost of health plans for state employees who work more than 30 hours a week.
Those who work less than 30 hours must pay the full premium.
Total premiums range from $665 per month for employees working less than 30 hours per week and covering only themselves under a high-deductible plan to $2,578 per month for employees covering two or more people under a COVA Care plan, including optional out-of-network coverage, extended dental coverage, and vision and hearing coverage.
According to data filed with the State Corporation Commission's Bureau of Insurance, insurance coverage for a family of three in Richmond costs an average of $1,302 to $1,491, depending on the company. Individual costs for many are higher than insurance for state employees.