Joint Finance panel approves higher state health insurance appropriation per employee

The Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee voted Jan. 31 to increase the state appropriation for health insurance to $14,130 per eligible full-time position, a change the committee’s analysts said will raise state appropriations by $48,397,200 across general, dedicated and federal funds.

Committee analysts presented three funding options before the vote: the CEC committee recommendation at $13,960 per eligible full-time position, the governor’s recommendation at $14,300, and a midpoint compromise at $14,130. Mr. Bybee, the committee analyst, told members the three dollar levels reflect differing approaches to funding health insurance and that the larger change this year is driven by health insurance costs, with smaller agency-level employer-paid adjustments for workers’ compensation and Social Security also included.

The matter mattered to members because of how it affects agency budgets and the insurance reserve. Mr. Bybee told the committee…