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Committee reviews request to reimburse Medicare premiums for State Patrol line‑of‑duty survivors
Summary
Staff presented a stakeholder request asking the committee to study reimbursement of Medicare Part A and B premiums for survivors of State Patrol members who died in the line of duty; staff noted current state PEBB reimbursement does not cover Medicare and cited about 11 State Patrol line‑of‑duty survivors age 65 or older and a State Patrol lump sum death benefit of roughly $314,000.
Committee staff described a stakeholder request asking the Select Committee on Pension Policy to study reimbursing Medicare Parts A and B premiums for survivors of State Patrol members who died in the line of duty. Darren Painter said the request aligns with a provision in last year’s Left 2 legislation (House Bill 24 41) but is not identical to that bill; the bill applied to LEOFF 2 only and included reimbursement for Medicare parts A and B for eligible survivors under that plan.
Painter summarized the existing mix of duty‑related death benefits: workers’ compensation provides survivor pensions and lump‑sum death and burial benefits; Public Employees Benefits Board (PEBB) allows survivors to participate in state plans; education statute offers tuition waivers; and the State Patrol Retirement System provides an unreduced survivor pension and a lump sum death benefit of around $314,000 (indexed for inflation). Painter noted that PEBB reimbursement does not cover Medicare because Medicare is a federal program.
Actuary Michael Harbor added context about fiscal sensitivity: he said the Left 2 bill last year increased contribution rates by about 0.01% with a 25‑year budget impact of roughly $7.2 million and that the State Patrol system is smaller so dollar impacts would likely be smaller, though rates could be sensitive. Staff said the latest valuation (06/30/2025) shows about 978 active State Patrol members and roughly 1,393 annuitants, with about 200 survivors across the system; staff said they would follow up with precise counts.
