Bill > SB526

This bill modifies the cost-sharing provisions for the Public Employees Insurance Agency (PEIA), which provides health insurance for West Virginia public employees and retirees. Specifically, it clarifies that for plan years beginning July 1, 2027, and thereafter, the aggregate premium and cost-sharing amounts for employees will not increase beyond what was in effect for the plan year starting July 1, 2026, except for adjustments due to projected growth in employee health insurance expenditures. The bill mandates that the Legislature appropriate at least 80% of this projected growth in employee health insurance expenditures, with provisions for the Legislature to reduce its share if it previously funded more than 80%, but its share cannot fall below 70%. The employees' share of this projected growth is capped at 20%, and the PEIA Finance Board can adjust employee costs through premiums, benefits, deductibles, copayments, coinsurance, out-of-pocket maximums, or wellness incentives to meet this 20% share. The bill also defines an "emergency" as a situation where projected plan expenses exceed revenues by more than one percent, requiring costs to be shared between employers and employees according to the existing cost-sharing ratio, and allows legislative appropriations to offset these costs.

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http://www.wvlegislature.gov/Bill_Status/Bills_history.cfm?input=526&year=2026&sessiontype=RS&btype=bill