MORGANTOWN, W.Va –– More than 100 people attended the Public Employees Insurance Finance Board meeting at the Erickson Alumni Center in Morgantown Tuesday night.

Prior to the meeting, members of AFT West Virginia, the West Virginia Education Association (WVEA), and the United Mine Workers of America held a brief protest that included remarks from WVEA President Dale Lee, Delegate John Williams, D, Monongalia, 80; State Senator-elect Joey Garcia, D, Marion, 13; and AFT West Virginia President Kristie Skidmore.

The deductible increase proposed is 40 percent, and the surcharge for spouses would increase to $350 from the current $147. Additionally, the proposal includes higher copays for inpatient services, outpatient therapy, pharmaceuticals, and emergency room treatments to fill a budget gap of $113 million.

All three members of the Mineral County Commission attended the meeting to describe how these increases would change the benefits they offer employees. Commissioner Charles Staggs said under the current plan they cover the cost of premiums and deductibles for employees, but under the proposed plan they would have to come up with more than $200,000 to continue the benefit. Staggs said there are other smaller municipalities in Mineral County that are going to be forced to make tough decisions.

“Well, if we had an extra $220,000 in our budget we could utilize, we would give all of our employees a $2, $3, or $4-an-hour raise, which I’m sure everybody would love to have,” Commissioner Staggs said.

Lindsay Stepanek is a teacher in the Monongalia County School system who battled weight problems her entire life. She was approved for GLP-1 drugs this year and has lost about 80 pounds, but she was notified those treatments would no longer be covered. GLP-1 drugs accounted for 19.9 percent of the total plan cost for prescription drugs, leading to the proposed plan changes.

“I finally had a sense of hope for the future and my health,” Stepanek said. “When I got that letter from PEIA in March saying my prior authorization was going to be ending, it was devastating.”

Jamie Tallman, an educator for 39 years in Grant County, said the coverage has been vital for his family and wife, who is a Type I diabetic. He said if these proposed increases are approved, it will be the worst year for his family financially ever. Tallman told the crowd he hears politicians talk about the importance of education, but raises only seem to be given when needed to cover an increase in PEIA.

“I want a pay raise because we have a governor and a legislature that believe education is a top priority—that’s why I want a raise,” Tallman said.

Delegate Williams said this is a problem that can easily be solved, but the legislature has to be motivated to find a solution. He said he’s never voted for an increase in PEIA and has supported HB 5393, which would provide a cost of living increase for some retired workers and the Teacher Retirement System.

“We need to prioritize public employees health insurance and benefits, and we’re not doing that right now,” Williams said. “I think the fix is a dedicated revenue stream, and we have put forth recreational cannabis before—there’s a dedicated revenue stream that would solve this problem.”

Senator-elect Garcia said to solve the problem you have to see the problem, and he doesn’t believe it’s being seen by members of the legislature. His hope is that a new governor will see the problem and develop a solution.

“Those are fixes the legislature can make, and they are fixes an incoming governor can propose in the legislature upcoming in February,” Garcia said. “I’m hopeful, and I think these people are hopeful their voices will be heard.”

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