OKLAHOMA CITY (September 22, 2009) – The decision of the Oklahoma State and Education Employees Group Insurance Board’s (OSEEGIB) to pass in part the projected insurance premium increase to teachers and state employees has garnered ongoing criticisms from educators and legislators alike. State Representative Mike Brown, D-Tahlequah, is one legislator calling for the state to not skirt its statutory obligations of covering 100% of the premium amount for the individual Health-Choice option plan.

 

“I am very disappointed with the mathematical maneuvering that was used to circumvent the law in order to save the state money – to the detriment of our teachers and state employees,” said Representative Brown. “I understand that OSEEGIB made these decisions based on a presumption of funding, but legislators can choose to prioritize this issue and provide supplemental dollars in order to fully cover these cost increases. We are statutorily obligated to cover these premiums, so if we fail to do so then the fall guy will not be OSEEGIB but leadership in the House and the Senate, who have the power and the means to do the right thing here.”

 

OSEEGIB is a state agency which administers the HealthChoice PPO plan for state employees and teachers, which is a self-insured indemnity plan. Actuaries for the Board surmised that a 12% overall increase in premiums would be necessary for the coming fiscal year, but elected to reduce the premium increase to 7.6% by increasing the office visit co-pays and co-pays for other services from $25.00 to $50.00, and increasing the cost of prescription co-pays.

 

“I am calling on leadership within the Oklahoma Legislature to step up and prioritize our obligations to our teachers and state employees,” said Rep. Brown. “The answer is not to shift the insurance premium increase to employees in the hopes that they will sit silent and absorb the difference. We can do better, and we should do better for our people.”