BECKLEY, W.Va. — State employees from across southern West Virginia gathered at the Tamarack Conference Center Tuesday night to hear proposed changes to Public Employees Insurance Agency (PEIA) benefits.
The public hearing was one of several held across the Mountain State in recent weeks. The changes to the 2018 benefit plan were introduced in October during a PEIA Finance Board meeting.
PEIA Director Ted Cheatham told MetroNews affiliate WJLS the hearings have been well-attended so far. He believes a lot of the concerns are similar throughout the state.
“Well our retirees don’t get a cost of living increase, they live on a fixed income,” Cheatham said. “Two percent is hard on them and there’s some plan changes that may affect them if they’re on the wrong drugs. Those types of things.”
Under the proposed plan, which would go into effect on June 1, 2018, premiums would increase and more restrictions would be placed on prescriptions. More specifically, state employees would see a premium increase of .5 percent. Non-state employees and retirees on PEIA could see a 2 percent rate increase.
For prescriptions, the proposed plan would get rid of the $25 or $30 co-pay system. Instead, insurees would pay 30 percent on preferred brand prescriptions. Around ten people came to the podium to express their frustrations over these changes.
Wendy Peters is a Raleigh County teacher and President of the Raleigh County Education Association. She is concerned the plan could further deter young teachers from coming to the state.
“We have a shortage of teachers. We’ve had a lot of problems even finding substitute teachers. When we’re looking at that kind of problem, we’re not doing anything to offer these newer, younger, bright people an opportunity to stay here.”
Peters cited nearby states that have more promising benefit incentives and pay than West Virginia. She, among many others, worry border counties will lose even more teachers to those neighboring states. Under the plan, the current 10 salary tiers would change to 3.
“When you have two teachers that are starting out about $30,000 a piece, they’re gonna fall in that top bracket. To me that doesn’t make sense that someone like that would fall into that bracket. The same one that somebody that’s (making) $125,000.”
Several area politicians attended, including District 7 State Senator Richard Ojeda. He took the podium as well, saying the plan would negatively impact all state service workers.
“West Virginia has the lowest paid teachers, the lowest paid corrections, the lowest paid police and fire,” said Ojeda. “But once again, those are the ones that are getting hammered with the PEIA.”
Another public hearing is scheduled for Wednesday in Charleston. Several at the Beckley meeting said they plan on driving to the campus of University of Charleston to let their voices be heard once again.