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Tues: Say what?
posted at 2009-02-10 21:37 | Last modified 2009-02-10 21:39
The State Employees Association rallied on Jones St. today to protect their jobs and their health benefits. SEANC Director Dana Cope (who, BTW, bore no physical evidence of his “affray” last weekend) told rally participants Governor Bev Perdue had promised him she would veto any attempt to make state employees pay health insurance premiums out of pocket. Hear it here:
Listen Now!
As it stands, the state pays 100% of employees’ health care costs, but offers no subsidy for employee dependents. That may sound like good fiscal policy, but in actuarial terms it’s anything but. Young, healthy people in an insurance pool can help keep costs lower for everyone. But young, healthy dependents are being priced out of the state plan.
House Majority Leader Hugh Holliman is proposing a 30 percent hike in dependent premiums over the next two years – an increase, he points out, that’s in line with what private business is dealing with. That would drive the cost of monthly coverage above $600, which would almost certainly push even more healthy dependents out of the plan and into the retail market where coverage is cheaper.
Some legislators want to start charging state employees a “small premium”- maybe $50/month – to offset the State Health Plan’s $1B projected deficit. Proponents say it could generate half a billion dollars. But Cope equates it to opening Pandora’s Box: he says lawmakers will raise it every year to offset cost increases the state should be covering instead. Just FYI, even at 100% employee coverage, NC still ranks 40th in health expenditure per employee. If you count dependents, NC falls to 49.
Anyway, Perdue spokeswoman Chrissy Pearson confirmed this afternoon that the Governor won’t go along with the employee charge proposal.
"The State Employees' Health Plan is under considerable financial strain, and together with the General Assembly, administrators must seek a viable solution that will secure quality and affordable health insurance coverage for state employees and their families.
NB: Pearson clarified that the veto threat extends only to charges for benefits to employees, not to premium increases for dependents. Sorry!
Whip it good
House Dems chose their whips this afternoon. Looks like they could’ve used an “All of the Above” option. The ballot instructed members to choose three candidates, but in the end, all five nominees were named as winners. This year’s enhanced line-up includes last year’s whips -- Larry Bell (Sampson), Jean Farmer-Butterfield (Wilson), and Deborah Ross (Wake) – plus two new ones, Bruce Goforth (Buncombe) and Larry Hall (Durham). Congrats, all.
Ways and what?
House Speaker Joe Hackney is expected to announce committee assignments Wednesday. At the end of Monday night’s session, he informed the body he’s adding, deleting, and reconfiguring some panels.
The oddest change: “Ways and Means” is now “Ways and Means and Broadband Connectivity.” Because, why not? (Actually, I’m told the yet-to-be-named incoming Ways and Means chair has an interest in broadband. Hence the combo.) Hear the whole list here:
Listen Now!
Westminster update
I posted last night about Conrad the Puli, the Herding Group winner whose hometown is Raleigh. Turns out the judge who gave him that win, Robert Slay, is from Cary. Hmmm -- coincidence or conspiracy? Well, any true Tar Heel conspiracy would involve a Plott Hound, not a Puli, so I’m going with the former. Kidding aside, congratulations to Mr. Slay. Being invited to judge a group at Westminster is a huge honor in the dog show world.
And sad news -- 12-year-old Greensboro handler Chaz McDonnell didn’t make it to the Junior Showmanship finals this time. Better luck next year, Chaz!
Comments? Drop me a line.
