RALEIGH, N.C. (WECT) – As health care costs rise, the state health plan is facing millions of dollars of debt. To make up for the shortfall, hundreds of thousands of people will soon be paying more for health care.
State employees and their families on the state health plan could see deductibles double, premiums could potentially more than double, and people on the plan will also find themselves paying more for prescriptions.
This will affect nearly 750,000 people on the state health plan.
But higher prices mean new benefits too, including less time spent fighting with insurance to get approval for care.
Officials say it’s all because the State Health Plan is facing a $500 million shortfall. Officials say that’s thanks to people living longer, and higher prescription drug spending is driving up health care costs.
The health plan will be determined in two votes this year. The first one passed on Tuesday, which dealt with changes to benefits that members will receive starting next year or two. The second one is scheduled for August, which is expected to cement the higher costs.
A vote on the premium costs is scheduled for later this summer because the State Health Plan’s leaders are waiting to see what money they’ll get from the state.
However, this week, state lawmakers have proposed spending the same amount of money on the plan, which wouldn’t cover the shortfall.
The good news, officials say the out-of-pocket maximum will stay the same. Plan leaders say they’re also working on a new approach to surgeries, and if it works, it could lead to members paying nearly nothing for a surgery that previously would’ve cost thousands of dollars.
One member of the health board also says even after the proposed hikes, most state employees will still be paying a far smaller premium than most people who have insurance in private-sector jobs.
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