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Opinion
Nov. 08, 2008
Copyright © Las Vegas Review-Journal

EDITORIAL: Paying more for their own health care

State employees will have to pony up

It's a revealing measure of Nevada's fiscal malaise that state workers will finally be asked to share in the sacrifice -- and have offered little resistance.

During a special session earlier this year to address the state budget shortfall, lawmakers and the governor bent over backward to avoid killing generous raises previously approved for state workers -- raises that far exceed anything most private-sector grunts can expect today.

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    • But state workers could avoid the inevitable for only so long.

    While the raises remain intact for now, the Nevada Public Employees Benefits Board decided Thursday to increase premiums and deductibles for the state heath care plan.

    The move will offset nearly half of the planned $50 million reduction in taxpayer subsidies to the health insurance plan.

    Right now, the state -- read: taxpayers -- covers anywhere from 95 to 100 percent of health care premiums for active workers, depending on the deductible of the plan chosen. The subsidy for dependents and retirees is somewhat lower, but still an incredible bargain.

    To get an idea of how benevolent this plan really is, consider that an active employee who chooses a high deductible pays no monthly premiums -- none. Meanwhile, a worker who opts for a low deductible coughs up only $28 a month, while taxpayers cover the other 95 percent.

    Board members delayed a vote on the precise premium increases, opting to wait until their next meeting in December. But deductibles are expected to climb from $500 to $725 for individual workers and from $1,000 to $1,425 for families.

    To be sure, the added burden is minimal. But the adjustment is at least an acknowledgement that if we are to seriously address Nevada's current budget crisis, public employee benefits and wages must be part of the equation.

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    Population vs. Welfare/Crime wrote on November 08, 2008 04:07 PM: Population vs. Welfare in Nevada: my bet.
    White 40% v. 14%
    Hispanic 35% v. 35%
    Black 20% v. 50%
    Asian 5% v. 1%

    I bet Crime is like committed. Does anyone have a different breakdown?

    Solutions can be found with proper leadership (motivating not blaming), and less Government. American society can become a great Utopia!


    John T wrote on November 08, 2008 12:15 PM: Gee, how is that the brainiacs at the R-J missed the September 2008 PEBP meeting? How is they did not read the 128 page minutes of that meeting? What happened at that meeting? The Board decided on "option a", an across the board increase in premiums. This increase will amount to $27.5 m. The Novemeber meetin was to discuss program changes to meet the other $27.5m deficit. Together the two issues fully addresses the $54.97m state subsidy reduction.

    If they had read the minutes, the R-J people would have raed that depending on the program, the state subsidy may be as low as 63% to 75%.

    Lastly, if the "purveryors of fact and truth", had been honest brokers of fact, the R-J editor would have read page 72 of Novembers 100 page Board minutes and read that the Board adopted "option 4" which eliminates the "high" deductble and "low" deductible plans and in fact combined them together.

    As a non-state retiree my insurance premium already increased 186% this past July when compared to last year, and it looks like another 100% increase, as compared to last year, will be coming out of my pension very soon.

    Say what you will, but when one has an almost 300% increase in insurance premium in ONE year, that's quite a bit to withstand and if that treend continues, well, I don't see the program lasting for retirees.

    The R-J, sometimes you just can't trust what they print!


    douglas wrote on November 08, 2008 10:28 AM: poster bill...

    please advise the proletariart where we can buy your level of health care for $142 a month. or, even $284.


    bill wrote on November 08, 2008 09:36 AM: oh no not a raise, yeah well they take in back in retirement, so you dont even see it.


    bill wrote on November 08, 2008 09:35 AM: blah blah blah, the state workers do this, the state workers get that, get a fricken life, i pay 142 mo for my med benefits and that is the most i have ever had to pay compared to the public sector, so get off the state workers paying nothing, its BS, the RJ sucks and needs to be put in its place, oh no dont raise my deductable big deal, 95% of the things dont even apply to the deductable, RJ get the facts straight b4 you try to slam state employees, and people, state and county workers are under diffrent plans so know before you give your opinion, most of you dont know squat you just want to run at the mouth


    Mark F wrote on November 08, 2008 08:58 AM: Get your facts straight RJ. State workers, who don't have collective bargaining, are not the burden you portray like city and county workers. Put everyone on a level playing field and see how much YOUR County and CITY Governments have been fleecing the taxpayers of this State.


    douglas wrote on November 08, 2008 08:50 AM: "raises" ? in this vastly overspent & underfunded economy ?

    state employees must come out of the stupor. times are tough. join the human race.


    Another Teacher wrote on November 08, 2008 08:37 AM: When calling the RJ to cancel your subscription, they are not shocked to hear that the reason is because you are a teacher. It must happen quite often.


    teacher wrote on November 08, 2008 08:26 AM: Gee, I thought that part of your vendetta against teachers was that they actually earned a lot more than they really do, based on their benefits. So now that they're losing their benefits, how do you justify the non-living wage? By the way, did you ever hear of the basic economic concept of SUPPLY AND DEMAND as it applies to labor shortages?

    You at the R-J editorial board - or you one who writes these things - are such small-minded hypocrites that I take comfort in the fact that you must be miserable human beings whom nobody really respects. The country has just voted for major change. Your time is numbered, too, as more and more people stop reading your rag.


    Anonymous wrote on November 08, 2008 07:19 AM: What state workers are we talking about here? Can't possibly be the law enforcement part. Maybe the state should look into not paying Metro's retirement.


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