Group Insurance Board Announces
Single Digit Premium Rate Increases
(9/4/2008)
MADISON, (Wis.) – Health insurance premium rate increases for the
majority of members covered under the state’s Group Health Insurance
Program will average approximately 7% next year, according to a Group
Insurance Board (Board) announcement. This marks the fifth straight
year the program has held cost increases to single digits. The program
covers more than 230,000 state and local government employees, retirees,
and their dependents.
Individual rate increases may be higher or lower for some local government
employers and some health plan options under the state plan, explained
David Stella, Secretary of the Department of Employee Trust Funds
(ETF), “but overall, this is good news.” The innovative program design
changes and strategies implemented five years ago not only “continue
to prove themselves effective,” Stella said, “they are key elements
in our work to keep cost increases from rising as much as they otherwise
would have, while maintaining a quality program at a reasonable cost
for public employers, employees and retirees.”
Highlights from the 2009 premium rates approved by the Board include
an average 7% increase for state employee health maintenance organization
(HMO) plans, and an average 7.1% increase for HMOs in the Wisconsin
Public Employers program, which covers local government employees.
Stella also said he is especially pleased that rate increases were
held to just 2% for the approximately 10,000 members age 65 and over
participating in the Medicare Plus $1 Million program.
WPPA members with questions are welcome to contact WPPA Executive
Director Jim Palmer at the Madison headquarters.
