Proposed Increase to State Health Benefits Rates
We write to you today and urge you to take immediate action.
The State Health Benefits Commission (SHBC) is meeting via conference call next Monday, July 25, for the Annual Rate Renewal Meeting at 12:00 p.m.
While not publicly available, the League and Association of Counties have learned that preliminary rate increases for consideration include a 24% increase for Active Medical, a 3.7% increase for Active Pharmacy, a 15.6% increase in Early Retiree Medical, and a 0.7% increase for Medicare. (Early Retiree Pharmacy has a 5.7% decrease) This is clearly an extreme and unsustainable immediate increase that should require the SHBC to review further and look for other avenues to limit the preliminary rate increases.
While there is no mechanism to offer public comment at Monday’s meeting, we urge you to immediately contact the Governor’s office and your legislative delegation and urge a rollback of these exorbitant cost increases to health care for municipal employees and retirees that will be borne by the municipal and county taxpayers.
Please share what you are told by the Governor’s Office with League staff.
Contact: Lori Buckelew, Deputy Executive Director & Director of Government Affairs, lbuckelew@njlm.org, 609-695-3481, x112.
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