After an outcry from teachers and state employees, a key state board this morning voted to make major changes to their health care plan to reduce out-of-pocket expenses that have hammered many recipients since Jan. 1.
The State Health Benefits Plan, which covers 650,000 teachers, employees, retirees and their dependents, would revert back to offering small co-payments for health services and drugs, something the plan did before the Department of Community Health changed the plan.
The latest change will cost the state about $114 million, which will be taken out of the reserves of the $3 billion health plan.
Teachers and state employees have complained that changes made by DCH starting Jan. 1 forced them to pay much higher out-of-pocket costs. DCH said that was done to save the state money. Teachers and employees put pressure on Gov. Nathan Deal, who is running for re-election, to fix the problem. DCH’s vote this morning was an attempt to do that.
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