The California Public Employees Retirement System has decided to keep most of its health benefits intact for next year. As a result, health plan co-pays will remain the same, but monthly premiums will be going up. KPBS Reporter Kenny Goldberg has the story.
The CalPERS board had considered raising co-pays as a means of saving tens of millions of dollars. But the board ultimately responded to union pressure and rejected the idea.
Instead on average, HMO premiums will go up more than eleven percent, and PPO premiums will be raised more than 12 percent.
CalPERS spokeswoman Karen Perkins says Kaiser members will see their premiums go up about 35 dollars a month.
Perkins: They're gonna pay about 20 percent of that, which is about seven bucks more a month. It's better than cutting benefits and eliminating retirees and doing some of these things that some of the larger employers in the country are doing.
CalPERS has $1.2 million members. It's the nation's third largest purchaser of health benefits. Kenny Goldberg, KPBS News.
