If a bill moving through the state legislature should become law, some K-12 employees will lose access to affordable healthcare coverage and the state will be looking at some $45 Million in additional spending. This is the view of the Washington Education Association (WEA) in response to SB 6442; a bill sponsored by State Senator Steve Hobbs (D-44th LD). Hobbs is a founding member of the centrist Roadkill Caucus and is currently a candidate for the open 1st CD seat being vacated by Rep. Jay Inslee who is running for governor.
The bill would repeal the current K-12 employee health-care system, in which each of the state's 295 school districts separately negotiate private insurance plans with individual unions and replace it with a single plan controlled by a state board. Hobbs and bill supporters say that consolidating the system should save money and enable the system to more fairly serve all by making it easier for school support personnel such as janitors, lunchroom workers and bus drivers to add dependents to their plans. They suggest the savings would come mainly from paring administrative costs involved in negotiations surrounding the 1,000 pools funding more than 200 different medical plans through 10 different insurance companies. Opponents say that the bill's sponsors didn't consider issues such as the loss of private-insurance tax revenue and the state's need to establish a reserve pool for its program. They also point to the fact that the new plan would eliminate employer health care for K-12 employees who work less than half time, including education support professionals. The Fiscal Note that accompanies SB 6442 shows that the costs involved in adopting this plan are projected at some $45 Million in implementation and maintenance.
The bill has moved through the Senate Committee on Health & Long-Term Care and has had a first hearing in the Ways and Means Committee. There has been no movement of the House companion bill, HB 2724.
Peace,
Chad Shue
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