CHARLESTON, W.Va. - Following a directive by Gov. Jim Justice, who has vowed not to increase Public Employees Insurance Agency (PEIA) State Fund premiums during his term, the PEIA will raise its salary tiers by $2,700. This change is the result of across-the-board pay raises slated for state employees at the start of the new fiscal year following passage of the budget during the 2022 Legislative Session.
The increase to the salary tiers will prevent policyholders from moving into a new tier as a result of the pay raise, which would result in higher premiums for those individuals, as well as higher deductibles and out-of-pocket maximums. Without this change, more than 15,000 active State Fund employees would have been adversely impacted. Instead, they can now expect a greater take home pay without any additional changes to their benefits.
“The impact of salary increases on the salary-based premiums has historically been a cause for concern among State Fund employees,” said Acting PEIA Director Jason Haught. “I’m thankful to Gov. Justice that we are able to provide this salary tier adjustment to mitigate any unfortunate effects of the across-the-board pay raises.”
The salary tier increases will become effective August 1, 2022.
Additional details on plan information, including salary tier amounts, can be found on PEIA’s website at www.wvpeia.com.