Employee insurance rates approved for 2015
Rates offered to state, education and other government employees
OKLAHOMA CITY — The Office of Management and Enterprise Services (OMES) has
approved calendar year 2015 premium rates for health, dental, life, disability
and vision insurance plans that currently cover more than 292,000 active and
retired state, education and local government employees and their dependents.
The 2015 rates will see overall increases of 2.55 percent
for the self-funded HealthChoice PPO plans offered to active employees and
pre-Medicare retirees, and a 5.22 percent decrease for the HealthChoice
Medicare Supplement With Part D Plans. The rate changes are well below the seven
to nine percent national average rate increase for similar health insurance
plans, according to Aon Hewitt Consulting, an independent actuary retained by
OMES.
“Despite the challenging nature of today’s insurance
marketplace, we were highly sensitive to the needs of members to receive the
best coverage possible at the best possible rates,” said Lucinda Meltabarger,
OMES Human Capital Management administrator.
Other 2015 rate changes include an 11.59 percent decrease
in the HealthChoice High Deductible Health Plan premium, and a 1.95 percent
increase in the HealthChoice Dental Plan. The disability and life insurance
plans remain unchanged for 2015.
HealthChoice, the state’s
self-funded insurance plan, provides health, dental, disability and life
insurance to more than 270,000 individuals.
The rates were approved Aug. 8 by OMES Director Preston
L. Doerflinger following an Aug. 1 rate recommendation to OMES by the Oklahoma
Employees Insurance and Benefits Board (OEIBB). No changes were made to the
OEIBB recommendations.
“The self-funded HealthChoice
plans remain in a strong financial position that affords the ability to offset
some of the impact of projected increases in claim costs on member premium
rates. While we continue to be fortunate with lower than expected cost
increases, we remain committed in our efforts to continue exploring
opportunities to contain costs while providing quality health care for
Oklahoma’s public employees,” Doerflinger said. “A portion of the
rate increases were due to the transitional reinsurance fee in the federal Affordable
Care Act. This fee resulted in a cost of $3.66 per member, per month, that was
included before any other factors were even brought to the table.”
For 2015 HMO plans, contracts will be awarded to CommunityCare
HMO, which will see a 16 percent increase for 2015, and GlobalHealth HMO, which
will see a 9 percent increase.
The approved rates
will take effect Jan. 1, 2015 and can be viewed in detail here: http://www.ok.gov/sib/Member/Premiums/index.html
Media Contact
JOHN ESTUS
Director of Public Affairs
(405) 521-3097 | john.estus@omes.ok.gov
About the Office of Management and Enterprise Services
The Office of Management and Enterprise Services provides financial, property, purchasing, human resources and information technology services to all state agencies, and assists the Governor’s Office on budgetary policy matters. Our mission: To lead, support, and serve. For more information, visit OMES.OK.gov.
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