PEB Board approves Medicare premiums and reviews other premiums
On July 12, 2023, the Public Employees Benefits Board (PEB Board) met. Board members attended in person at the Health Care Authority building in Olympia and remotely. The meeting was open to the public both in person and via Zoom.
Meeting recap
Highlights are listed below. See the briefing book for all presentation materials.
The Board approved the following resolutions:
- PEBB 2023-06 — Medicare Explicit Subsidy: The PEB Board endorses the calendar year 2024 monthly Medicare Explicit Subsidy of $183 or 50 percent of premium, whichever is less.
- PEBB 2023-07 — Kaiser Permanente NW Medicare 2024 Premium: The PEB Board endorses the Kaiser Foundation Health Plan of the Northwest Medicare plan premium.
- PEBB 2023-08 — Kaiser Permanente WA Medicare 2024 Premium: The PEB Board endorses the Kaiser Foundation Health Plan of Washington Medicare plan premium.
- PEBB 2023-09 — UHC Medicare 2024 Premiums: The PEB Board endorses the UnitedHealthcare Medicare plan premiums.
- PEBB 2023-10 — Premera Medicare 2024 Premiums: The PEB Board endorses the Premera Medicare plan premiums.
- PEBB 2023-11 — UMP Medicare 2024 Premium: The PEB Board endorses the Uniform Medical Plan (UMP) Medicare plan premium.
After presenting the proposed 2024 employee and non-Medicare retiree premiums, HCA staff proposed the following resolutions for a vote at the July 19 Board meeting. Approving these resolutions would include approval of premiums and benefit designs, including benefit design changes for 2024 described during the July 12 meeting, for all PEBB Program employee and non-Medicare retiree plans administered by each of these carriers:
- PEBB 2023-12 – Kaiser Permanente NW Premiums: The PEB Board endorses the Kaiser Foundation Health Plan of the Northwest employee and non-Medicare retiree premiums.
- PEBB 2023-13 – Kaiser Permanente WA Premiums: The PEB Board endorses the Kaiser Foundation Health Plan of Washington employee and non-Medicare retiree premiums.
- PEBB 2023-14 – UMP Premiums: The PEB Board endorses the Uniform Medical Plan (UMP) employee and non-Medicare retiree premiums.
The Board requested the PEBB Program pursue another round of rates from Kaiser Permanente for their employee and non-Medicare retiree rates. Depending on the response from Kaiser Permanente later this week, this could result in possible different proposed premiums for vote by the Board at next week’s July 19 Board meeting.
Guests Kelly Meehan Cook, director, Kaiser Foundation Health Plan of Washington, and Jennifer Stacy, interim vice president, Kaiser Foundation Health Plan of the Northwest, presented insights regarding premium increases and took questions from the Board.
HCA staff provided presentations on the following:
- Medicare update: Follow-up on COVID-19 vaccines; implications of Accountable Care Organization reach; overview of UnitedHealthcare appeals
- Changes to non-Medicare benefits for Kaiser Permanente Northwest, Kaiser Permanente Washington, and Uniform Medical Plan (administered by Regence BlueShield)
- Insights into the PEBB Program procurement process, including how long it takes to add a new benefit or plan
- Board meeting dates for 2024
Next meeting
The next public meeting of the PEB Board is scheduled for July 19, 2023, starting at 9 a.m. Board members and the public may attend in person or virtually, via Zoom. A link or call-in number for virtual attendance will be noted on the meeting agenda and posted on the PEB Board Meetings and materials webpage.