PEB Board authorizes 2024 premiums
On July 19, 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.
After presenting the proposed 2024 employee and non-Medicare retiree premiums, with some plans having updated proposed premiums compared to those presented on July 12, HCA staff proposed the following resolutions for a vote. Voting yes on these resolutions includes authorizing premiums presented at the July 19 meeting and the underlying 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 authorizes the Kaiser Foundation Health Plan of the Northwest employee and non-Medicare retiree premiums presented on July 19.
- PEBB 2023-13 – Kaiser Permanente WA Premiums: The PEB Board authorizes the Kaiser Foundation Health Plan of Washington employee and non-Medicare retiree premiums.
- PEBB 2023-14 – UMP Premiums: The PEB Board authorizes the Uniform Medical Plan (UMP) employee and non-Medicare retiree premiums.
The Board passed all three resolutions but discussed the proposals prior to voting. The Board members unanimously concurred that, while they do not endorse or support the rate increases for the Kaiser Permanente plans, they were choosing to vote affirmatively to keep the Kaiser Permanente plans as a choice for PEBB Program members. Plan choices are important because PEBB members are in the best position to weigh their own financial and health circumstances when selecting a plan.
HCA staff also provided presentations on the following:
- Medicare update: Preparing for retiree open enrollment
- Overview of open enrollment
- Transition to WebMD as administrator of SmartHealth in 2024
- Board meeting dates for 2024
Next meeting
This concludes the 2023 PEB Board season. The next public meeting of the PEB Board is scheduled for February 1, 2024, 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.