PEB Board receives legislative session update and insights on unchanged vaccine coverage

On March 12, the Public Employees Benefits Board (PEB Board) met. Members attended in person at the Health Care Authority (HCA) in Olympia and remotely. The meeting was open to the public both in person and via Microsoft Teams.

Meeting Recap

Highlights are listed below. See the briefing book for all presentation materials.

HCA staff introduced four policy resolutions related to eligibility deferral policies for retiree insurance coverage when a retiree or their survivor resides temporarily or permanently outside of the United States:

  • PEBB 2026-01 – PEBB Retiree Insurance Coverage Deferral – Temporary Absence from the United States that Exceeds the Permitted Time Allowed
  • PEBB 2026-02 – PEBB Retiree Insurance Coverage Automatic Deferral – Permanently Reside Outside of the United States or Due to a Temporary Absence from the United States
  • PEBB 2026-03 – Amending Resolution PEBB 2024-26 PEBB Retiree Insurance Coverage Deferral – Permanently Reside Outside of the United States
  • PEBB 2026-04 – Amending Resolution PEBB 2025-01 Automatic Deferral – PEBB Retiree Insurance Coverage for Subscribers Who Permanently Reside Outside of the United States and Do Not Respond to HCA

HCA staff provided presentations on the following:

  • Status of legislation moving through the 2026 legislative session.
  • Update on the 2026 supplemental budget.
  • Overview of the PEBB Program’s vaccine coverage.
  • Update on possible impact of Wasteful and Inappropriate Service Reduction (WISeR) model to original Medicare plans (note: Medicare Advantage plans with Prescription Drug Coverage will not be impacted).
  • Update on the collective bargaining agreement flexible spending arrangement (CBA FSA).
  • Update on project planning for the Benefits 24/7 online enrollment system.

Next meeting

The next public meeting of the PEB Board is scheduled for April 16, 2026, starting at 9:30 a.m. (note, this is 30 minutes later than typical meeting start times).  Board members and the public may attend in person or virtually via Microsoft Teams. 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.