State Health Plan postpones voting on benefit changes
RALEIGH -- The governing board of North Carolina's health insurance plan for state employees, teachers and retirees is delaying consideration of major cost-saving initiatives that include phasing out its most popular plan.
A spokesman for the State Health Plan Board of Trustees said Wednesday the panel will vote Friday on benefit changes for 2017 but won't go further.
The board's staff had recommended starting in 2018 doing away with the "80/20 plan" - in which members pay 20 percent of health care costs up to a certain deductible. The board will delay that discussion until a later date.
Board spokesman Brad Young also said the board won't discuss Friday whether to recommend to the General Assembly to exclude employee spouses from coverage.
Changes are happening in response to a legislative mandate.
