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2005 General Session
HB 89 marked the third effort in three years to add some state assistance for retired state employees to help pay for their medical insurance premiums. Under HB 89, the state would have paid up to $200 per month for premiums of retirees who chose to participate in the state group insurance plan.
Proponents of HB 89 argued that retired state employees should be included in the state's group insurance plan as a matter of fairness and decent treatment of retired employees. They cited information on the high premiums paid by retired employees, and noted that at least some retired state employees find it difficult to pay high health insurance premiums.
Opponents argued against the bill primarily on the basis of its cost, which was estimated to be about $6 million per year.
Once again, the bill failed to make it through the legislature. This time, HB 89 did not survive its hearing in the House Appropriations Committee, where it died without a recorded vote.
The House did include funding for health insurance assistance for retired state employees in its version of the 2005 supplemental budget bill, but the Senate did not, and the compromise budget bill that was ultimately adopted did not include this funding.