Teachers' insurance costs to go up $20 million

By Seth Blomeley

More than 40,000 public school employees are facing significant increases in health insurance premiums, and some legislators said Thursday that the problem is bigger than they thought and demands action by the state.

Teachers' insurance-premium costs will rise by about $20 million as of October. Individual premium costs will increase by $28 a month for an individual plan and $43 a month for an employee-and-children plan.

In addition, projections show possible increases in employee contributions rising even more in 2009 and 2010 unless the state or local districts increase the amount they pay.

Sen. Jim Argue, D-Little Rock, called it a "hell of a sacrifice" for teachers.

"This is a disgrace," said Rep. Tommy Dickinson, D-Newport, during a meeting of the Joint Adequacy Evaluation Oversight Subcommittee.

But Rep. Donna Hutchinson, R-Bella Vista, questioned whether the state should "bail out teachers" on insurance premiums because she thinks most have said they prefer salary increases, which the state has already given.

"They got a sorry deal if that's true," Argue responded.

For more information see today's Arkansas Democrat-Gazette.

Subscribers can read the story here on ArkansasOnline.