Bill Text: WV HB2968 | 2025 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Relating to the cessation of PEIA as a public healthcare entity and permitting PEIA to operate as a private healthcare insurance company
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 9-0)
Status: (Introduced) 2025-02-25 - To House Finance [HB2968 Detail]
Download: West_Virginia-2025-HB2968-Introduced.html
sWEST virginia legislature
2025 regular session
Introduced
House Bill 2968
By Delegates Ellington, Hornby, W. Clark, D. Smith, Crouse, White, T. Clark, Coop-Gonzalez, and Miller
Introduced February 25, 2025; referred to the Committee on Finance
A BILL to amend the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended, by adding a new section, designated §5-16-33, relating to the cessation of PEIA as a public healthcare entity; providing for the continuation of PEIA as a private healthcare insurance company; providing for a monthly payment to the employment into a Health Savings Account ("HSA"); and providing for an effective date.
Be it enacted by the Legislature of West Virginia:
ARTICLE 16. WEST VIRGINIA PUBLIC EMPLOYEES INSURANCE ACT.
§5-16-33. Cessation of PEIA as public healthcare entity; allowing for the privatization and continuation of PEIA; money paid directly to employee; effective date.
(a) PEIA shall cease to operate as a public healthcare entity in this state after the effective date of this section.
(b) PEIA may continue to operate in this state as a private healthcare entity.
(c) All monies that are currently distributed to PEIA from the employer shall be paid directly to the employee in the form of a match in a Health Savings Account ("HSA") for the employee to use for the payment of healthcare insurance premiums or other related healthcare expenditures.
(d) The monthly payment to the employee shall be in the amount of $1,100, to be paid directly to the HSA, as otherwise set forth in §5-16-27 of this code.
(e) An employee may choose his or her own healthcare provider to use funds from the HSA, or the employee may continue to pay into PEIA as a private provider if he or she chooses.
(f) This section shall become effective July 1, 2025.
NOTE: The purpose of this bill relates to the cessation of PEIA as a public healthcare entity. The bill permits PEIA to operate as a private healthcare insurance company. The bill provides for a monthly payment to employees for the payment of healthcare premiums and related healthcare expenditures. Finally, the bill provides for an effective date.
Strike-throughs indicate language that would be stricken from a heading or the present law and underscoring indicates new language that would be added.
