Panel pushes for cost savings in state employee health care
DOVER — The committee that reviews health benefits offered to state employees voted Monday to make some changes to copays in an effort to encourage workers to seek better and cheaper care.
The State Employee Benefits Committee lowered some copays while raising others, potentially saving the state around $2 million. Copays for basic imaging, currently $20, will go to $35 when a patient visits a hospital-based facility but will be zero for free-standing facilities. State employees who use freestanding sites for MRIs and CT scans will continue to have no copay, but the fee for using a hospital for those services jumps from $35 to $50. For outpatient lab work, non-preferred labs will now carry a $20 copay while preferred labs will remain at $10.
Additionally, as part of a plan to encourage competition, certain facilities will be designated “centers of excellence” for orthopedic and spine procedures. Those that do not receive the title will carry higher copays for the select care for individuals with state health benefits.
“The State Employee Benefits Committee today made some minor adjustments that will incentivize employees to use services that provide the best value for what is needed for their health care and we’ll continue to monitor going forward what our experience is with regard to the slight changes in copays,” Office of Management and Budget Director Mike Jackson said after the meeting.
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