State Employees Share Only 23% of Rising Healthcare Premium Costs to the State

The skyrocketing cost of healthcare over the last three years has forced Governor Susana Martinez to scramble for ways to cover state employee benefits. It looks like there will be a 15 percent increase in premiums coming for health insurance that covers about 73,000 state and local government workers and their dependents.
To fill most of the gap, the General Services Department will ask the Legislature for $10 million next year to cover higher rates proposed for government agencies. Increases in state worker premiums will only cover about 23% of the increase that is likely to be implemented in the fiscal year starting July 2013.
While businesses and individuals in the private sector have paid for health insurance premium hikes every year since 2007, New Mexico state government worker's costs have remained unchanged for those five years.

State Employees Share Only 23% of Rising Healthcare Premium Costs to the State