4 days ago
WV Legislature may be called for PEIA special session in July
The Public Employees Insurance Agency is proposing increasing premiums by 14% for state employees and by 16% for local government employees during the 2026 fiscal year. (Lori Kersey | West Virginia Watch)
While West Virginia employees prepare for their health insurance to take up more of their paychecks this summer, a special session may be coming in July — the same month those increases take effect — to deal with ongoing cost and sustainability challenges at the Public Employees Insurance Agency.
At the finance board's regular meeting Thursday, Chairman Eric Householder said the agency has been working with Gov. Patrick Morrisey's office as he prepares to call the special legislative session.
'I know currently … we are working providing data to the governor,' Householder said. 'There's been no decision on what to do, just providing data, having roundtable discussions. That's all we're doing right now.'
Householder said Morrisey tentatively intends to call a special session for PEIA in mid July.
Beginning in July, PEIA premiums are increasing by 14% for state employees and by 16% for local government employees. Out-of-pocket and copay costs will also go up. The agency will also raise premiums by 12% for retirees.
PEIA leaders have said that the rising cost of health care — particularly inflation on prescription GLP-1 drugs that treat obesity and diabetes — are a major driver of the rate increases.
Union leaders and state employees have repeatedly called on the Legislature to come up with a solution to PEIA's rising costs, but the issue largely went unaddressed during the 2025 regular session.
Morrisey said in April that he plans to call a special session for PEIA, but he has not said how exactly the issue of increasing costs will be addressed..
'That was kicked down the road for many, many years,' the governor said in April. 'I don't intend to kick it down the road. We have to bring everyone together, all the stakeholders: listen, learn and then you'll be seeing some activity.'
In a news release Thursday, leadership from the West Virginia Democratic Party blamed Morrisey for 'falling to act' and letting 'devastating' PEIA increases go into effect.
'Pay-Cut Patrick failed to take action to stabilize PEIA premiums,' Democratic Party Chair Mike Pushkin said in the statement. 'So now, state employees, including law enforcement officers, school teachers, school service personnel, CPS workers, and retirees will soon be paying a price for his inaction. Morrisey had a choice — he could have fought to protect working West Virginians. Instead, he did what he always does: protect his political donors and let working families bear the burden.'
In an email Thursday, Morrisey spokesman Drew Galang said the governor has emphasized that the state 'must address the inherited challenges facing PEIA and its long term sustainability.' He said Morrisey had 'already indicated' that a special session to do so would occur in 'mid to late July.'
Galang did not respond to an email asking to clarify when, publicly, the July timeframe had been set by Morrisey and no such references to it have been made clear in previous PEIA meetings or announcements prior to Thursday.
A spokeswoman for the House of Delegates and one for the state Senate said the governor has not formally told lawmakers the special session will be in July.
Dale Lee, president of the West Virginia Education Association, told Householder the discussions about PEIA solutions should include public employees and their representatives.
'The employees can't be the ones providing all of this,' Lee said of the cost increases. 'We have to have the Legislature. There has to be not only the Legislature but also the providers. That's why I continue to ask that we all go back to the table and that we come up with a plan that people can agree on.'
Lee, who has repeatedly criticized state leaders for failing to act on the recommendations of a task force called by former Gov. Jim Justice after statewide teacher strikes in 2018 and 2019, said it's important that the Legislature act upon a plan for PEIA this time.
'[It] never even got on a committee agenda,' he said of the recommendations. 'That's just disingenuous.'
