Public employee unions call for long-term fix for PEIA
By Steven Allen Adams, The Parkersburg News and Sentinel
CHARLESTON — Health insurance coverage for West Virginia’s public employees is stable for now due to approved premium and out-of-pocket expenses beginning in plan year 2026, but costs of the program are expected to keep increasing, with lawmakers searching for solutions.
Representatives of public employee unions held a press conference Wednesday afternoon at the Culture Center, across from the State Capitol Building where lawmakers are engaged in the 2025 legislative session. They were joined by nearly 200 delegates to the annual West Virginia AFL-CIO legislative conference.
“It’s clear that making PEIA as best as it possibly can be and keeping it in that realm moving forward has not been a priority,” said Josh Sword, president of the West Virginia AFL-CIO. “We need for decision makers to make funding PEIA a priority so it’s stabilized moving forward.”
The finance board of the Public Employees Insurance Agency (PEIA) approved premium increases at the end of last year for state employees beginning July 1, 2026, of 14%, a 16% increase for local government employees participating in the plan, and a 12% increase for retirees – an increase of approximately $113 million.
