State Employees Health Insurance Contribution Going Up...

...and I guess we're supposed be happy about it? (Via ProJo's Political Scene):

On July 1, the worker’s share of the premium cost will rise. For union workers, this was spelled out in the contract; for nonunion workers, a notice went out to each agency’s human resources department three weeks ago, and the agencies are in the process of notifying affected employees.

Workers who earn more than $75,000 a year will now pay 15 percent of their premium cost, up from 11 percent. Factoring in the increase in the price of the plan, that means each worker will pay $871 a year for individual health, dental and vision coverage, and $2,435 a year for family coverage. Because the premium also increased, that’s an increase of $741 in what an employee in this income bracket will pay for a family plan this year.

Workers who earn less than $75,000 a year will go from paying 9 percent of their premium to 12 percent. The state also has a separate category for workers making less than $35,000, for family plans only. Those workers currently pay 6 percent, and will pay 8 percent — or $1,299 a year — starting July 1.

Across all categories of state employees, roughly one-fourth have individual plans and three-fourths have family plans, said Susan Rodriguez, deputy state personnel administrator for benefits.