The Public Employee Benefits Program voted Thursday to eliminate the proposed surcharge intended to make unvaccinated state workers pay for their weekly COVID tests.
The surcharge, which was to take effect in July, required those workers to pay for the $55 a month on the employee and $175 a month for dependents.
Several state workers called in for public comment describing the surcharge as unfair especially in view of inflation that is already eating away at employee take home pay. The board was told for lower paid workers with children that could consume nearly a quarter of their paychecks.
PEBP Executive Director Laura Rich told the board the governor’s office has decided to pull back the surcharge and put the issue before the board. She said the governor’s office and the Office of Finance have committed to provide other funds to cover the cost of testing those workers who refuse to be vaccinated.
Those costs, according to a consultant attending the meeting, are about $1 million a month.
Rich said if there are more variants in the virus moving forward that spike the number of cases and hospitalizations, PEBP will have to absorb those costs. But she said the governor has committed to covering the costs incurred so far but is open to discussing more funding if needed.
The vote to eliminate the surcharge was unanimous.
