By AP
Frankfort, KY – Governor Fletcher Tuesday announced new insurance premiums for employees of state government and school districts but also a pay increase to soften the blow of the increases.
Fletcher says he "inherited a disastrous, unsustainable mess" in health insurance, compounded by the general assembly's failure to enact a budget for the new biennium.
But Fletcher says a sudden surge in tax revenues had enabled the administration to subsidize a greater chunk of the premiums, especially for singles and single parents with children.
Fletcher also said state employees, teachers and other school employees scheduled for a 2% raise this fiscal year would get an extra 1% on January 1st.
The state's health insurance program covers 171,000 state government and school district employees. Their dependents bring the total to 229,000.