By EVE NEWMAN/lbedit6@laramieboomerang.com Wednesday, November 21, 2012

Wyoming is spending $4 million a week this year paying the health care expenses of state employees.

Next year, the state is anticipating spending $220 million on medical claims, according to Ralph Hayes, who manages the employees group insurance program. In 1999, the state spent just $38 million for the year.

This is the cost of medical claims. Were not using five times more services than we were back then, he said.

Hayes talked about the state of the insurance program and changes coming with the implementation of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act on Monday at the Eppson Center for Seniors during a meeting of the University of Wyoming and State Retirees of Albany County.

The states health insurance program is self-funded. Almost half of participants are direct employees of the state or their dependents.

Thirteen percent are retirees, 16 percent are UW employees or dependents and 10 percent are with Wyomings community colleges.

Hayes said just four percent of the cost of the program funds its administration. The rest is used to pay claims. Enrollment in the program stays relatively flat, mirroring the number of state employees, even though costs have skyrocketed in the last decade.

You cant point to any one thing. Its a myriad of things, he said.

A quarter of the expenses pay for hospital stays. Another quarter are for prescription drugs, which Hayes called the fastest growing component of medical care, especially when it comes to specialty drugs that can cost thousands of dollars for a 30-day supply.

Link:

State retirees discuss health insurance program