Oklahoma Teachers Reach Deeper into Pockets for Insurance Hike

Oklahoma teachers will soon have to cough up more cash to see the doctor, and that has many educators speaking out.

Friday, September 11th 2009, 6:23 pm

By: News 9


By Jacqueline Sit, NEWS 9

OKLAHOMA CITY -- Oklahoma teachers will soon have to reach deeper into their wallet after the cost of insurance goes up next year.

Starting in January, teachers in Oklahoma will have to pay twice as much on co-pays for doctors visits and pay a $5 increase on prescription drug co-pays. Experts said if premiums continue to climb, the burden will eventually be passed on to taxpayers, but right now teachers will have to take the hit.

Monte Lawler with the Moore Association of Classroom Teachers has been teaching students with special needs for over 30 years and said the insurance hike will take a toll on him.

"Anytime you go directly to my pocketbook you're going to increase the stress on me," Lawler said. "We all knew it would go up. We just didn't realize the impact on the teachers would be a doubling of the co-pays."

The Oklahoma State and Education Employees Group Insurance Board said in a statement:

"The Board discussed that an increase of 12 percent would likely require additional cost cutting measures by employers, such as job layoffs. After much deliberation, the Board decided that they had an obligation to keep the premium increase as low as possible."

While teachers get $442 monthly for individual coverage, legislators get $608 monthly for individual coverage. For family coverage, teachers get $0 monthly, but legislators get $1596.

"I believe we need to be doing what's right and what's right is to continue making Oklahoma one of the strongest states when it comes to education. We have the best teachers in the nation," Lawler said.

When asked about her health coverage, Representative Sally Kern said teachers shouldn't have to pay any more than legislators or any state workers and why teachers have to pay out of pocket is beyond her.

The health insurance increase will also affect state workers including legislators.

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