PEB Board authorizes 2025 plan premiums

On July 11, 2024, the Public Employees Benefits Board (PEB Board) met. Members attended in person at the Health Care Authority (HCA) in Olympia and remotely. The meeting was open to the public both in person and via Zoom.  

Meeting recap  

Highlights are listed below. See the briefing book for all presentation materials.   

The PEB Board approved the following resolutions:

• PEBB 2024-28 – Kaiser Foundation Health Plan of the Northwest (KPNW) Non-Medicare 2025 Premiums: The PEB Board authorizes the Kaiser Foundation Health Plan of the Northwest employee and non-Medicare retiree premiums.
• PEBB 2024-29 – Kaiser Foundation Health Plan of Washington (KPWA) Non-Medicare 2025 Premiums: The PEB Board authorizes the Kaiser Foundation Health Plan of Washington employee and non-Medicare retiree premiums.
• PEBB 2024-30 – Uniform Medical Plan (UMP) Non-Medicare 2025 Premiums: The PEB Board authorizes the Uniform Medical Plan (UMP) employee and non-Medicare retiree premiums.
• PEBB 2024-31 – 2025 Medicare explicit subsidy: The PEB Board authorizes the calendar year 2025 monthly Medicare Explicit Subsidy of $183 or 50% of premium, whichever is less.
• PEBB 2024-32 – Kaiser Foundation Health Plan of the Northwest (KPNW) 2025 Medicare Premium: The PEB Board authorizes the Kaiser Foundation Health Plan of the Northwest Senior Advantage with Part D premium.
• PEBB 2024-33 – Kaiser Foundation Health Plan of Washington (KPWA) 2025 Medicare Premium: The PEB Board authorizes the Kaiser Foundation Health Plan of Washington Medicare Advantage with Part D premium.
• PEBB 2024-34 – UnitedHealthcare (UHC) 2025 Medicare Premiums: The PEB Board authorizes the UnitedHealthcare Medicare Advantage with Part D premiums.
• PEBB 2024-35 – Premera 2025 Medicare Premiums: The PEB Board authorizes the Premera Medicare Supplement premiums.
• PEBB 2024-36 – Uniform Medical Plan (UMP) 2025 Medicare Premium: The PEB Board authorizes the Uniform Medical Plan Classic Medicare with Part D (PDP) premium.

HCA staff provided updates and follow-ups on the following:

• Recent questions from school districts and retirees on the policy prohibiting waiver of SEBB employee medical coverage for PEBB retiree insurance coverage. 
• Kaiser Permanente of Washington End-Stage Renal Disease (ESRD) Program for non-Medicare members who are eligible to enroll in Medicare Parts A and B.
• Kaiser Permanente benefit change that myStrength (now known as Teladoc Health) will end on July 31, 2024. This change affects both Kaiser Permanente Northwest and Kaiser Permanente Washington plans.
• Update on the Medicare plans, including progress on the UMP Classic Medicare with Part D implementation and a sample of common myths about the plan and the HCA response to those myths.
• Preview of open enrollment, including open enrollment dates changing to October 28 to November 25, 2024.
• Update and discussion 
• on a report requested by the Legislature about a potential future consolidation of the PEBB and School Employees Benefits Board (SEBB) Programs.

Next meeting

This concludes the 2024 PEB Board season. The next public meeting of the PEB Board is scheduled for January 30, 2025. Board members and the public may attend in person (masks are optional) or virtually via Zoom. A link or call-in number for virtual attendance will be noted on the meeting agenda and posted on the PEB Board Meetings and materials webpage.