Petition to Stabilize the Public Employees Insurance Agency (PEIA) in West Virginia

To: Governor of West Virginia, Members of the West Virginia Legislature, and the West Virginia Department of Administration

We, the undersigned citizens of West Virginia, call upon the State of West Virginia to prioritize the sustainable funding of the Public Employees Insurance Agency (PEIA).

In recent years, inadequate funding has led to rising premiums, increased out-of-pocket costs, reduced benefits, and instability within the PEIA system. These changes have placed an unjust burden on public employees, many of whom are already underpaid compared to their counterparts in other states.

Our state’s success depends on the well-being of its workforce, and stable, affordable health insurance is a key component of that well-being.

We, therefore, respectfully demand the following:

1. Immediate action to stabilize PEIA to prevent detrimental premium increases, benefit reductions, and service cuts and to eliminate the extreme burden on employees.

2. Allow surplus and other supplemental funds to be applied to PEIA costs without additional employee contributions.

3. Ensure long-term stability through a sustainable funding mechanism that will allow PEIA to remain affordable and accessible to all public employees, retirees, and their families.

We urge the State of West Virginia to act swiftly and decisively to address this critical issue. Our public employees deserve nothing less.