Penn State employees will see the amount they pay for health insurance go up next year, but they’ll also have some new options — including pet and legal insurance.
Speaking during the Faculty Senate meeting this week, Jill Musser, Penn State’s senior director of employee benefits, outlined reasons behind rising health care costs. Those include provider rate increases, workforce shortages, hospital consolidation and the high costs of some new treatments and drugs.
“Costs have rebounded and then some for every employer across the country," she said.
Musser said the university is continuing with its “75-25 cost sharing.”
“Penn State pays 75%, and we the employee are absorbing 25%,” she said.
For example, an employee who earns $50,000 and gets insurance just for themselves on the traditional plan will see a monthly increase of about $8 dollars. The cost would be about $26 dollars more a month for a family.
Employees can also sign up for a few new programs, including identity protection benefits. Musser said family plans cover parents and grandparents.
“I don’t know about you, but my dad is 83, and if I can stop him from losing his identity by buying this, that and the other thing, I’m going to do that," she said.
Legal and pet insurance are also options. Penn State’s open enrollment runs from Nov. 1-15.
