State employees will now be granted healthcare benefits immediately upon hire.
The state Senate sends House Bill 185 to Gov. John Carney. The bill removes the three-month waiting period for the state to pay its share of premium or subscription charges for health care coverage for state employees.
Co-sponsor Sen. Nicole Poore says this will help attract people to work for the state as it prioritizes recruitment and retention.
Sen. Eric Buckson introduced an amendment to instead reduce the waiting period from three months to one, concerned with the fiscal impact – $2.5 million in FY2025, $5.5 million in 2025, and over $6 million in 2026.
“Yes, this is a big bill, it does good things, but it comes with a lot of money," Buckson says. "And at the same time, we are going to have to answer that in a few years or next year.”
Poore notes Buckson voted for the FY2024 budget, which includes funding to cover the fiscal impact.
Sen. Sarah McBride says people doing the job should have what they need to live.
“We have a bill in front of us that is fully funded to provide insurance coverage to individuals that are providing services to the state on day one," McBride says. "Why we would say ‘no we’re not going to give them the health insurance that they need to live,’ I just do not understand that argument.”
The bill passed on a party-line vote.
