Lawmakers look at state employee health plan

Thursday, Feb. 11, 1999 | 12:39 p.m.

The Government Affairs Committee also took testimony on SB79, to change the makeup of the Committee on Benefits that oversees the health plan.

Gary Wolff, representing the Nevada Highway Patrol Association, testified Wednesday in favor of the measure that would expand the committee from five members to seven and require them to serve fixed terms.

Also, committee members would be required to have some knowledge of employee benefits, and more state employee groups would have a say about the committee's makeup.

Currently two members are appointed by the State of Nevada Employees Association, and two are appointed by the governor. Of the two appointed by the governor, one must be a retired state employee. The fifth member is the director of the Department of Administration.

SB79 would allow the governor to make six of the appointments, based on recommendations from five groups: the State of Nevada Employees Association, the Retired Public Employees Association of Nevada, the Nevada Highway Patrol Association, the University and Community College System of Nevada and local government employees covered by the plan. The director of the Administration Department or a designee would be the seventh member.

Bob Gagnier, executive director of the State of Nevada Employees Association, questioned the selection method. He said his group has 4,000 members, while all other employee groups put together have fewer than 1,000.

But Sen. Bill Raggio, R-Reno, said that most of the 21,137 state employees belong to no employee group. Raggio he said he'll propose that some members of the public with no vested interest in the plan be appointed to help oversee its administration.

The Senate committee, after a review by legislative auditors of the status of the fund and its management problems, agreed that changing the makeup of the committee will be only a small part of reforms.

Sen. Jon Porter, R-Boulder City, said the main goal is to fix the system so it doesn't fail again. But those responsible for the current situation, which has resulted in the need for an emergency $26 million loan, will be sought out, he said.

"What has happened over a period of six or seven years is criminal," he said. "We have to find those accountable, and we will."