Ky. State Employees Might Get HRAs

By Allison Bell

March 30, 2004 at 07:00 PM

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NU Online News Service, March 30, 2004, 1:38 p.m. EST – Kentucky might add health reimbursement arrangements to the state's employee health coverage program.[@@]

State lawmakers have voted unanimously to approve a joint resolution, H.J.R. 207, that calls for state officials to study whether adding an HRA option would help employees and reduce state health insurance costs.

The sponsors of the resolution are Reps. Jim Thompson, D-Battletown, Ky., and Brian Crall, R-Owensboro, Ky.

The Kentucky House approved the resolution March 12 by an 83-0 vote, and the Senate approved the resolution Monday by a 38-0 vote.

The Kentucky Group Health Insurance Board is supposed to include an HRA feasibility study by the state Personnel Cabinet in its annual report, according to the resolution text. The board expects to release its annual report in October.

FullCircle Registry Inc., Louisville, Ky., a company that sells health cards and HRAs, says it worked hard to support the resolution.

FullCircle believes HRAs and its own products can play an important role in helping Kentucky reduce employees' health coverage costs, the company says.

Kentucky has posted links to information about H.R.J. 207 at http://www.lrc.state.ky.us/record/04rs/HJ207.htm

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