Bill seeks legislator copay for insurance

PROVIDENCE – A bill before the Rhode Island House would require state legislators to pay a share of the medical, dental and vision plans currently provided to them by the state.
Submitted by Rep. Amy G. Rice (D-Portsmouth), members of the state’s part-time legislature would be required to pay 10 percent of their health costs. Presently, coverage for lawmakers costs taxpayers $5,810 for an individual plan or $16,233 for a family plan.
Those costs are projected to increase to $6,305 for individuals and $17,620 for families as of July 1, 2008.
The bill would also prohibit legislators from receiving any payment for waiving their health insurance benefits. Currently, lawmakers receive a $2,002 stipend for waiving state health insurance. State lawmakers presently receive an annual stipend of $13,508 for their service.
Rice, who submitted a similar bill last year, said that the legislation is aimed at forcing members of the General Assembly to share the burden of anticipated cuts to the state’s budget. &#8226