Vermont state employees are going to be hit with a nearly 18 percent increase in their health insurance premiums.
Vermont Human Resources Commissioner Maribeth Spellman says the increase is taking place because more state employees than projected were treated last year for cancer and heart disease.
Spellman tells Vermont Public Radio that in each of the past two years there were roughly 80 claims in excess of $75,000. This year there have been 141 such claims.
The premium increase comes as a shock because state workers had seen no increases in the past two years and some premium payments were waved.
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