West Virginia
PEIA proposes premium increases of 14%, 16% for West Virginia employees • West Virginia Watch
West Virginia state and county employees would pay more for their health care next fiscal year under a proposal presented Thursday to the Public Employees Insurance Agency finance board.
The agency is proposing increasing premiums by 14% for state employees and by 16% for local government employees during the 2026 fiscal year, which starts July 1, 2026.
The agency also proposed a 12% increase in premiums for retirees.
Both state and county employees would see an increase of 40% in their out-of-pocket maximum as well as increase in co-pays. A monthly spousal surcharge for state employees would more than double, from $147 to $350.
Altogether, the increases are projected to equal roughly $113 million. Speaking to the board about the reasons for the cost increases, PEIA director Brian Cunningham pointed to inflation of prescription drug costs as well as increases in their use.
Cunningham told the board there’s “no single fix,” to PEIA’s problem with rising costs.
“PEIA has a multifaceted problem, we’ve seen growth in expense, or growth in the cost of reimbursement to providers,” Cunningham said. “We see substantial growth in cost of prescription drugs. So what we as a team here at PEIA are seeking to do with the support of the board is to take a multi faceted approach to the fix.”
That includes strategies to encourage members to use lower-cost generic drugs, he said. Cunningham said a number of other initiatives to tackle rising costs are in the works.
In addition to prescription drug inflation, Cunningham also pointed to recent legislation. Senate Bill 268, which passed during the 2022 legislative session, resulted around $70 million increase in pay to health care providers and mandated that a spousal surcharge be the actuarial value of covering the spouse. The surcharge is for members whose spouses are offered employer-sponsored insurance coverage but choose to get coverage through a plan offered by PEIA.
The bill also increased premium rates to get back to an 80/20 employer/employee premium split.
Speaking before the finance board meeting Thursday, Dale Lee, president of the West Virginia Education Association teachers union, called the proposed premium increases “unacceptable.”
“The employees: our educators, our teachers, our service professionals, our state workers, state police and everybody else who can make so much more money crossing the state line and driving 30 more minutes, that’s exactly what we’re going to see happen, particularly in these border counties,” Lee said. “We’re struggling to get educators in our school system right now…You put a 40% increase in cost shift to them. They can’t take that. We can’t take that.”
Fred Albert, president of the American Federation of Teachers West Virginia, said the proposed premium increases are unfair to state employees, some of whom are not paid what they deserve.
“You’ve heard this many, many, many, many times before, the PEIA benefits were given over the years in lieu of a pay raise,” Albert said. “And while we have had some pay raises here in the last five years, it’s just not enough to make a difference when you’re now paying higher premiums, higher co-pays, and you will be paying even more. Then your take home is not increasing, so you’re not realizing and paying increase.”
“I get tired of hearing people say, ‘Well, you didn’t go into teaching to get rich,’” Albert said. “No, maybe not, not in money. You get rich in other ways. But we didn’t go into it to be poor, either. We need to be able to raise a family, live a comfortable life and retire with dignity. But this is going to be devastating.”
The PEIA finance board is planning public hearings around the state next month to hear from participants about the proposal. The meetings are planned for 6 p.m. at the following locations. Registration begins at 5:30 p.m.
- Nov. 7 at the Beckley-Raleigh Convention Center, 200 Armory Drive, Beckley
- Nov. 12 at the Holiday Inn Martinsburg, 301 Foxcroft Avenue, Martinsburg
- Nov. 14 at the The Highlands Event Center, 355 Wharton Circle, Suite 253, Triadelphia
- Nov. 18 Virtually by computer or smartphone at this link. People can also join the virtual meeting by phone by calling 1-413-350-0825 with the PIN 426 346 783#.
- Nov. 19 at The Erickson Alumni Center in Morgantown, and
- Nov. 21 at the Culture Center, 1900 Kanawha Boulevard East, Charleston
The board is expected to vote on the proposed increases at its Dec. 5 meeting.
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West Virginia
Charleston commemorates Juneteenth with downtown parade and celebration – WV MetroNews
CHARLESTON, W.Va – Charleston is celebrating Juneteenth with its annual parade, followed by a celebration in Slack Plaza featuring live entertainment, food, educational exhibits, and more.
The parade stepped off from the Martin Luther King, Jr. Community Center at 11:30 on Friday with a long line of organizations participating and several community members recognized as “Mr. and Miss Juneteenth.” Smiles dotted the procession as organizers watched a community come together.
“It’s just a wonderful thing when we can bring the community together to celebrate freedom, and here in West Virginia, we’ve had some challenges because they’ve said that Juneteenth is not a state holiday, but our people are still celebrating,” parade chairperson Karen Williams said.
The parade marked the start of an entire day recognizing the history of Juneteenth, the emancipation of more than 250,000 enslaved Black people when the Union Army arrived at Galveston, Texas, on June 19, 1865. With the last stronghold of slavery in the Confederate States eradicated that day, June 19 came to be celebrated as a second independence day, and President Joe Biden established it as a national holiday in 2021.
In West Virginia, former Gov. Jim Justice was the first to declare a state holiday and did so in each of his last four years in office. Gov. Patrick Morrisey recognized Juneteenth with a proclamation on Friday but has not declared a state holiday in 2025 or 2026.
“Representation really matters, so seeing Black queens and Black kings roaming the streets of Charleston is a beautiful thing, and it’s a needed thing. I think there’s a lot more people that aren’t going to celebrate Juneteenth than people that are, so I think it’s really important that we continue to celebrate this holiday and show why it’s important,” Miss Juneteenth Adult Keyarna Frederick said.
Different groups from around the Kanawha Valley came out to participate from businesses and youth organizations to political committees and arts collectives. Williams believes that shows that Juneteenth is a day for the entire community to celebrate.
“Appalachian people have always grown up and lived together, and what we want—we want people to continue that. We want people to continue to be together. We’re not saying this is a Black event or a white event. We welcome all people to come and participate,” she said.
The parade route echoed her sentiment as nearly everyone who joined the parade shared handshakes, high-fives, and hugs. That spirit of togetherness spoke to the day’s honorees as well.
“It’s definitely something that we should all be celebrating. It’s for all of us, not just for a certain color or a certain kind. It’s for all of us, so I believe everyone should be celebrating this day,” Mr. Juneteenth Adult Edward Frederick said.
“This is my first time in the parade. It’s so beautiful. It’s so amazing to see different organizations a part of the parade, seeing how much muscle has went into even doing something like this, so I think it’s a beautiful thing for Charleston,” Keyarna Frederick added.
From the parade to the activities in Slack Plaza, the day’s organizers sought to create an environment to celebrate Juneteenth with a spirit of unity. Williams hopes that anyone that joined or watched felt that along the way.
“I want them to see that we are Almost Heaven, West Virginia; that we are celebrating freedom; and that we are a community that embraces one another,” she said.
BOONE COUNTY, W.Va. (WSAZ) – We have a traffic alert for drivers in the Danville area of Boone County.
Starting on Friday, they should expect delays as crew perform work on the Jill Micah Hess Bridge along U.S. 119.
According to the West Virginia Department of Transportation, northbound traffic will be shifted from the slow lane to the fast lane.
This will take place from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m., and drivers are asked to expect delays.
Copyright 2026 WSAZ. All rights reserved.
West Virginia
Community Catalyst Grant applications are open through West Virginia First Foundation through June 30 – WV MetroNews
The West Virginia First Foundation, which was established to use drug lawsuit settlement money to try to alleviate problems related to addiction, reported having access to $378.5 million in financial resources and noted that more than $34 million in grants have been awarded since the organization’s start.
The West Virginia First Foundation met for a few minutes Thursday at Ascend West Virginia in Charleston. The meeting was also available for view through streaming.
Executive Director Jonathan Board highlighted the launch of the Community Catalyst Grant application and a statewide needs assessment intended to identify service gaps.
Designed as a three-year, outcomes-driven investment, the program will support projects focused on public safety response, day report centers and generational prevention efforts. The program opened for applications on June 1 and remains open through June 30.
“We’re very encouraged by the interest and engagement so far,” Board said.
The board also approved a $4 million funding request for the Rockefeller Neuroscience Institute. The project is focused on expanding access to innovative addiction treatment and recovery support tools while building the technology and infrastructure needed to support implementation across West Virginia.
Additional details about the project and funding agreement are to be released in the coming weeks following the completion of final documentation. West Virginia First Foundation and Rockefeller Neuroscience Institute plan to issue a joint announcement once the agreement process is complete.
“They’ve gone through a very rigorous process for the correct funding,” Board said. “Their team has presented an opportunity to fund a project that will build technology, training and support systems of care needed to expand access to an innovative addiction treatment approach throughout the state of West Virginia, and really beyond.”
The West Virginia First Foundation is a non-profit organization established in 2023 to manage and distribute 72.5% of the state’s opioid settlement funds, totaling hundreds of millions of dollars. The organization is aimed at combatting the addiction crisis through grants and regional projects.
The next regular meeting of the Foundation’s Board of Directors is scheduled for Sept. 17 although it’s subject to change.
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