The plan covers nearly 200,000 state employees and retirees, and benefits are administered by Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Mississippi.
Because state employees filed about $120 million in COVID-19-related claims in 2021, the state had to use federal American Rescue Plan Act funds to make up the difference.
“The elephant in the room is that our state health insurance plan is bleeding cash right now,” Senate Insurance Chair Walter Michel told the Daily Journal. “We just want to make sure we’re staying ahead of the curve with the plan.”
The hearing also comes after State Auditor Shad White’s office signed an agreement in March with a data analytics firm to collect a large amount of data from any PBM that has a contract with the state.
The Mississippi House and Senate Insurance Committees are scheduled to hold the joint hearing in July, though no agenda has been finalized.
