There would be no cost to taxpayers. This proposal would permit employees an additional choice of health insurance coverage available at their own expense.
The proposal may help reduce health care costs overall. If offered, health insurance coverage would be available to some adults and children who might otherwise be uninsured.
The issue is one of competitiveness. Offering such benefits will bring state agencies and higher education institutions in line with prevailing benefits practices of employers of choice in Virginia and across the nation, and enhance recruiting and retention of the best and the brightest. 66% of the top private employers in Virginia offer such benefits. Almost 60% of the Fortune 500 companies choose to offer such expanded benefits to their employees. At least 12 Virginia-based Fortune 500 or Fortune 1000 companies offer such benefits including: Altria Group, Capital One, CarMax, Dominion Resources, Gannett, Genworth, MCI Group, MeadWestvaco, Owens & Minor, Philip Morris USA, SprintNextel, and SLM Corp. (Sallie Mae).
