The Oklahoma House passed House Bill 2470 on Thursday to provide a larger payment for teachers who opt out of the state’s flexible benefit program. Currently, teachers are given $594 a month to purchase health insurance. If a teacher opts out of the program, they get $69 a month “in lieu of” participating in the program.
Speaker Charles McCall’s bill would increase that payment to $300 per month.
“The current rate is simply not a fair amount for an in lieu of benefit allowance,” said McCall. “This plan would be completely voluntary, and it would provide those teachers who may have health coverage through other means an incentive to opt out and save the state the full amount of providing that benefit.”
HB 2470 heads to the Senate.
