State workers and teachers' health insurance premiums to rise

James Salzer reports in the AJC that about 350,000 state and school employees and retirees will be hit with about a 10 percent increase in their health insurance premiums on Jan. 1.

The increase comes after a year of no premium rate hikes. In 2006, when Gov. Sonny Perdue and the General Assembly faced re-election, they put extra money in the budget for fiscal 2007 so state employees and teachers wouldn't have to pay higher premiums for health care.