Most of us have to pay for our own health insurance. That is, if we can afford it. Many can’t.

Some of us are fortunate enough to have employers who furnish us health insurance or pay a portion of it.

Among the fortunate, are the LA leges.

Those “part-time” members of the lege are provided taxpayer-subsidized health insurance.

We taxpayers pay between 62% and 75% of a lege’s monthly insurance premium.

For members of the lege with families, if they choose, the taxpayers’ subsidize the insurance premium for the entire family.

Leges also have a choice of several different insurance programs.

Rates

The highest family rate for a lege is $1,263.52 per month, of which, you and I pay $743.06.

The lowest family rate for a lege is $993.44 per month, of which you and I pay $661.80

The highest individual rate for a lege is $564.12 per month, of which you and I pay $406.78.

The lowest individual rate for a lege is $460.32 per month, of which you and I pay $345.24.

Salaries and perks

Each lege who chooses to take advantage of the state-subsidized health insurance program gets another perk worth between $8,916.72 and $4,142.88 per year.

Add the family insurance perk to the base salary of each lege under SB 672 and one is looking at a minimum salary in even-numbered years for “part-time” leges of at least $64,571.

To the minimum salary one adds per diems of $143 per day for each day of interim committee meetings and special sessions, plus mileage at the rate of 50.5 cents per mile.

The presiding officers of each house the chairmen of the four “money committees” in each house make substantially more.

The base salary, per diems and mileage will automatically rise each year with the cost-of-living. That will mean a larger increase than by tying their salaries to the Congressional pay.

Here is a spread sheet with various insurance options and the amount of premiums paid by the lege and that paid by us:health-insurance001

Finally, remember the leges have been getting this perk for years.

As the leges would say: “Didja know?”

C.B.