Fayette PEIA payment issue resolved

Jan. 20--Fayette County teachers who sought medical care in December 2016 were billed personally for health care charges that their West Virginia Public Employee Insurance Agency (PEIA) benefits cover after the Fayette County Board of Education failed to pay the December premium, PEIA officials verified Thursday.

Fayette BOE officials have now made up-to-date payments of the $155,000 premium, and teachers are once again covered by PEIA, State Department of Administration Communications Director Diane Holley-Brown told The Register-Herald Thursday.

"Premiums are due on a monthly basis," said Holley-Brown. "Payment was not received at that point, but everything is resolved now, and all coverage has been restored.

"There was no interruption of coverage," she added. "Everything is kind of back to normal today."

Non-state entities, including the Fayette BOE, pay a premium for their employees who are PEIA members and who benefit from the health care offer, she said.

The skipped premium payment was due on Dec. 5, 2016.

Employees who were personally billed should ask their health care provider for help in submitting the claims to PEIA, or they may submit a paper claim to HealthSmart or CVS for adjudication if the provider isn't able to provide assistance, she advised.

A Fayette BOE administrative assistant said that Superintendent Terry George and Assistant Superintendent Gary Hough were referring all media calls regarding the PEIA issue to PEIA and that George and Hough were unavailable for comment Thursday.

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