On the Rat Patrol: Volunteer Board Members to Receive State Health Insurance Benefits.

Members of the boards of the State Education Resource Center, the state lottery, the Connecticut Port Authority and the Connecticut Airport Authority receive a substantial gift in the legislature’s budget implementer bill released today.

The board members and directors of the agencies will benefit by an addition to state statutes, each of which states in sections 133-136 of the bill, some variation of this:

A director who is not otherwise eligible to
participate in the group hospitalization and medical and surgical
insurance plan established pursuant to subsection (a) of section 5-259
may elect to participate in such plan. Each director who elects such
coverage shall pay the same percentage of the premium as paid by a
state employee for the form of coverage elected under such plan. The
authority shall reimburse the appropriate state agency for the remainder
of the premium and any other costs incurred due to the director’s
participation.

This valuable benefit will make it more difficult to dislodge members of the boards when change becomes essential.

Published May 6, 2024.