TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) - Florida legislators plan on keeping the cost of health insurance low for state leaders.
Gov. Rick Scott proposed having himself and other high-ranking state officials pay the same for health insurance as rank-and-file workers.
But new budgets unveiled by the House and Senate on Friday would keep health insurance premiums the same as they are now.
The governor along with the three elected members of the Cabinet as well House members pay no more than $400 a year for health insurance.
The 40 members of the Florida Senate earlier this year started paying the same as career service employees. That's nearly $2,200 a year for family coverage.
Florida spends $1.9 billion to cover roughly 170,000 state workers, university employees and retirees. Most of the money comes from taxpayers, not premiums.
