TEACHERS: How much do you pay for spousal health coverage? (Bend: health insurance, school district)

[happenstancer]

Hi Oregon! I'm writing from Central Washington. I'm posting because I'm marrying my teacher boyfriend on August 3rd, and last week we found out that it will cost $385/month to add me to his health insurance plan. We were definitely expecting to pay *something* for me to be added, but $385 seems ludicrous given his teacher's salary. We are currently looking into whether this cost is considered normal for a teacher in Washington (or if it's unique to his district), but we are also interested learning in how much teachers in Oregon tend to pay for spousal coverage since we are not opposed to moving to your lovely state. Just to be clear, I am specifically interested in hearing what other TEACHERS have paid, as opposed to those working in the private sector. Thank you!

[dogflower]

It really is a district-by-district decision because it's based on collective bargaining. In the district I work in, Bend-LaPine, the insurance premium is composite, which means all employees get--and pay for--the same benefit regardless of whether they have single coverage or family coverage. You have a choice of plans and premiums and depending on how "rich" a plan you chose, you may pay nothing.

This is public information and is posted on the HR page of district websites, so you may want to peruse them in areas of Oregon that you interested in relocating to.

[Hemlock140]

Ours in WA is similar. There is a specific limit to benefits paid by the district, so if you take the better medical you may not get dental paid or have to pay a higher premium. Vision is free for all employees. In our case, my wife was paying $700 out of her paycheck for 3 of us when I was self employed. Now I have a good job with benefits, so she is taking the free medical from the school district, and is also on mine. She uses whichever plan costs us less for whatever service is needed. She has me on her dental and vision and she is on mine so we both get double the maximum annual benefit.