Smokerlyzer vote is today at noon

The Senate was slated to take up proposed changes to the State Health Plan last night but the vote was pushed to this afternoon. Crammed into one bill is the immediate $250 million in rescue funds for the State Health Plan and higher cost sharing for state employees. Also included are initiatives to shift state employees who are obese or who smoke into bottom tier insurance plans. State Health Plan officials say they will contract with a company to randomly test state workers and their dependents with a nicotine detection device called a “smokerlyzer.”

Members of the General Assembly should stick with getting money to the cash strapped State Health Plan and commission a group of health policy experts to recommend larger reforms.