Lawmaker health insurance costs at a glance

Lawmaker health insurance costs at a glance

Lawmakers in many states enjoy free or heavily subsidized health insurance paid for by tax dollars, even as the recession claims the jobs and health benefits of millions of workers who elected them. The disparity is creating a backlash in some states to cut back lawmakers’ health benefits. Here is a look at those benefits at a glance.

States that pay the full cost of health insurance for lawmakers:

Delaware

Florida

Kentucky

Minnesota

Mississippi

North Carolina

North Dakota

Rhode Island

Texas

Maine

Oregon

Montana

States where lawmakers cannot get state-sponsored health insurance as part of their jobs:

New Mexico

South Dakota

Wyoming

States where lawmakers must pay the full cost of their health insurance plan:

Alabama

Nebraska

Nevada

New Hampshire

Vermont

West Virginia

States where the cost of health insurance is split between lawmakers and taxpayers:

Alaska

Arkansas

Arizona

California

Colorado

Connecticut

Georgia

Hawaii

Idaho

Illinois

Indiana

Iowa

Kansas

Louisiana

Maryland

Massachusetts

Michigan

Missouri

New Jersey

New York

Ohio

Pennsylvania

South Carolina

Tennessee

Utah

Virginia

Washington

Wisconsin

States that offer lawmakers a set allowance for health insurance:

Oklahoma

Source: 2008 study by the National Conference of State Legislatures.