According to the Office of Group Benefits, there are 22,326 classified employees who are covered by the Magnolia Local Plus plan in 2026. Most of these employees have selected “Employee Only” coverage. Table 11 provides an overview of the participation rates for the various coverage types. TABLE 11: CLASSIFIED EMPLOYEE PARTICIPATION RATES BY COVERAGE TYPE Magnolia Local Plus Plan, 2026 Pay Schedule Employee Only Employee + Child(ren) Employee + Spouse Family All Coverages AS 18.0% 7.6% 2.2% 2.9% 30.6% MS 3.8% 2.1% 0.6% 1.3% 7.8% PS 10.7% 4.5% 1.1% 1.6% 17.9% SS 10.7% 5.0% 0.8% 1.2% 17.8% TS 6.4% 3.3% 1.0% 2.4% 13.1% WS 8.2% 1.9% 1.4% 1.3% 12.8% Statewide 57.8% 24.4% 7.1% 10.7% 100.0% Data as of January 1, 2026. Percentages based on a total of 22,326 classified employees. HEALTH INSURANCE PREMIUMS AS A PERCENTAGE OF EMPLOYEE SALARIES Health insurance premium deductions can make up a significant percentage of employee salaries. Since 2020, premiums for the Magnolia Local Plus plan have increased annually with rates ranging from 4.50% to 7.75% higher each year. Overall, premiums have risen by over 59% for both employees and employer since the Magnolia Local Plus plan was first offered in 2016. Currently, the state provides an employer-paid benefit for employees by paying 75% of the total premium cost for Employee Only coverage, 70% for Employee + Child(ren) coverage, 61% for Employee + Spouse coverage, and 61% for Family coverage. Table 12 illustrates how increases in health insurance can impact an employee’s salary for the Magnolia Local Plus plan, Employee Only coverage. For example, based on a salary of $1,733.33 per month (full-time at $10.00 per hour), the employee would contribute 14.45% of that monthly salary towards the healthcare premium in 2026. TABLE 12: EMPLOYEE PREMIUMS AS A % OF FULL-TIME MONTHLY SALARY Employee Only Coverage, Magnolia Local Plus
Employee Premium $
$1733.33/month ($10.00/hour)
$2600.00/month ($15.00/hour)
$3466.66/month ($20.00/hour)
Year
2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026
157.10 168.88 168.88 168.88 177.32 187.08 196.44 205.28 217.90 232.40 250.42
9.10% 9.70% 9.70% 9.70% 10.20% 10.80% 11.30% 11.80% 12.60% 13.40% 14.45%
6.00% 6.50% 6.50% 6.50% 6.80% 7.20% 7.60% 7.90% 8.40% 8.90% 9.63%
4.50% 4.90% 4.90% 4.90% 5.10% 5.40% 5.70% 5.90% 6.30% 6.70% 7.22%
State Civil Service 2026 Annual Pay Plan Review
32
Made with FlippingBook Ebook Creator