The Mississippi Senate on Wednesday passed a bill that would allow state employees and teachers choice in their health plans &045;&045; a move that could help save the state up to $54 million.

The administrator of the health plan has told lawmakers the state would either have to cut services by 23 percent or find a way to raise premiums by 23 percent.

Under the new plan &045;&045; which Gov. Haley Barbour programs &045;&045; options could include letting workers pay to get more coverage or to keep low deductibles.

Supporters say the move would help keep the struggling health insurance program solvent, while opponents say it would force some participants out of the program.

But this is a move that, in a tight budget year for Mississippi, makes sense. It gives lawmakers an opportunity to bring our state’s insurance program up to date with employee benefit plans in the corporate world &045;&045; where most workers do pay into their health plans each month.

Lawmakers who oppose the plan say they have heard from &uot;hundreds&uot; of state workers who object to paying toward their premiums. Well, that certainly makes sense since it’s their money at stake, but those emotional objections should be weighed against the worst-case scenarios &045;&045; that the program must cut benefits, that it would require more taxpayer dollars to keep it solvent, or even that it would have to be dissolved altogether.

Lawmakers aren’t going to keep everyone happy no matter what they do, but we encourage the House to pass this bill and help save the state some money while bringing the employee benefits program up to date with the corporate world.