Hundreds of WAPA employees could be at risk of losing health care benefits because the Water and Power Authority has missed multiple premium payments to its insurer, the Consortium learned Thursday.
It is unclear exactly how many of WAPA’s 500-plus employees could be affected if the authority continues to fail to meet financial obligations to CIGNA, the global health services company that insurers WAPA and other territorial government employees.
It was unclear Thursday exactly how much in back payment WAPA owes the employee health insurer. WAPA is believed to be as much as five months behind in critical payments to CIGNA.
Cigna provides medical and dental coverage to U.S. Virgin Islands’ government employees, to include some 500 WAPA employees. Several of those employees spoke to the Consortium about the benefits issue. They asked to remain anonymous because they were concerned about speaking without management authorization.
Each of three workers told the Consortium that they were aware the authority had missed payments to CIGNA. The missed payments, however, have never caused a gap in coverage or a problem with their healthcare provider, the WAPA employees said in separate interviews.
“In twenty years I been working with WAPA, they have missed payments. But there has never been situation where any of the services have been affected. Not that I know,” one employee said.
WAPA spokesman Jean P. Greaux Jr. could not comment immediately. He told the Consortium that questions about CIGNA would be forwarded to an appropriate official for response.
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