In his recent State of the State Address Governor Terry Branstad listed unifying state employee health care under one umbrella as a cost saving measure among his priorities.

Local school officials see potential for positives and negatives under such a plan. Knoxville Superintendent Cassi Pearson says the increase in pool size could mean a significant savings for Iowa’s teachers, but she says the plan could be harmful if it limits options for coverage, because there are so many different circumstances for those who would be covered. Pearson says schools won’t be sure of where they stand on the issue until the legislature takes it up and releases some details of a potential plan.