RALEIGH, N.C. -- The North Carolina Department of Transportation is investigating why more than 700 employees weren't told their life insurance policies offered through the state had been canceled eight years ago, and nearly 100 continued to pay premiums.
DOT said Thursday it will refund $160,000 to 93 workers who paid premiums after a worker panel agreed to cancel the policy offering in 2001. The refunds range from several hundred to thousands of dollars.
Transportation Secretary Gene Conti regrets what happened and said the agency is working to prevent similar future problems. The state auditor is also looking into what went wrong.
The agency has hired an adviser to help all affected workers. The employees can receive the cash value of their policies or an insurance policy with a reduced payout.
(Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
