It appears state officials and at least some public employee union representatives are on the same page — for a change — concerning a needed reduction in West Virginia Public Employee Insurance Agency benefits. Good. Reforms should be implemented. An audit has revealed that nearly 10,000 people are being claimed improperly as dependents on PEIA insurance policies. More than 6,500 are receiving health insurance for which they are not eligible, while the remainder are on life insurance policies. In health insurance alone, the PEIA is spending an estimated $5 million a year on dependent coverage for ineligible people. Josh Swords, a West Virginia Federation of Teachers official, put the issue in perspective: “I don’t think public employees and their families who play by the rules should be paying for those who are not,” he commented. Precisely. Improper dependent coverage costs public employees, retirees and taxpayers millions of dollars a year that could be put to better use.