'Rubber stamp' of health plan fires up board member
The district's health-care costs will rise from $9 million to $11.5 million next year.
By PAMELA WILLIS
Worthington school board members this week
approved an employee health insurance
renewal that boosts health insurance
expenses to $11.5 million.
The board met Monday, Sept. 24, at the Worthington Education Center.
Board member Marc Schare called the plan "a Cadillac health-care plan" before agreeing to vote for it.
"This single item is the second-largest expense we have as a school district," he said. "The recommendation calls for increasing that expense from roughly $9 million in 2007 to roughly $11.5 million in 2008, an increase of approximately $2.5 million."
"We as a board agonize over whether to spend $15,000 on middle school baseball; we debate endlessly the wisdom of whether to spend $10,000 for the opportunity for startup grants, but when an item comes up that costs us $11.5 million, because it is health care, it is expected to be rubber-stamped," he said.
The plan calls for certified employees to pay $74.56 each monthly for family coverage and $30.36 for single coverage, while the district's share of the premium is $1,057.23 monthly for a family and $388.81 for single coverage.
Classified employees will pay $67.90 monthly for family coverage and $25.14 for single coverage, while the district pays $1,063.89 for family coverage and $394.03 for single coverage.
Schare questioned why the administrative recommendation was to "accept the highest of four bids." He said the incumbent health carrier, UnitedHealthcare, was the highest quote at $11.5 million, while the lowest quote was from Medical Mutual at a little more than $11 million -- a difference of roughly $450,000.
The bidders' responses to questionnaires given by the district's insurance committee stated there were no significant plan deviations, "meaning we would essentially be buying the same plan from each carrier," Schare said.
He said the increase in health-care costs is "well over four times the national average." He said a board representative should be on the insurance committee, claims should be analyzed to arrive at an optimal plan, employees should understand the importance of reducing claims through wellness programs and the district should look into self-funding.
Schare acknowledged that going with a different health agency's plan would cause a disruption in service and asked why the plans hadn't been presented to board members "a month ago."
"Sometime in 2008 or 2009, we're going to put an operating levy on the ballot," he said. "If we do get a handle on this spiraling expense, it can be correctly stated that a large part of the dollars raised by the levy, perhaps all of it, will be going toward paying health-care costs for employees.
"I don't believe the citizens in the Worthington school district will vote for a levy when its primary justification is the continuation of a superior health-care benefit those very citizens can no longer afford for themselves."
Treasurer Jeff McCuen said only five health agencies in Ohio will cover groups as large as the district.
"Nationwide Insurance doesn't cover its own group -- they are covered by Anthem," he said. "We may be forced to go self-funded in time."
McCuen said he believed the district insurance committee had been "open and honest and I believe in their recommendations." He also said a change in health insurance carriers would be "difficult to do at this time," but said a board member easily could be a representative on the insurance committee.
In other board business, members recognized the staff of Worthington Libraries for its being named Library of the Year for 2007 by Library Journal.
They also awarded adviser Lisa Mullen and the staff of the Worthington Kilbourne High School yearbook the Board of Eduction Impact Award.
The yearbook was selected for the 2007 Gallery of Excellence by the Yearbook Publishing Co. The gallery is a showcase of the best yearbooks published by Walsworth.
The next board meeting is set for 7:30 p.m. Oct. 8 at the Worthington Education Center, 200 E. Wilson Bridge Road.
"I don't believe the citizens in the Worthington school district will vote for a levy when its primary justification is the continuation of a superior health-care benefit those very citizens can no longer afford for themselves."
The board met Monday, Sept. 24, at the Worthington Education Center.
Board member Marc Schare called the plan "a Cadillac health-care plan" before agreeing to vote for it.
"This single item is the second-largest expense we have as a school district," he said. "The recommendation calls for increasing that expense from roughly $9 million in 2007 to roughly $11.5 million in 2008, an increase of approximately $2.5 million."
Schare said the increase more than doubles the amount projected in the financial forecast the board approved four months ago.
"We as a board agonize over whether to spend $15,000 on middle school baseball; we debate endlessly the wisdom of whether to spend $10,000 for the opportunity for startup grants, but when an item comes up that costs us $11.5 million, because it is health care, it is expected to be rubber-stamped," he said.
The plan calls for certified employees to pay $74.56 each monthly for family coverage and $30.36 for single coverage, while the district's share of the premium is $1,057.23 monthly for a family and $388.81 for single coverage.
Classified employees will pay $67.90 monthly for family coverage and $25.14 for single coverage, while the district pays $1,063.89 for family coverage and $394.03 for single coverage.
Schare questioned why the administrative recommendation was to "accept the highest of four bids." He said the incumbent health carrier, UnitedHealthcare, was the highest quote at $11.5 million, while the lowest quote was from Medical Mutual at a little more than $11 million -- a difference of roughly $450,000.
The bidders' responses to questionnaires given by the district's insurance committee stated there were no significant plan deviations, "meaning we would essentially be buying the same plan from each carrier," Schare said.
He said the increase in health-care costs is "well over four times the national average." He said a board representative should be on the insurance committee, claims should be analyzed to arrive at an optimal plan, employees should understand the importance of reducing claims through wellness programs and the district should look into self-funding.
Schare acknowledged that going with a different health agency's plan would cause a disruption in service and asked why the plans hadn't been presented to board members "a month ago."
"Sometime in 2008 or 2009, we're going to put an operating levy on the ballot," he said. "If we do get a handle on this spiraling expense, it can be correctly stated that a large part of the dollars raised by the levy, perhaps all of it, will be going toward paying health-care costs for employees.
"I don't believe the citizens in the Worthington school district will vote for a levy when its primary justification is the continuation of a superior health-care benefit those very citizens can no longer afford for themselves."
Treasurer Jeff McCuen said only five health agencies in Ohio will cover groups as large as the district.
"Nationwide Insurance doesn't cover its own group -- they are covered by Anthem," he said. "We may be forced to go self-funded in time."
McCuen said he believed the district insurance committee had been "open and honest and I believe in their recommendations." He also said a change in health insurance carriers would be "difficult to do at this time," but said a board member easily could be a representative on the insurance committee.
In other board business, members recognized the staff of Worthington Libraries for its being named Library of the Year for 2007 by Library Journal.
They also awarded adviser Lisa Mullen and the staff of the Worthington Kilbourne High School yearbook the Board of Eduction Impact Award.
The yearbook was selected for the 2007 Gallery of Excellence by the Yearbook Publishing Co. The gallery is a showcase of the best yearbooks published by Walsworth.
The next board meeting is set for 7:30 p.m. Oct. 8 at the Worthington Education Center, 200 E. Wilson Bridge Road.
"I don't believe the citizens in the Worthington school district will vote for a levy when its primary justification is the continuation of a superior health-care benefit those very citizens can no longer afford for themselves."