Health benefits are usually buttoned up by July, but when Denton ISD learned that the reinsurer for the Texas School Health Benefits had opted not to continue coverage for 50 Texas school districts in the program, the school board authorized Superintendent Jamie Wilson to find and secure new insurance.
The district accepted an offer from Blue Cross Blue Shield to provide three plans for district employees. Wilson said nearly 1,000 employees have finished their enrollment for benefits for the 2023-24 school year.
School board members discussed the benefits package in Zoom calls, and Wilson said trustees asked good questions and gave input so the administration could offer fully funded health care benefits to its eligible staff.
鈥淲e have a passive consent enrollment process,鈥� Wilson said. 鈥淪o that means they鈥檙e going to roll in the benefits that they鈥檝e had 鈥� whatever was expected 鈥� and what we鈥檙e continuing to do is reach out, and our team is sending out text messages and emails and whatnot. There鈥檚 been a constant audience of people come through the benefits office asking questions, trying to figure out what鈥檚 best for them.鈥�
Health benefits are a crucial part of staff compensation packages, and when the district learned that the reinsurer wouldn鈥檛 continue coverage, leaders decided to seek out an alternative. A reinsurer is a financial company that insures insurance third-party administrators as 鈥渁 stop-gap,鈥� Chris Bomberger, Denton ISD executive director of child nutrition, benefits and risk management, said last month. Texas School Health Benefits, a government risk pool, sought out options, but Denton ISD allowed Bomberger鈥檚 team and Wilson to seek benefits, too.
Wilson said the district discovered it could get a better rate by bundling medical insurance with dental plans, while also keeping another dental insurance plan.
鈥淲e have so many employees that have it,鈥� Wilson said. 鈥淪o we didn鈥檛 think they have enough runway with that employee group to make that change. So we鈥檙e really offering two dental plans this year. The folks on the previous dental plan can stay on that plan.鈥�
Administrators pledged to provide benefits for the 5,000 employees eligible for health coverage through the district by Sept. 1, when their coverage begins. Within the district, employees who work 16 hours a week or more are eligible for healthcare coverage. Wilson said Bomberger and his team moved fast and worked hard to strike a deal on health care coverage.
Denton ISD offered benefits through Texas School Health Benefits from September 2020 through August 2022. Starting in September 2022, the district opted to leave TRS-ActiveCare, the health care benefits vended through the state鈥檚 teacher retirement system. Denton ISD wasn鈥檛 alone in leaving the state鈥檚 program, either, and the goal was to find more affordable coverage.
The sting of leaving TRS-ActiveCare? Once a district opts out, you can鈥檛 get back into the system for four years, even if the system has better rates than other options on the market. In a previous interview, Bomberger said that during the 2021-22 school year, 2,700 employees chose the district鈥檚 health care. During the 2022-23 school year, 2,750 district employees opted for coverage through their workplace. Employees may choose to be covered by other plans. Bomberger said it鈥檚 most likely that those who choose another plan are carried by another family member or a spouse.
District leaders know health benefits are both integral to recruiting and retaining teachers and other staff, and when the administration conducted a 鈥渓istening tour鈥� of its campuses last school year, benefits were a sticking point.
鈥淲e heard [that] access to health care, period, not just a result of the benefits, but finding primary care physicians and whatnot鈥� was difficult for employees, said Susannah O鈥橞ara, the district鈥檚 deputy superintendent. 鈥淲e were really thrilled to be able to share an immediate solution as we heard that with our wellness clinic, which by the way is open and taking walk-in patients.鈥�
Employees will be able to choose from among the three plans. They can choose a high-deductible plan, a 鈥減latinum鈥� health maintenance organization plan and a 鈥済old鈥� HMO plan. Two of the district鈥檚 dental plans have been moved to Blue Cross Blue Shield.