By Kyle Roberts
RUSTON, La. — The Lincoln Parish School Board voted on multiple items Thursday evening in a special-called session regarding its Medicare Advantage Health Plan, its self-insured health and dental administrative services renewal, and changes to health insurance premiums for employees and retirees.
The board voted unanimously on all three measures, which include:
- Moving its Medicare Advantage Health Plan from Louisiana Blue Cross/Blue Shield to UnitedHealthcare (UHC) effective Jan. 1, 2025
- Moving its Self-Insured Health and Dental Plan administration from Louisiana Blue Cross/Blue Shield to United Medical Resources (UMR)
- Increasing health plan premiums by an average of 24 percent, the first increase since January of 2009
”For both our retirees and our active employees, benefits will not change,” Lincoln Parish School Board Superintendent Ricky Durrett said. “UHC is a nation-wide plan, so it opens up more opportunities if you’re traveling or going out-of-state.”
When the premium increase portion was up for discussion, Hunter Smith of District 7 proposed incremental rate increases to avoid another high rate hike in the future.
“If you take 24 percent on average for 15 years, it’s a 1.6 percent increase yearly,” Smith said of the gap from 2009 to 2024. “That’s a lot easier to swallow than 24 percent — I’m pretty sure our teachers’ pay has not gone up 24 percent in 15 years. I’m sure we’re doing the best we can; I just hope moving forward that we do that in smaller versions.”
The rate increase for premiums will cover a projected shortfall for 2025 of $2.2 million. The plan will also move enrollees from a 3-tier to a 4-tier premium structure (employee only, employee + spouse, employee + children, and family) and will eliminate the dual-employee rates.
The cost of coverage, however, can still be discounted by spouses enrolling in separate health plans.
”Either plan was going to make us have an increase in cost, since we have not had a rate increase for our active employees since 2009,” Durrett said. “Going with UHC made that rate increase lower than it would have been if we had stayed with Louisiana Blue/Cross Blue Shield.
”We feel like we have a really solid plan now going forward with our retirees and active enrollees.”
The consultant firm of Brown & Brown out of New Orleans worked with the LPSB to make the recommendations.
Absent from the meeting was Dr. Danielle Williams of District 1.
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