Vermilion Parish School Board searches for new health insurance company

School employees may or may not be getting a new health insurance provider.
After last week’s school board health insurance meeting, it looks like the school board may keep United Healthcare unless Aetna Insurance can come up with a better deal.
Last year the school board voted to search for cheaper health insurance and also get proposals on a different broker to handle the health insurance claims.
Today, United Healthcare is the health insurance provide and Lloyd Campisi is the school board’s agent.
The school board is self insured up to claims less than $175,000. Any health insurance claim that does not cost more than $175,000 the school board pays.
The problem the school board is having is that the school board is losing around $200,000 a month paying high cost claims. The board recently increased the cost of insurance premiums to its employees by 10 percent in hopes of bringing in more income and stop the bleeding.
Well, after long meetings with insurance companies, the school board’s insurance department, along with school board member Anthony Fontana and school board insurance committee president Stacy Landry, narrowed the list down to three possible insurance companies.
One is United Health Care, and the other two are Aetna and BlueCross Blueshield of Louisiana.
On Monday, the school board insurance committee will select one of the three companies.
Landry did say at the committee meeting last week that Aetna was the front runner over the other two.
“Aetna seemed like the best,” said Landry.
But then they asked each company how low of a discount they can provide when the employees have to visit area hospitals. United Healthcare offered a 60 percent discount to its clients. Bluecross was less. Aetna was not able to offer a discount as of last week. Because of that, Landry and Fontana were not too excited about Aetna.
The two school board members are hoping to hear from Aetna about a discount before Monday’s meeting.
Landry explained to the insurance committee that they will be able to decide on what health insurance provider is the best for the school system before the meeting. He is also hoping to have what types of coverage are available under the new insurance provider and how much it will cost school employees and their families.
Landry did warn not expect the new insurances rates to go down.