Vermilion Parish School employees will continue to have same insurance plan

After a month of trying to find a solution for the health insurance problem for the school board, a comprised was reached that only put a band-aid on the financial part of the health insurance problem.
In front of a packed house with “Keep Gueydan Schools Open” supporters, the school board voted 8-0 to push back the anniversary date of when the present health insurance policy expires. The new date is April 30, 2016. The old date was Jan. 1, 2016.
School Board member Kibbie Pillette brought up the idea of pushing the anniversary date back three months, as a way to “buy time” for the insurance committee to come up with a new health insurance plan that would prevent the school board from losing an average of $200,000 a month due to high health insurance claims.
What this means to school employees is that they will keep the same health insurance plan they have today for the next six months or until the school board has time to find a new health insurance plan that will generate more in premiums to help pay the high insurance claims.
While the health insurance benefits will remain the same, it does not mean the premiums will stay the same. Pillette threw out the idea of raising insurance premiums by as much as 20 percent to bring in more money to the insurance fund. They did not vote on the 20 percent increase.
An employee is only paying $240 a month for health insurance. A 20-percent increase would raise the premium to $290 a month.
An employee and spouse are now paying $505 a month. A 20-percent increase would increase premiums to $610 a month or an increase of $105 a month.
A family on the insurance plan is now playing $695 a month. A 20 percent increase would have them paying $835 a month or $140 more a month.
Retired employees would also see a 10 percent increase in their premiums if the school board adopts a rate increase in the near future.
If and when the 20 percent would go into effect, it would still not solve the financial health insurance short fall the school board is having, said school board member Anthony Fontana.