Local school district 257 self-insures through Preferred Health of Wichita.
The district is always on the outlook for savings, Superintendent of Schools Craig Neuen-swander said. Perhaps by next year they’ll have the numbers to qualify for a group pool, he said, which demands fewer claims than the local district has been able to achieve.
The state insurance plan is too costly for those who want to include family members, Neuenswander said.
The district picks up the full cost of base plan premiums for its employees; the coverage of family members through Preferred Health is the responsibility of the employee.
For 2009, 208 of 267 employees subscribed to the school insurance plan. Employees also have the option to carry a premium plan that comes with a $1,000 deductible and roughly a 13 percent increase in monthly premiums.
The base plan comes with a $2,500 deductible. For a single employee, monthly premiums are $384 compared to $442 a month for those with the premium plan. For those with families, the average premium is $989 a month. The higher-priced policies are $1,136 a month with pre-tax dollars.
Neuenswander said 44 district employees opt for the premium plans while 164 select the base. The 59 who don’t opt for the district’s coverage typically are covered under another plan through a spouse or retired military, Neuenswander said.
The district also subscribes to a Cafeteria 125 plan that “allows employees to shield some medical and child care expenses from taxes,” Neuenswander said, including dental insurance, if they prefer.
The district has come a long way in its coverage of employees. Twelve years ago, it paid $40 a month toward employee insurance.
Providing insurance to its classified staff, including custodians, cooks, secretaries, bus drivers and paraprofessionals gives the district an edge against some area districts which aren’t as broad in their coverage, Neuenswander said. Some of these employees would not otherwise have the opportunity for coverage, he said.
USD 257 self-insures
