Three district employees and parents urged the Katy ISD Board of Trustees during public comment to address what they described as problems with the district’s Aetna health plan.

A letter read by teacher Sandy Cuevas relayed a statement from teacher Jennifer Epstein describing delays in cancer treatment linked to insurance-network confusion. Epstein’s message, read aloud, said she encountered repeated denials and network limits that postponed surgery and forced a choice to schedule reconstruction before year-end because of meeting an out-of-pocket maximum. "Patients should never be left responsible for bills tied directly to safe cancer care," the statement read.

Georgia Strickland, a district employee and parent, described receiving a $1,468.38 quote for a diagnostic mammogram and ultrasound; she said an alternative self-pay option reduced that cost to $337 and questioned why the insurance plan produced that outcome. “What in the world am I paying $120 a month for if I can get the same procedure done for roughly 23% of the original cost?” she asked.

Speakers connected insurance issues to broader compensation concerns. Strickland said many staff face low take-home pay combined with high insurance costs, and she urged the board to pursue a stronger plan for 2027. Sandy Cuevas closed by asking trustees to “advocate for a stronger, more inclusive insurance plan, and to recognize how closely this ties to compensation.”

No formal board action on insurance was taken at Monday’s meeting; trustees acknowledged the testimony and thanked speakers. Administration did not present new coverage changes at the meeting but trustees asked staff to continue work on future plan options and cost analyses.