Petersburg City Public Schools staff and their benefits consultant presented an overview of the district's three most recent health‑insurance renewals and recommended moving health coverage back to Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield to avoid a steep premium increase proposed by Sentara.

Why it matters: The district's insurer renewal this year was driven by a jump in claims. The consultant told the board Sentara's proposed renewal for the coming year was just under an 18% increase, driven by a 107% loss ratio and eight members exceeding a $150,000 pooling limit. Anthem's quote was reported as roughly a 10% increase, which aligns with the district's budget placeholder and would reduce the budget impact compared with Sentara's offer.

Gray, a Pierce Group benefits consultant, explained the history: switching to Optima/Sentara in 2023 yielded savings versus Anthem; subsequent renewals produced better outcomes in 2024 and 2025 until higher claims activity this year drove the larger renewal. He told the board, "when we received Sentara's renewal offer for the third year, it was just under an 18% increase," and noted a comparative Anthem offer came in near a 10% rise.

On the employee experience, staff and the consultant said most major medical plan features (deductibles, out‑of‑pocket, coverage for preexisting conditions) are similar across carriers, but differences in prescription drug formularies and provider networks matter to individual members. Employees who spoke at the meeting said they had trouble with network access and prescription costs while enrolled in Sentara; one employee, Kimberly Mason, said moving away from Anthem earlier had caused some families to lose access to familiar specialists and raised out‑of‑pocket drug costs.

Board members asked whether the district would pass costs to employees. The consultant said the district has absorbed recent increases and that the proposed Anthem option would allow the district to align with its budget placeholder while keeping employee contributions unchanged for the upcoming plan year.

Next steps: Staff said they will bring a formal recommendation for the board to consider and vote on at the board's Sept. 3 meeting, with an effective insurance date of Oct. 1 if approved. The district's consultants and HR staff will provide enrollment disruption analysis and communications for employees prior to any carrier change.

Speakers in this discussion included the Pierce Group benefits consultant (Gray), Chief Financial Officer Matthias Greywood, HR leaders, and employees who provided public comment.