Gallagher market check shows potential savings from switching TPAs; committee schedules workshop before board vote

Gallagher consultants presented a market‑check review of third‑party administrators (TPAs), networks and point solutions for the Lafayette Parish School System’s self‑funded health plan and told the Board Insurance and Finance Committee that alternatives to the district’s incumbent administrative arrangement could materially reduce the district’s paid claims and fixed administrative costs.

Why it matters: The self‑funded health plan represents a significant recurring cost in the district budget. Gallagher’s market check evaluated administrative fees, candidate networks, projected repriced claim costs based on 2024 claims data, projected member disruption if the district switched networks, and optional “point solutions” aimed at reducing high‑cost specialty and care‑management spending.

Gallagher’s presentation summarized three finalist TPA/network alternatives tested against the district’s 2024 claims data: the incumbent arrangement using Blue Cross Blue Shield networks; a UnitedHealthcare‑affiliated TPA (UMR) using the Choice Plus network; and a Meritaine‑with‑Verity proposal using Verity and an Aetna wrap network. Gallagher reported repricing exercises that suggested UMR’s network…