Board votes to switch district employee health plan to Dean Health Plan, citing lower three‑year cost and broader provider access

The Verona Area School District board voted to change the district’s employee health insurance from Group Health Cooperative (GHC) to Dean Health Plan, Incorporated, effective July 1, 2025, after presentations from district staff, union leaders and representatives from both carriers.

District administrators said Dean’s proposal would lower the district’s projected three‑year healthcare spend to roughly $34 million — about $3 million less than staying with GHC, which the district estimated at just under $37 million — and estimated the budget position would shift from a projected shortfall of $1.6 million to an approximate $1.2 million margin. Administrators said Dean’s final proposal included a rate-cap guarantee and minor plan design changes such as $20 copays and an updated prescription drug structure.

Administrators and union leaders described differences in provider access. The district said GHC’s final offer would have required a limited-network model that would disrupt access for many members, while Dean offers wider provider access. Administrators also described an option to explore an on-site or near-site clinic with Dean and SSM; they said such a clinic could reduce claims and help preserve lower premium increases over time but acknowledged additional financial and implementation work would be required.

Union representatives expressed appreciation for the collaborative review process but raised reservations about the ownership relationship between Dean Health Plan (majority-owned by Medica) and SSM Health (45 percent ownership) and how that relationship might affect women's and LGBTQIA2S+ care. Barbara O’Rourke, co-president of the Verona Area Education Association, said advocates will continue “advocating for access to equitable high quality health care for all staff and their families,” and union leaders said they had received assurances that the plan document will include coverage for women's and LGBTQ care and that the district will support point-of-service (POS) access to out-of-network specialists when needed.

District staff said they will provide detailed communications and one‑on‑one transition meetings with employees starting within weeks, and they expect employees to begin enrolling in the new plan ahead of the July 1 effective date. The board voted in favor of switching to Dean Health Plan by voice vote.