WJCC board hears USI review of health‑insurance RFP and Local Choice options as costs rise

The Williamsburg‑James City County (WJCC) School Board on Monday heard a presentation from Greg Snow of USI Insurance Services on regional health‑insurance cost trends and the division—s ongoing request‑for‑proposals (RFP) to evaluate alternatives to the state Local Choice pool.

Snow told the board that "costs are expected to increase in 2025 at levels we haven't seen in a few years," and pointed to drivers such as cancer, diabetes, musculoskeletal claims and high‑cost prescription drugs, including GLP‑1s and gene therapies. He said the division—s current arrangement with Local Choice is ‘‘quasi self‑funded’’ and noted the program keeps year‑end surpluses rather than returning them to participating employers.

Why it matters: health‑insurance premiums are a large, variable portion of the school division—s budget. The board is weighing whether a move away from Local Choice to a more traditional self‑funded arrangement could (a) allow the division to retain favorable claim experience in a reserve and (b) give more flexibility on plan…