Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Benefits And Operations topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Board selects Sanford Health Plan and combines premium groups for FY26–27
Summary
Under the Minnesota Health Insurance Transparency Act, the Bemidji school board approved Sanford Health Plan as the district carrier for fiscal years 2026–27, combining teacher and nonteacher premium groups; the district noted union rights to elect the Public Employees Insurance Program (PEIP) as an alternative.
The Bemidji Public School District school board approved Sanford Health Plan as the district’s group health insurance carrier for fiscal years 2026–27 and voted to combine premium groups, the district's health insurance committee recommended on May 19.
Ashley (presenter) told the board that the district solicited bids under the Minnesota Health Insurance Transparency Act and received proposals from three carriers: PEIP (the Public Employees Insurance Program), Blue Cross Blue Shield and Sanford Health Plan. The committee reported that Sanford's combined premium for the teacher and nonteacher groups produced rates lower than the other bids after the district negotiated combined rates and a second‑year rate cap. The committee reported combined first‑year premium increases in the Sanford proposal ranging approximately 10.5% to 13% for nonteachers and 4.3% to 6.7% for teachers, and said Sanford offered a second‑year rate cap of 15.9%.
The presenter also noted that some unions retain a statutory right to elect PEIP as an alternative to the district's chosen carrier; a notice representing the paraprofessional/secretarial group was presented during the meeting indicating that group’s right to pursue PEIP if its bargaining unit chooses to do so. The board’s action selects Sanford for the district; bargaining units may pursue PEIP under statute if they opt to.
The board voted by roll call to approve Sanford Health Plan and to combine the premium groups.
Why it matters Selecting a carrier and combining premium pools can lower premium volatility and affect employees’ access to network providers. Administration said staff had weighed the tradeoffs of broader network access versus premium cost; committee members noted that many staff had already adjusted care to Sanford’s network and were not willing to pay materially higher premiums to access outside networks without prior authorization.
Implementation Administration will complete contracting and notify employees; collective‑bargaining units retain statutory options as described above.
Ending note Board members asked questions and approved the recommendation by roll call vote. Administration will notify employee groups and finalize contract terms with the carrier.
