Beauregard Parish board OKs retiree health rebate update after extended debate over wording and distribution

The Beauregard Parish School Board on Dec. 12 approved a change to policy file GBA to set a retiree health‑insurance reimbursement equal to 25% of the current May invoice (annualized) tied to the Magnolia open access plan or equivalent, a measure the board’s staff said is meant to match Office of Group Benefits (OGB) premiums for retirees who are not Medicare‑eligible.

Board members said the change was intended to ensure “all previous and future retirees receive a fair and comparable rebate,” and the board voted by voice to waive the usual waiting period and adopt the wording presented. The board’s action also keeps an existing requirement that retirees be vested for five years before receiving the reimbursement; trustees discussed whether that vesting period should be longer and agreed to revisit the question at a…