Community urges Petersburg schools to keep Anthem as board weighs insurance options
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Summary
At a PCPS public hearing, dozens of written and oral comments urged the district to retain Anthem coverage and expressed concern about switching to a TLC cooperative or other providers; commenters warned deductible increases would harm staff with chronic conditions and asked for offsets such as FSAs or wellness incentives.
PETERSBURG, Va. — Community commenters and district staff clashed over health‑insurance choices at a Petersburg City Public Schools public hearing, with many speakers urging the board to retain Anthem and criticizing alternatives as disruptive to care.
Miss Godbold, the division's senior budget analyst, read multiple pieces of feedback collected online in which employees and community members said retaining Anthem would avoid interruptions in care. One commenter said, "I think that we should remain with Anthem," and explained that switching plans had previously forced changes in providers, prior‑authorization issues and billing problems for people with chronic or complex conditions.
Why it matters: Dr. Greenwood, the division's CFO, told the board that health‑insurance premiums are projected to rise about 28% for FY2027 (an estimated $2,000,000 impact). He said the board intends to absorb that increase for the coming year but that staff continue to evaluate alternatives. "For FY2027, this budget must absorb the 28% increase in health insurance premiums while we plan for longer‑term solutions," Greenwood said.
Several commenters expressed concern that the proposed shift would raise the deductible from $250 to $1,000, a change described in the feedback as a "significant financial burden for staff." Requests from commenters included a one‑time flexible spending account (FSA) contribution, enhanced wellness incentives and continued access to PPO options to avoid referral restrictions that can delay care.
District officials noted options under review. Greenwood described a possible TLC cooperative that could generate modest savings (projected around $200,000) but said a transition would require setting aside about $1,200,000 to protect the division during plan changes. Board members asked about wellness incentives similar to those used in state plans; Greenwood said the PEERS group is working with Anthem and that administration is looking for opportunities to reduce employee out‑of‑pocket costs.
Next steps: Staff will continue evaluating insurance options and wellness‑incentive strategies and will report back during scheduled budget work sessions before the board forwards recommendations to city council.
