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Suffield Board hears overview of self-funded health plan; members flag prescription and renewal risks
Summary
The Suffield Board of Education on Oct. 20 received a budget and claims overview of the district's self-funded health insurance from Business Manager Eric Remington and consultants from MDG Benefit Solutions, who highlighted FY19—FY26 trends, the FY25 Cigna renewal and pharmacy/care-management drivers affecting next year's budget.
On Oct. 20, 2025, at the Suffield High School Media Center, Business Manager Eric Remington and consultants from MDG Benefit Solutions presented an overview of the Suffield School District's self-funded health insurance plan and the budget implications for FY26. The presentation reviewed town operating statements from FY19 through FY25, district health insurance expenditures for FY23 through FY25, and the proposed FY26 health insurance budget.
MDG Benefit Solutions representatives Lynn Gurnham, Managing Partner, and Kelly Santavenere, Senior Director of Underwriting, summarized plan offerings, claims history, the FY25 renewal with Cigna and the district's use of pharmacy and care-management programs. The consultants and Remington discussed differences between fully funded and self-funded arrangements and identified prescription drug costs and claims volatility as the largest near-term risks to the health insurance fund.
Board members asked about the process for reviewing and renewing the plan and how premium increases are determined. The discussion covered the district's recent claims experience and how pharmacy-management and care-management programs are being used to control costs. Business Manager Remington provided the historical budget and expenditure figures and outlined that the FY26 budget includes a planned health insurance appropriation informed by those trends.
Remington temporarily left the meeting at 7:42 p.m. and returned at 7:45 p.m. No formal vote or contract award related to the insurance program was recorded in the minutes; board members discussed next steps for budgeting and renewal review.
The board continued the meeting to other agenda items after the presentation; there is no further action recorded on the health insurance item in the minutes.
