Panel agrees to study teacher health-insurance costs; actuarial work cited as expensive

Members discussed a request from the School Boards Association about the cost of teacher health insurance and whether committee action should include an actuarial study or a separate bill. Committee members said the topic crosses finance and health, and they want both association testimony and fiscal analysis before deciding whether to pursue standalone legislation.

A staff fiscal presenter told the committee an actuarial analysis would "probably be talking 50 to $100,000 depending on what it is you want done," and noted that the Legislative Fiscal Office (JFO) would need to be involved to produce credible cost estimates. Members debated folding the issue into other bills or holding it as a separate study; they agreed to invite stakeholder testimony (including the School Boards Association and Sophie Zadadny) to clarify goals and what a helpful study should analyze.

Why it matters: teacher health-insurance costs are a recurring driver of school budgets and education-fund pressure; a formal study or an actuarial analysis would aim to show what elements most influence premiums and what policy options exist to contain costs. Committee members emphasized that an actuarial study requires funding and clear scope to be useful.

Follow-up: the committee asked staff to schedule testimony from the School Boards Association, bargaining experts and JFO to discuss scopes and costs, and to report back on whether the committee will include a study provision in upcoming amendment language or pursue a separate vehicle.

Representative excerpt: "You're probably talking 50 to $100,000 depending on what it is you want done," a staff fiscal presenter said about actuarial analysis costs.