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Public Education Health Trust pitches open‑access model and potential savings to Ketchikan schools
Summary
Rhonda Prowl Kidder of the Public Education Health Trust described an open‑access insurance model, direct provider contracting and pharmacy management; she told the board an initial analysis suggested switching to PHT could save roughly $1.2 million on this year’s costs (using the district census before staffing cuts).
Rhonda Prowl Kidder, chief financial officer and plan administrator for the Public Education Health Trust (PHT), presented to the Ketchikan Gateway Borough School District board on April 22 about PHT’s plan designs and a possible insurance‑procurement alternative for the district.
Prowl Kidder said PHT offers multiple plan designs and an open‑access model that uses direct contracting with providers and a transparent pharmacy approach (Rightway). She described PHT as a not‑for‑profit, member‑governed trust that insures only public education employees in Alaska and emphasized the trust’s low administrative cost compared with typical fully insured plans.
"We do not play that game" of negotiating lower renewal rates for some groups, she said, describing PHT’s approach as a 12‑month guaranteed rate for participating districts. Prowl Kidder told the board PHT’s preliminary comparison — using the district census before the most recent staffing reductions — indicated potential savings of about $1.2 million for the current school year if Ketchikan joined PHT, though she cautioned that the census used predated the latest personnel changes.
The presentation covered: an open‑access provider approach intended to reduce network‑driven cost escalation; pharmacy‑benefit changes and mail‑order options; wellness incentives tied to premium discounts; and an appeals process that PHT said protects members from balance billing. Prowl Kidder said PHT has negotiated more than 85 direct contracts in Alaska and that the trust’s administrative costs historically run under 6 percent of premiums.
Board members asked whether a district could enroll mid‑year. Prowl Kidder said July 1 is typical but that January 1 enrollments have been accommodated previously. The board asked PHT to provide slide materials for public posting and told the district health‑insurance task force to continue evaluating options.
