Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Health Insurance topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Del Rio school district warned of steep health-insurance renewals; consultants offer plan alternatives
Summary
An insurance consultant told the San Felipe-Del Rio CISD Board that plan claims equaled premiums in 2025 and projected renewals could be as high as 39%; alternate plan designs and pending quotes may reduce the employer increase but administrators recommended setting aside fund balance while options are studied.
Lexi Young, an insurance consultant with Brown and Brown, told the San Felipe-Del Rio Consolidated Independent School District board on a budget-workshop night that the district’s medical plan had roughly a 100% loss ratio in 2025, meaning premiums paid and claims paid were about equal, and the most recent months show a 105% loss ratio.
That performance, Young said, helps explain large renewal proposals: an initial renewal request showed a 39% premium increase. Young presented alternate plan designs that reduce the proposed jump — an Option 1 set of design changes would lower the increase to approximately 31% — and a steeper Option 2 could reduce premiums further but with significantly higher deductibles and out‑of‑pocket exposure for employees.
Why it matters: Board members were briefed that sustained high utilization and a small number of very large claims are driving the renewals. Young said the district has six high-cost claimants who generated roughly $1,000,000 in claims in the first four months of the plan year, and that certain major procedures (for example, some transplants) can cost hundreds of thousands per patient.
Young said two national carriers, Cigna and Aetna, declined to quote the district this cycle because of claims experience; UnitedHealthcare had not yet completed underwriting but expected to provide a quote by the end of the week. Young also proposed additional alternatives — including a high-deductible health plan (HDHP) and minimum essential coverage (MEC) options for preventive care — and promised corrected slides and further quotes.
Superintendent Doctor Rios urged caution. "We don't have to rush for this reason," he said, asking trustees to consider setting aside excess fund balance as a contingency and to use July and August to study options, poll employees and, if desired, host informational town halls before open enrollment. Rios noted timing constraints tied to open enrollment (administrators said the board should finalize choices roughly 45 days before open enrollment in October) but recommended using fund balance to cover increases if necessary so the district can evaluate alternatives thoughtfully.
Board members asked Young for corrected materials and a written comparison to neighboring districts. Young said she would send an updated packet and additional quotes when available. No formal action on insurance plan selection was taken at the workshop; administrators and the consultant said they will return with the remaining quotes and more detailed comparisons.
The board agreed to delay a final insurance decision pending the incoming proposals and further analysis. The district’s next budget workshop was discussed as the venue for additional review.
