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Board warned insurance claims may top projections; staff to return with recommendations after June 29 meeting
Summary
Deputy Superintendent Andrew Lethbridge told the Highlands County School Board that health‑insurance claims are exceeding revenue and will likely exceed a projected $2.5 million this year. The board discussed clinic performance and Fleet-recommended management support and directed staff to present options after an insurance-committee meeting scheduled for June 29.
Deputy Superintendent Andrew Lethbridge told the Highlands County School Board on June 18 that the districtis facing rising health-insurance claims that already exceed premium revenue and will likely surpass earlier projections for the year.
"Claims continue to run very hot," Lethbridge said, adding that the district is likely to go above the roughly $2.5 million figure staff projected in January. He warned the shortfall could reduce the district's fund balance as the fiscal year closes.
Board members and staff described the insurance committee as a bargaining "carve-out" that includes representatives from instructional and noninstructional employees and administrators. Lethbridge said the committee is meeting regularly and expects to bring forward recommendations at a June 29 meeting; board members urged recruiting outside insurance experts and community representatives to the committee.
Several board members raised concerns about the district clinics ability to meet patient needs, linking access problems to higher outside claims. Staff said Fleet (the Florida Educators Health Trust) has provided analyses and is recommending operational supports, including a potential manager (referenced by staff by name in the meeting) to help run the clinic more effectively. Lethbridge and staff said they will meet with clinic management and will prepare a patient survey to identify access barriers.
The board discussed scheduling a workshop to examine options and directed staff to continue developing proposals that aim to contain claims costs while maintaining access to care. No formal policy change was adopted at the meeting; the immediate next step is the insurance-committee meeting on June 29, when staff said it hopes to present a recommendation for board consideration.
The discussion highlighted both fiscal risk and operational remedies: staff framed the issue as a combination of rising utilization and clinic performance that may be mitigated by changes the committee and Fleet recommend. Board members emphasized urgency, asking staff to return with concrete options and cost projections.
The board did not take a formal vote on a policy in this meeting; staff were directed to report back after the committee meets on June 29.
