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Teachers urge delay as Livingston board tables vote on switching employee health plan
Summary
After a night of public comment, the Livingston Board of Education voted to table agenda item 3.2 — a proposed move to an Aetna/HIF health plan — after employees and teachers said they had too little time to review network impacts; administrators said medical savings could be about $600,000 and would fund restored positions.
The Livingston Board of Education paused action Tuesday on a proposal to switch employee health benefits to an Aetna/Health Insurance Fund plan after a wave of public comments from district staff and a township official.
Melissa DeAngelis, president of the Livingston Education Association and a district teacher, congratulated the evening's honorees then urged the board to delay the vote so employees could "fully review and understand how these proposed changes may impact themselves and their families." She said staff were given only a webinar and needed more time to consult benefits brokers and confirm whether their physicians are in-network.
Multiple teachers echoed that concern. Judith Froman, a 25‑year district employee, warned that some long-serving physicians do not participate in the proposed plan and that switching doctors can take "three to six months," disrupting continuity of care. Alan Friedman, who has taught in the district for more than two decades, said the webinar was "very misleading" about projected savings and reported negative first‑hand feedback about Aetna from other districts.
Administrators told the board there is a broker-supported transition process, that the district's consultant (IMAAC) can help recruit physicians to the network, and that there is an appeals process when an employee's doctor is not in-network. The superintendent said the first Aetna quote shows about $600,000 in medical savings, and those funds have been counted in the budget to restore kindergarten aides, a social worker and a nurse.
Neil Shinsky, representing the township of Livingston, asked whether joining the HIF would allow the district to reverse recent reductions in force; administrators said the savings would be applied to approved restorations but cautioned that outcomes depend on the final contract and transition timeline.
After discussion about outreach, timing and the mechanics of physician recruitment, a motion to move agenda item 3.2 to the next meeting was made, seconded and carried on a roll-call vote; all trustees recorded "yes." The board did not adopt the change to the health plan at Tuesday's meeting and directed staff to continue transition planning and provide additional information to employees before the next board meeting.
Next steps: the administration will continue broker outreach, provide staff with guidance for checking physician participation and follow up with board members ahead of the reconvened item.
