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Rankin SD 98 committee recommends pursuing ACA-level BCBS rates after 23.3% renewal increase
Summary
The District Health Insurance Committee on Nov. 12 recommended that Rankin School District #98 pursue BCBS-ACA (demographically based) rates after Blue Cross Blue Shield proposed a 23.3% increase to the district's current PPO plan; the committee cited large monthly increases and staff access to doctors as key concerns.
The Rankin School District #98 District Health Insurance Committee on Nov. 12 recommended that the district pursue Blue Cross Blue Shield’s ACA-level rates after BCBS offered a 23.3% increase to the district’s current PPO plan.
Consultants Kurtis Friedag and Jessica Sierer of Kepple Healthcare Consulting told the committee that "BCBS continues to incorrectly label the size of Rankin’s group," and urged the district to seek ACA-level pricing that is based on demographics rather than insurance risk. The committee noted the current PPO showed a monthly per-individual cost rising from $830.78 to $1,024.85 under the BCBS renewal offer; consultants estimated the BCBS-ACA option at about $831.78 per individual with a $350 deductible and $1,750 out-of-pocket maximum.
Committee discussion focused on keeping staff with their current doctors and on a specific provider network difference: the BCBS-ACA option would exclude Springfield Clinic while the renewal PPO included it. The committee also reviewed family-tier impacts, noting Employee+Child pricing under the current PPO renewal would be $2,706.65 versus an estimated $1,538.79 under the ACA-based rates. Committee members concluded the ACA-based option was materially more affordable and recommended forwarding that option to the Board of Education for approval.
Next steps: the committee will present its recommendation to the Rankin School District Board of Education; the recommendation will be implemented only if the BOE approves a plan change and after open enrollment finalizes exact enrollment counts.
