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District projects 13% health‑insurance increase; staff says design changes could cut about $4M
Summary
WESLACO ISD staff told trustees the self‑funded health plan shows a near‑term increase (about 13%) and that benefit design levers might trim roughly $4 million from projected costs, while stop‑loss reimbursements are already folded into reported figures.
District insurance staff described recent trends in claims and how the district accounts for stop‑loss reimbursements as part of the projected costs for the self‑funded health plan.
"If we do nothing, if we didn't move the levers, we were gonna spend $29,900,000," said Doctor Cantu, the staff member supervising the health fund, and added staff found approximately $4,000,000 of potential savings through design changes: "So now we're looking at a $26,800,000 spend instead of the 29." Doctor Cantu also explained that both individual and aggregate stop‑loss payments are already deducted from the claims reported in the district’s figures.
Budget staff confirmed April rebates improved that month’s cash picture and cautioned run‑outs through May and June could still affect final year‑end totals. Trustees asked whether audits and claims review had flagged duplicated or improper claims; staff said auditors sample claims and seek backup documentation from insurers as part of the year‑end audit.
The district will carry the health estimate into 2026–27 projections and treat the $3.1 million health‑fund increase as part of next year’s salary/benefit pressure for budgeting decisions.
