District health insurance costs rise 7%

The Cedar Grove-Belgium School Board’s decision last year to switch health insurance companies to save money has been working according to plan.

GHT, a self-funded health trust that uses United Health Care to process its claims and related work, made good on its agreement to raise monthly premiums by a maximum of 12% in its second year. The next year’s increase is 7%.

 The board decided to drop Humana, which had planned to increase premiums by 16.5%. GHT in its first year only raised premiums by 1.7%.

The plans for health, vision, long-term disability and life insurance carry the same plan design as last year, as well as the health savings account.

The district added a dental benefit, which calculates the annual benefit without the routine cleaning charges, Director of Business Services Kris De Bruine said.

The district and employees are sharing the cost increase for that dental benefit, she said.

The breakdown of the shared costs for each plan differs depending on which plan an employee chooses.

GHT premiums charge $505.04 for single people on the base plan (district pays $464.64) and $466.52 for the high-deductible plan (district pays $445.98).

Family plans cost $1,411.34 for the base plan (district pays $1,143.18)  and $1,305.40 for the high deductible plan (district pays $1,174.86).

The board approved the plan, 6-0, on May 17. Member Aileen Dahlke was absent.