Welcome to the Health & Welfare Benefit Review Information Hub!
Amador County Unified School District (USD) and Amador County Office of Education (COE) are currently reviewing our Health & Welfare benefit providers and plan options in preparation for a transition this fall. This page serves as your central resource for staying informed about our progress and the vendors we are evaluating.
Below you will find helpful information about the various vendors under consideration. We encourage you to sign up for meeting invitations to participate in future meetings with potential vendors. This is a great opportunity to learn more and ask questions directly.
Background and Need for Review:
In October 2023, Amador County USD and COE transitioned the administration of our Health & Welfare benefits from CVT to NewFront. This shift moved us from a traditional insurance pool to a self-insured model, with the goal of achieving greater flexibility and control over our benefit rates, plan design, costs, and the option for employees to opt-out.
However, this self-insured model has also exposed the USD and COE to increased financial risk associated with higher-than-expected medical claims. In the 2023-24 fiscal year, we incurred over $1 million in excess claims, and a similar amount is projected for the 2024-25 fiscal year. Additionally, we experienced a significant 15% premium increase for our Anthem plans, even after NewFront initially proposed a much larger 40% increase.
The combination of rising premium costs and annual excess claims exceeding $1 million has made our current self-insured model financially unsustainable. As a result, the USD and COE are proactively reviewing alternative Health & Welfare benefit providers and plan options to ensure a stable and cost-effective program for our employees moving forward.
Additional settings for Safari Browser.
