“All I know is I worked my butt off,” Hillyer said. “I spent the whole month of August working on getting the plan implemented. I probably talked to 150 employees and never billed the district a dime. I even took phone calls during weekends.”
By FERNANDO DEL VALLE Valley Morning Star
SAN BENITO — School board members on Tuesday postponed action on a proposal to search for a new insurance consultant that could replace Glenn Hillyer, who helped design the district’s new managed care plan touted as a model of the Affordable Care Act.
In a meeting, board members also delayed action on a proposal to approve overtime payment to ISD Managed Care Services, the company that runs the district’s health clinic.
Board President Yliana Gonzalez asked trustees to hold off on action because the proposals had not been presented to the district’s finance committee.
After the votes, board members met in closed session to set a salary for interim Superintendent Ismael Cantu, whom trustees appointed late last month.
Business Manager Emma McCall said Hillyer’s contract expires in February. But Hillyer said his contract includes a clause that allows board members to renew it.
Hillyer, who has served as the district’s insurance consultant for about four years, said his contract pays him hourly rates of $150 to conduct financial analysis and $100 to contract with health care providers.
That’s a very reasonable rate for a district this size,” Hillyer said before the meeting. “There are very few consultants in Texas who can manage this managed care plan.”
Hillyer said his billing reflects long hours he worked to launch the managed care plan that became effective Oct. 1.
“All I know is I worked my butt off,” Hillyer said. “I spent the whole month of August working on getting the plan implemented. I probably talked to 150 employees and never billed the district a dime. I even took phone calls during weekends.”
The district’s managed care plan replaced Blue Cross Blue Shield, which served as the district’s third-party administrator for five years.
McCall proposed that the school board approve a payment of $1,958 to cover the clinic’s overtime expenses this fiscal year.
The clinic incurred overtime expenses to ensure that patients who arrive shortly before daily closing hours receive treatment, said Richard Garza, who runs ISD Managed Care Services.
The managed care plan’s high participation rate has led to long patient waiting times, Hillyer said. Hillyer said 1,165 employees enrolled in the managed care plan while officials had projected 700 would participate.
School districts across the Rio Grande Valley are monitoring the San Benito’s managed care plan, McCall said.
Board member Anna Cruz, who voted against the managed care plan, warned it would use district employees as “guinea pigs.”
But Garza said the plan offers employees efficient, low-cost health care.
“The model of the clinic is working,” Garza said.
