El Paso ISD Joins Government Health Plan Today

The El Paso Independent School District , effective today,  is now enrolled in a government health insurance plan for district employees and their families.  The district ditched their self-funded health plan based on recommendations from their insurance consultant. See earlier posting on this blog – http://blog.riskmanagers.us/?p=4215.

El Paso ISD Benefits Committee Review – http://www.episd.org/file_mgr/finance/budget_review/minutes/2010/Approved%205-20-10%20BRC%20Minutes_JointComm_Austin%20HS%20Library_draft_Revised.pdf

El Paso ISD Benefits 2011 – http://episdbenefits.org/trs_activecare.php

The TRS ActiveCare program, currently insuring a  majority of Texas public school districts,  has enjoyed stable rates and comprehensive benefits since inception in 2002. Could this be evidence that supports the theory that government health insurance plans work better than private health insurance schemes?  

Participating TRS ActiveCare Districts – http://www.trs.state.tx.us/TRS_activecare/documents/trs_activecare_participation_list.pdf

Details of the TRS ActiveCare Plan – http://www.trs.state.tx.us/active.jsp?submenu=trs_activecare&page_id=/TRS_activecare/plans

This story is an appropriate way to enter the New Year, 2011, as we believe it portends of events to follow regarding the health care delivery system in this country. With ObamaCare now firmly in place, with a few phase-in mandates effective today,  and with more to follow, many believe that by January 1, 2014  ObamaCare will gain a strangle-hold on employer sponsored health plans, what’s left of them.  

Group health plans, like the El Paso Independent School District, will be firmly under government control.

Editor’s Note: If an employer can save millions of dollars on health insurance through a government health plan, does it make sense to take advantage of the savings? See – http://blog.riskmanagers.us/?p=4178. Will the Brownsville Independent School District consider joining TRS ActiveCare in 2011?