Auto Insurance Quotes ~ Flagler schools retain insurance plan : BUNNELL -- Flagler County school employees will stick with their current health insurance company next year.
School Board members chose to keep UnitedHealthcare over Florida Health Care Plans during a board meeting Tuesday night.
Employees had UnitedHealthcare for the first time this year. Flagler offered Florida Health Care Plans for many years, but the district switched after Florida Health Care Plans became more expensive, School Board Chairwoman Sue Dickinson said.
The switch to a new health plan after using Florida Health Care Plans for so long was difficult for some employees, Dickinson said.
About 1,325 employees use the district's health insurance.
An 18-member advisory committee had discussed possible health insurance plans since February, but when members voted recently between the two providers, the decision was split.
UnitedHealthcare is a division of UnitedHealth Group, the largest single health carrier in the United States, according to the website. UnitedHealth Group is based in Minnetonka, Minn.
Florida Health Care Plans serves Flagler and Volusia counties. It is an independent licensee of Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Florida. If the School Board had chosen Florida Health Care Plans, employees could have enrolled in a Blue Cross and Blue Shield option instead.
A few employees spoke about the issue during the public comment period.
Those favoring UnitedHealthcare said that if members understand their plan, it's generally less costly than Florida Health Care Plans. Some also said Florida Health Care doesn't work for members who live outside the two-county area.
Jill Woolbright, a teacher at Bunnell Elementary School, said she's happy with the UnitedHealthcare insurance.
"No matter what you decide, I hope our employees, all levels of employees, are well-educated about the plans that they choose," she said. "I hope we give UnitedHealthcare a second chance."
Debbie Couch, who was on the committee, said she realized not everyone will be happy with the board's choice. But the committee members tried to recommend the best overall plan, she said.
"It's not necessarily going to be the best for me; it's what's going to be best for the most people," said Couch, a teacher at Flagler Palm Coast High School.
But Helen Davis, a paraprofessional at Matanzas High School, said she is uncertain how much she will have to pay when she sees a doctor with her UnitedHealthcare plan. She liked the simplicity of the Florida Health Care Plans insurance.
"When we had Florida Health Care, if it said we had a $20 co-pay, that's what we had," Davis said. "If we went to the hospital and we had a $200 co-pay, that's what we had."
Katie Hansen, president of the Flagler County Educators Association, thanked board members after the vote for considering the options.
"I know this has not been an easy task for anyone involved and we appreciate that you did not take this decision lightly, either," she said.
