The insurance committee, including members from the Osceola County Education Association and Teamsters, met May 21, 2025. The district shared their plan to increase premiums, deductibles, and out of pocket maximums for Tier 2 and Tier 3 plans. Please refer to the graphics included for the exact amounts. The district stated that the need for the increase is a response to more cancer diagnosis, premature births, and overall medication costs totaling 17% over last year.
OCEA objected to the total amount of increases stating employees cannot afford the increases and are being penalized for the district not planning and providing the clinics needed in all areas of the county to allow more individuals and families to move to the Health Center Plan.
Currently 60% of employees utilize the Tier 2 plan. More than 50% of the district employees live and work 45 minutes or more from the clinic, making it difficult to schedule the services the clinic provides. Frustration for appointment availability has been an issue for years, although it has gotten better over time. The district offered that it hopes to obtain a bus to travel the district to offer physicals, etc., and currently has plans to add clinic space at the two new transportation centers but is unable to guarantee a timeline.
As a result of the conversation, Carlos Rodriguez from Teamsters and President Janet Moody from OCEA countered that perhaps the district considers other solutions such as reducing the premiums, deductibles, and out of pockets maximums by half and allowing people to afford to remain in Tier 2 while the other sites are opened and operational to handle the volume.
The insurance committee will meet again on June 17, 2025, to continue discussions. These changes are only finalized upon a contract agreement and ratified by the bargaining units in the district and the elected school board members.
