The Lafayette Parish School Board held its regular meeting June 12 to discuss the future of its insurance provider, teacher positions, pay and more.
On top of the agenda was Action Item 3.2, which pertains to the board’s approval of the selection of the Third-Party Administrator for group health insurance, as recommended by the superintendent. Additionally, the superintendent is authorized to negotiate and enter into a contract for a term beginning Jan. 1, 2026.
A Third-Party Administrator is a company that provides administrative services, often in the context of health insurance or other benefit plans, under contract to another company. They act as intermediaries between employers or insurance companies and healthcare providers.
For more than 31 years, the Lafayette Parish School System has used Blue Cross Blue Shield Louisiana as its insurance provider.
After meeting and listening to Gallagher’s, a risk management group for LPSB, Superintendent Francis Touchet Jr., said they believe Meritain Health is the best insurance provider for LPSS and recommends them as the possible new provider.
“It (Meritain Health) will be the TPA that will provide us with savings but also provide us with opportunities to go out and save more money through direct contracting,” Touchet said.
Touchet said the TPA will help the board hire someone who can negotiate with Our Lady of Lourdes Regional Medical Center or Ochsner Health to achieve additional cost savings for LPSS.
Nancy Mounce spoke on the proposed new health administrator. She said it has been clear since the beginning that there was a desire for the LPSB to get away from Blue Cross Blue Shield Louisiana.
She said a Request for Proposal was requested, something she said is crucial for selecting a TPA.
“It provides a structured way to solicit bids, clarify requirements, compare proposals, ensure transparency and result in a fair and objective decision,” Mounce said. “Unfortunately, we did not have an RFP.”
Mounce noted that prior to the current LPSB administration, they used RFPs, even for smaller projects like voluntary benefits.
“Apparently, that’s not going to happen anymore,” Mounce said.
Mounce said on Tuesday, she received a letter from the LPSS that said a comprehensive group health RFP has been completed by the consultant and reviewed by the board insurance committee.
Jeremy Hidalgo, District 9 for the LPSB and Insurance Committee Chairman, said that the process that took place for the new health insurance provider was just as intense as an RFP.
“The process wasn’t called an RFP,” Hidalgo said. “But if we needed to call it that to make anyone feel better, we apologize. But this process was extremely intense.”
The board voted 8-1 in favor of approving the Third Party Administrator for group health insurance recommended by the Superintendent and that the Superintendent be authorized to negotiate and enter a contract for a term beginning Jan. 1, 2026.
The board voted and approved all Action Consent Items, one of which was Action Consent Item 4.1:
That the Board approves the proposed plan of reorganization and re-class of staff and changes in job descriptions related thereto as attached to this agenda item to become effective July 1, 2025.
All changes will be reflected in the 2025-2026 Salary Booklet. These changes are being implemented in response to the new state accountability system set to take effect in the 2025–2026 school year.
With Action Consent Item 4.4 and 4.5, the board also approved the revisions to the 2024-25 Salary Schedule.
View all other items on the agenda HERE.
