DISD School Board
After numerous frustrated phone calls and problems, the Dublin ISD School Board authorized Underwood Law Firm to file a lawsuit on its behalf against U.S. Employee Benefits Services Group.
The group, who provides independent benefit consulting, switched plan designs after the district had approved insurance benefits.
After the district pulled out from TRS last year, they began shopping for insurance. Kassie Eads, Business Manager for DISD began researching and found that Aetna had the majority of the doctors in the area that their staff used.
“We looked up providers, especially the pediatricians that most people use in Stephenville,” Superintendent Melissa Summers said. All of those doctors and more were part of the plan.
When one of the employees went to the doctor on Sept. 14, after the plan started on Sept. 1, they were informed the doctor wasn’t in network, even after they had checked that they were.
“They switched plan designs,” Eads said. “It’s not a PPO, it’s a managed care plan.”
“We would never put that burden on our staff,” Summers said.
The superintendent said after multiple meetings and phone call after phone call, the company was not solving the problem.
“We want our people taken care of,” Eads said.
School Board President Bob Cervetto said it was sad that the district had to resort to filing a lawsuit instead of the company simply solving the problem.
“Ya’ll should do the right thing,” he said.
Employees are also supposed to be reimbursed with some of the health expenses but to her knowledge, Summer said, no one had received any kind of reimbursement.
After the board made the motion to move forward with the lawsuit, teachers and principals in attendance burst into applause showing their appreciation for the board acting on their behalf.
The school board also unanimously approved a dose of Narcan on hand at campuses.
Summers explained that with the increased use of fentanyl in the country and accidental overdoses due to the drug, she believed it was a good idea to have an opioid antagonist on hand.
The nasal spray can be administered by the nurse on cam-pus or in case of an emergency where the nurse is not available a principal or athletic trainer.
“It does not hurt someone if that’s not what is going on,” Summers said. “Our high school nurse is very proactive so she came to me and asked if we could do this.”
School board member Pat Leatherwood asked if they should consider more than just the secondary campus.
“We can,” Summers said. “This policy covers all campuses.”
In the case of Narcan being administered, EMS would be automatically called.
School board trustee Angelica Salyer asked if parents had to give their permission in order for the drug to be given. Summers explained that since it was a potential lifesaving measure in an emergency circumstance, they did not need parental approval.
The next two months’ meetings are set on different days due to the holidays. December’s meet-ing will be held Dec. 12 and January’s meeting will be held Jan. 23.