CCSD, teachers union strike deal over health insurance

The Clark County teachers union said Monday it has reached a deal to address the financial woes of its nonprofit health insurance provider, THT Health.

Under the agreement, the Clark County School District will provide a three-month advance in its employer contributions — around $35 million — in part to address a backlog in claims that recently has led to teachers reporting being dropped by their medical providers.

In exchange, the union is expected to provide additional transparency to the district regarding the insurance provider’s financial status and operation.

The total amount of the claims backlog is being assessed, Clark County Education Association Executive Director John Vellardita said.

It’s the result of a rise in medical claims that have exceeded incoming premium levels, according to the news release. The self-funded plan provides coverage to 35,000 teachers and their dependents but has faced financial and legal challenges over the past five years.

In the next 90 days, THT Health is expected to develop new health plans and acquire a new third-party administrator to process claims and provide utilization management. A new CEO already has been hired, according to the union, following the departure of Michael Skolnik this month.

According to the district, THT Health also will be required to provide the district a host of financial and organization documents, including financial statements for 2020, health board meeting minutes for the past three years, staff compensation levels and “all known debts, assets, revenue, liabilities and quit notices of THT Health.”

A statement from the union says it welcomes the district’s requests for ongoing reports and “will provide any and all information so the district can better understand the medical challenges that THT has gone through, that has put them in this current financial situation.”

“We appreciate the work the CCSD Board of Trustees did to find a solution that makes sense and gets THT back on the right track to providing health coverage,” Vellardita said.

“Our teachers deserve healthcare coverage they can rely on,” Clark County school board president Linda Cavazos said in a statement. “It is our hope that this agreement provides educators with stability and peace of mind as they work hard every day to educate our students.”

Contact Aleksandra Appleton at 702-383-0218 or aappleton@reviewjournal.com. Follow @aleksappleton on Twitter.