By Molly Mulebriar
With assist from their insurance coverage advisor the Brownsville Impartial College District, the most important employer south of San Antonio, has efficiently managed to realize a $7,000,000 well being plan deficit with out even making an attempt.
Of their October 7, 2025 board assembly faculty trustees debated whether or not to hunt aggressive proposals subsequent yr.
“Our workers didn’t choose our insurance coverage, they had been compelled to take it!” stated one board member. One other stated it could be time to look into TRS ActiveCare, the financially troubled authorities well being plan for Texas faculty districts.
After a prolonged and pointless dialogue trustees voted to hunt aggressive options in a 152-day course of that may start in March 2026. “We have to see what’s on the market!”
Totally free leisure seize some popcorn and go right here, click on on the October 7, 2025 faculty board assembly video and begin watching on the 3:00:05 mark.
Will buying and selling a emblem for one more save the day? Will the district hearth their present advisor and rent one other? Will the present dealer retain the account? (Sure, the district has each a advisor and a dealer). Will the district sue the present third occasion administrator for “damaged guarantees” as they’ve been identified to do previously on a couple of event? (Pilot Life Insurance coverage Firm, Group & Pension Directors, HealthSmart). Will each Tom, Dick and Harry in want of observe bid once more subsequent yr? Will the trustees make their +$60,000,000 resolution throughout the identical board assembly instantly following 15-minute board displays by every competing vendor as has been the observe previously or will they’ve already made their resolution and so they get a kick out of going by way of the motions? Will unread “as to type” contracts be signed? Will Valley Baptist align with Aetna once more and ship their native hospital administrator to make the pitch? Will the Agent Wolf Pack of yesteryear rise once more to grab market management earlier than the actual fact? Who will management and assure the data chain of custody earlier than and throughout the bidding course of? Will Sams Stadium be the venue as soon as once more for vendor displays? Will the ghost of Johnny Caliche reappear out of nowhere alongside together with his personal eye investigator, following distributors again throughout the river to ready Brownsville police poised to arrest on DWI expenses? Will Dr. X, a behind the scenes political operative, invite himself to insurance coverage committee conferences as he has been identified to do to make sure his +$1,000,000 fee-for-service reduce of the self-funded honey pot pie?
And lastly, their +$60,000,000 brings an entire lot of bargaining energy that may be utilized to the three native hospitals on the town, all to be made to compete for direct decrease price contracts – Will the district try this or will they proceed to depend on managed care contracts they’ll’t see nor audit, memorialized in smoke stuffed rooms up north in Minnesota or Chicago with the promise “We now have the most effective reductions!”
