SPS Board approves changes to healthcare plan, adds dual option

The Springfield Public School District is tweaking its health insurance, a move that will impact thousands of workers and their families, even retirees.

Dr. Travis Shaw, Deputy Superintendent, presented the plan to the SPS School Board who voted in favor of the plan on Tuesday night.

One major change is where policyholders can get health care.

Employees can now opt to select different in-network options.

"For about five years now, we've been working to try to come up with an option, a good option, an affordable option to be able to give our employees their dependents, retirees, a dual network option," Shaw said. "It's a dual network option where employees will truly have that choice to be able to use Cox or Mercy through the Anthem network. The current plan designs will stay basically the way they have been."

Another change is the district's approach to helping policyholders afford GLP-1 products, which have gained popularity as weight-loss medications.

"Currently, those are fully funded just like any other drug and formula or medication. That is costing our health benefit trust plan, this year, we are estimated to spend almost $4 million covering that drug, and that's simply not sustainable," Shaw said. "So part of what makes this change work is reducing that to where now employees can have up to a $2,400 annual health reimbursement account to be able to help cover those things."

With the Board's approval, the change will go into effect Jan. 1, 2026.