Employee benefit trust reports turnaround after high claims; trust plans targeted plan-design changes
March 10, 2026 | Huntington Co Com Sch Corp, School Boards, Indiana
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The Huntington County employee benefit trust reported improved finances to the school board at the March 9 work session after a difficult 2024.
"We were at a 108% loss ratio, and about a $550,000 deficit in 2024," said Matt Stevenson, the trust president. Stevenson told the board that after switching administrators and plan design changes the trust reported about a 90% loss ratio and a surplus of roughly $680,000, and that checking-and-savings balances have increased (Stevenson cited an approximate $1.3 million cash position at a February snapshot).
Stevenson described operational fixes that helped stabilize cash flow: moving premium payments to a weekly cadence, short-term intra-corporation advances to cover occasional shortfalls, and renegotiating network discounts by moving the trust to Anthem. He also said Parkview remains in-network but was moved to tier 2 to reduce costs while preserving access.
Pharmacy and specialty drugs remain a major cost driver. Stevenson said the trust removed Humira from the formulary and moved members to generic alternatives, which materially reduced specialty-drug spending. "That transition saved a lot of money," he said.
Stevenson outlined plan-design ideas the trust is studying to further lower costs, including waiving deductibles for diagnostic visits at freestanding facilities to steer care away from higher-cost hospital settings and embedding certain supplemental coverages within the primary plan to automate reimbursements. He emphasized these are considerations under review, not approved changes.
Board members raised member experience questions about mail-order pharmacy vendors and specific drugs; Stevenson said the trust is monitoring anecdotal reports while gathering usage data. Several board members praised trust leadership for stabilizing the program after earlier deficits.
No contract or plan-design decisions were made at the work session; Stevenson said the trust will continue to monitor performance and bring proposals to the appropriate governance body if changes are recommended.
"We were at a 108% loss ratio, and about a $550,000 deficit in 2024," said Matt Stevenson, the trust president. Stevenson told the board that after switching administrators and plan design changes the trust reported about a 90% loss ratio and a surplus of roughly $680,000, and that checking-and-savings balances have increased (Stevenson cited an approximate $1.3 million cash position at a February snapshot).
Stevenson described operational fixes that helped stabilize cash flow: moving premium payments to a weekly cadence, short-term intra-corporation advances to cover occasional shortfalls, and renegotiating network discounts by moving the trust to Anthem. He also said Parkview remains in-network but was moved to tier 2 to reduce costs while preserving access.
Pharmacy and specialty drugs remain a major cost driver. Stevenson said the trust removed Humira from the formulary and moved members to generic alternatives, which materially reduced specialty-drug spending. "That transition saved a lot of money," he said.
Stevenson outlined plan-design ideas the trust is studying to further lower costs, including waiving deductibles for diagnostic visits at freestanding facilities to steer care away from higher-cost hospital settings and embedding certain supplemental coverages within the primary plan to automate reimbursements. He emphasized these are considerations under review, not approved changes.
Board members raised member experience questions about mail-order pharmacy vendors and specific drugs; Stevenson said the trust is monitoring anecdotal reports while gathering usage data. Several board members praised trust leadership for stabilizing the program after earlier deficits.
No contract or plan-design decisions were made at the work session; Stevenson said the trust will continue to monitor performance and bring proposals to the appropriate governance body if changes are recommended.
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