CCC trustees approve insurance cost mitigation

CLOVIS — Trustees for Clovis Community College met for a 12-minute special meeting Wednesday, and approved a method to mitigate a 19.3% increase in its health insurance premiums.

Blue Cross/Blue Shield, CCC President Charles Nwankwo told trustees, increased its Custom PPO and HDHP HSA 100 plans for various reasons — employee claims in 2021, healthcare plan increases stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic and the passage of New Mexico Senate Bill 317 — which provides additional mental health services and benefits.

Or, as put succinctly by Chair Lora Harlan, “The insurance went up a lot, and we’re here to try to mitigate that.”

Traditionally, the college has employed a tiered structure based on salaries, with the lowest paid employees paying 20%, the middle group 30% and the highest earners 40%. The dividing lines between tiers were not discussed at the meeting.

Under a proposal from the college’s Human Resources and administrative departments, those rates dropped to 15%, 25% and 35%.

Rates and services were unchanged for supplemental insurance and dental plans.

Following the 5-0 vote, Harlan thanked Chief Financial Officer Heather Lovato and Human Resource Services Director Regina Hart for their work on the matter.

State procurement regulations will require the college to submit a request for proposal in January to seek bids on benefit packages for 2023.

The next meeting is scheduled for 8 a.m. Dec. 1.