EGA, Staff Insurance Coverages

The Bossier Parish School Board shall contract with a health care provider for health, hospitalization, and life insurance benefits for its eligible employees, retirees, and/or their spouses and children. The School Board may pay any portion of an employee's premium it so designates. Employees and retirees shall be responsible for any portion of the employee’s health care premium not paid by the School Board.

Any employee or retiree, together with dependents, is eligible to participate in the hospitalization and health care coverage selected by the School Board. Any employee who terminates his/her employment with the School Board shall not be covered by the School Board's health care plan as of the last day of the month in which the plan participant ceases to be eligible as an employee/retiree or dependent. However, any employee who terminates employment with the School Board may apply for continued health care coverage in accordance with regulations of the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act (COBRA).

The School Board may contribute a portion of an employee's premium of any health care coverage selected by the School Board in the following manner:

The Bossier Parish School Board shall pay a portion of an employee’s health care coverage as determined by the School Board of the active employee's portion of the premium. Adjustments are to be made with the increase in premiums on a year-to-year basis.

The Bossier Parish School Board shall pay a portion of a retiree’s health care coverage as determined by the School Board of the retired employee's portion of the premium. Adjustments are to be made with the increase in premiums on a year-to-year basis.

To be eligible for the above retired employee benefits, an employee must have been employed by the School Board at the time of retirement for a minimum period of employment as determined by the Board and must meet all other stipulations and be a retiree of the Bossier Parish School Board.

Employees hired on or before July 1, 1997 are eligible for lifetime insurance at retirement.
Employees hired on July 2, 1997 through October 4, 2001 must have ten (10) years of continuous service (the ten (10) years prior to retirement) with the Bossier Parish School Board to qualify for lifetime insurance at retirement.
Employees hired on or after October 5, 2001 must have at least twenty (20) years of service with the Bossier Parish School Board. Of those twenty (20) years, at least ten (10) must be immediately preceding retirement to qualify for lifetime insurance at retirement.

For those employees hired on or after October 5, 2001 with retirement dates on or after July 1, 2017, the following retirement contributions shall be required to maintain health and dental benefits:

Retirees with less than ten (10) years of continuous service with Bossier Parish School Board, immediately prior to retirement pay 100% of the applicable retiree premium
Retirees with at least ten (10) years, but less than fifteen (15) years of service with Bossier Parish School Board and at least the last ten (10)years being continuous with Bossier Parish School Board immediately prior toretirement pay 62% of the applicable retiree premium
Retirees with at least fifteen (15) years, but less than twenty (20) years of service with Bossier Parish School Board and at least the last ten (10) years being continuous with Bossier Parish School Board immediately prior to retirement pay 44% of the applicable retiree premium
Retirees without Medicare with at least twenty (20) years of service with Bossier Parish School Board and at least the last ten (10) years being continuous immediately prior to retirement pay 17.65% of the active premium and the applicable percentage for dependent coverage.
Retirees with Medicare with at least twenty (20) years of service with Bossier Parish School Board and at least the last ten (10) years to retirement pay 0% of the applicable retiree with Medicare premium and the applicable percentage for dependent coverage.

Any School Board employee who is granted leave without pay by the School Board shall be obligated to pay 100% of the premium during the period of leave. The School Board shall not continue contributions towards the premium. Employees using sick leave for maternity leave purposes, sabbatical leave, or persons on sick leave that receive pay through accumulated sick leave shall not be affected by this provision and the School Board shall continue to pay the necessary premiums.

All voluntary employee supplemental health and life insurance which the School Board may offer or make available shall be administered through a third party. Voluntary employee supplemental health and life insurance may include, but is not limited to, cancer, heart, dental, vision, disability, life, and long-term care insurance. The School Board’s Insurance Committee shall determine and manage a list of the types of voluntary employee supplemental health and life insurance coverages the School Board may make available.

The School Board shall use the reimbursing employer method of participating in financing the School Board's share of unemployment compensation as permitted by state law.