Purchasers: Texas school districts and public school employees Program: Health insurance for public school employees Description:A 1998 survey by the Texas Teacher Retirement System found that most school districts offer multiple health and life insurance plans. The cost of employee-only coverage is shared by districts and employees in varying degrees. In general, school districts pay 85 percent and employees pay 15 percent of the health coverage premiums.
Thirteen percent of school district employees (62,700) are not participating in any health plans offered by districts. According to 975 school districts responding to a 1999 Texas State Teacher Association survey of 1,087 Texas school districts, 12 school districts either have no health insurance coverage or make no contribution toward the cost of coverage. Only a few school districts provide coverage for spouse and dependents, although in some cases the employee may purchase coverage.
Texas school districts and employees spent $845.7 million on health care in school year 1997-1998.
Texas Total, School Year 1997-1998 Amount Spent: $845,676,199 (Employee only coverage) $735,370,608 by Texas school districts
$110,305,591 by public school employeesType of Funding: Federal, school district and employee contribution. Number of Recipients: An estimated 417,840 public school employees are enrolled in health programs.
- Average annual amount spent:
- $1,760 paid by the school districts
$264 by the district employeeSources: Texas State Teachers Association, Teacher Retirement System of Texas and Texas Education Agency