EDITORIAL: Teachers deserve better than THT Health

Teachers shouldn’t person to interest astir whether their security supplier is susceptible of paying their bills. Unfortunately, their existent enactment isn’t.

As the Review-Journal’s Rio Lacanlale reported past week, THT Health is retired of money. Formerly known arsenic the Teachers Health Trust, it’s what the district’s 18,000 teachers and families beryllium connected for wellness insurance. The Clark County Education Association oversees the wellness trust, which provides sum to 34,000 people. Or astatine least, it’s expected to.

In a missive sent to aesculapian providers, it acknowledges that it’s retired of wealth to screen galore anterior claims.

“To beryllium afloat transparent, these claims are not presently funded,” the letter, which is from THT Health’s CEO Tom Zumtobel reads.

Interestingly, the national didn’t nonstop retired a akin announcement to teachers. CCEA enforcement manager John Vellardita claimed that’s due to the fact that the national and THT Health are moving to marque definite teachers don’t carnivore the work for this fiscal mismanagement.

“We’re going to marque damn definite that radical aren’t stuck with the bill,” helium said.

That’s a good sentiment. It would mean adjacent much if it wasn’t coming from the person of the radical liable for overseeing this slow-motion disaster.

THT Health’s fiscal problems aren’t new. In 2013, Mr. Vellardita said the spot would beryllium “belly up successful 60 to 90 days.” That evidently didn’t happen. The concern was dire capable though that a Review-Journal story noted the Nevada Department of Insurance would person stepped successful had the concern progressive a backstage company.

Financial problems with the wellness spot made the quality successful 2015 and 2017 arsenic well. Now, the nationalist knows THT Health had fiscal problems successful 2019 arsenic well.

Expenses from the coronavirus pandemic whitethorn person exacerbated these problems, but it by nary means created the underlying issue. THT Health had $43 cardinal successful indebtedness arsenic of February. It’s unclear however overmuch remains.

Now, Mr. Vellardita says redeeming the spot volition beryllium connected “fair investment” from the territory — meaning taxpayers.

Mr. Vellardita shouldn’t beryllium pointing fingers astatine anyone but himself and the union. Teacher compensation has accrued importantly since 2013. If THT Health didn’t get privation it needed to enactment afloat, that’s his fault. It’s grounds that the national shouldn’t beryllium moving what is functionally a wellness security company.

Years of mismanagement is enough. The territory should importune connected replacing THT Health with a wellness security institution that isn’t often connected the verge of bankruptcy.