The city of Shreveport's Health Care Trust Board (HCTFB) has received substantial publicity recently as to its composition and duties. Here is a review of the Shreveport city HCTFB ordinances.
The purpose of Shreveport's health care trust fund is to provide medical and dental benefits for eligible participants. The fund's board of trustees is responsible for the management and oversight of the fun.
The board consists of eight members:
1. The mayor who serves as the board chairman
2. The chief administrative officer
3. The director of finance, which is the chief financial officer
4. The director of personnel
5. Three participants in the health benefits plan elected by city employees
6. A member of the city council appointed by the council
7. A retired employee elected by the retired employees who are members of the plan. (Shreveport city ordinance Sec. 66-132.)
The trustees are responsible for the proper operation of the city's health benefits plan and health care program.
Before adoption, any proposed change in plan design shall be introduced at a Meeting of the board of trustees. The board shall post the proposed changes for employee review for at least 15 days prior to the next meeting of the board and shall notify the members of the city council by filing a copy with the clerk of the city council, who shall forward the proposed changes to all members of the council. The proposed change shall not be effective if the city council, at the next regular meeting, adopts a resolution altering or disapproving the proposed change. (Shreveport city ordinance Sec. 66-133)
The board of trustees shall promulgate a detailed plan of benefits which shall include policies and procedures relative to eligible participants, employee and dependent coverage, coverage for retired employees, termination of coverage, exclusions from coverage, coverage for dependents after an employee's death, and continuation of benefits after termination. (Shreveport city ordinance Sec. 66-134)
The board is to keep. in convenient form, data necessary for analysis of the health benefit plans, for checking claims experience of the plan, for assessing the financial condition of the plan, for determining the rates of contribution required and for evaluation the costs/savings of the changes in benefits and alternative benefit delivery programs. (Shreveport city ordinance Sec.66-136)
The board is to submit an annual report to the city council which includes the fiscal transactions for the preceding year of the health benefits plan, the various accounts of the plan, the last balance sheet showing the financial condition of the health care trust fund, a statement of changes in the plan design adopted during the preceding year and a claims experience projection for the current year. (Shreveport city ordinance Sec. 66-137)