This story was originally produced by the Portsmouth Herald. NHPR is republishing it in partnership with the Granite State News Collaborative.
The Portsmouth City Council voted March 16 to authorize City Manager Karen Conard to negotiate a $1.57 million payment to SchoolCare “under protest.”
Mayor Deaglan McEachern called the vote to pay the $1.57 million assessment issued by SchoolCare “incredibly important” to ensure health coverage for Portsmouth school employees continues without interruption.
“There is just not a plan that we can see or I can see as a city … where we can do anything but continue on to pay this assessment regardless of whether or not we believe it’s legal,” McEachern stated during the Monday night council hearing, which was attended by many school employees. “The idea that we would try to move to another plan, to disrupt care here is something that I don’t believe anyone in the city can in good conscience support.” McEachern added there are “too many unknowns.” “
Our school employees are worth the certainty of knowing where their care is going to come from,” McEachern said.
Continue reading this story on Seacoast Online.
Read more NHPR coverage about unanticipated bills from SchoolCare, a non-profit insurer.
