DOVER — A judge has issued a preliminary injunction preventing the Dover School District’s health coverage risk pool from discontinuing contractual health care benefits.
The healthcare risk pool, New Hampshire School Health Care Coalition (known as “SchoolCare”), assessed the Dover School District $1.7 million last fall to replenish SchoolCare’s reserve fund, part of an overall $30 million charge to dozens of school districts statewide that caused significant financial consequences across the state.
When issuing the assessment, SchoolCare expressly threatened to stop paying employee health claims on Friday, May 1 (two months before the coverage year ends on June 30) unless the assessment was paid or satisfactory payment arrangements had been made. For Dover, SchoolCare’s threat to stop paying claims would have affected approximately 380 current and 113 retired employees, as well as many of their spouses and children.
Superior Court Justice John A. Curran wrote: “If SchoolCare institutes a claims hold or begins outright denial of claims, covered individuals will face an uncertain situation in which they may have to decide between risking paying for a procedure, appointment, or medication out of pocket, or forgoing this medical care altogether.”
Curran granted the injunction on Thursday, April 30, requiring SchoolCare to continue paying claims for covered services in the ordinary course.
The Dover School District and Superintendent Dr. Christine Boston, as a district employee, requested the preliminary injunction in Stafford County Superior Court earlier in April. The docket number of the pending Superior Court action is 219-2026-CV-00194.
(The Dover School District and Superintendent Boston will have no comment at this time, as this is an ongoing legal matter.)
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