The Minot Public School Board voted 3-2 on Monday to change the health insurance administrator for district employees to UnitedHealthcare from Blue Cross Blue Shield.

Board members Jim Rostad, Mike Gessner, and Miranda Schuler voted in favor of the change and board members Laura Mihalick and Bonny Berryman voted against it.

According to school district business manager Scott Moum, the details of the health insurance plan will not be changed for the time being, even though the administrator will be. It will not be the same health insurance plan that Trinity Health employees have switched to under UnitedHealthcare.

Moum said the district will not be able to guarantee that every health provider will accept payment from UnitedHealthcare but he is sure that UnitedHealthcare will work with individual providers.

The change will save the district about $600,000. Board member Mike Gessner said the change could potentially save even more than that.

Rostad said the district has been deficit spending the last couple of years, which cannot continue, and he wants to avoid potential layoffs for teachers.

The change will be effective Jan. 1. Board members said that question and answer sessions about the new health care administrator will be scheduled for employees.