MEA Benefits Trust

What MEA Benefits Trust does

MEA Benefits Trust (MEABT) is a not-for-profit employee welfare benefit plan established on April 10, 1993 by the Maine Education Association to provide health insurance coverage to Maine public school employees, retired educators, and their dependents. The Trust serves approximately 69,000 covered lives through a defined set of health plan options — Standard, Choice Plus, Choice Plus Value, Standard Core, Standard Basic, Standard 500, and Standard 1000 — plus a Medicare Advantage PPO with Senior RX for retirees aged 65 and older. Its principal asset is a group insurance contract with Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Maine, which underwrites medical, hospital, surgical, and prescription drug benefits. The Trust is governed by a nine-member Board of Trustees composed entirely of current or retired public school employees.

The product portfolio is supplemented by a layered wellness and ancillary benefits suite, including vision benefits through Blue View Vision, the Sydney App for member self-service, behavioral health support via Aspire 365, wellness coaching through Personify Health, the Silver Sneakers fitness program for Medicare-eligible members, hearing aid discounts through TruHearing, the LARK Diabetes Prevention Program, Lin Health support, SmartShopper cost-transparency tools, a 24-hour nurse line, a Member Assistance Program, and Global Core international emergency coverage. All technology, claims processing, and provider network access is delivered through Anthem and its vendor partners — MEABT itself does not own or operate proprietary technology.

The business model is a pass-through premium collection structure. MEABT negotiates directly with Anthem on behalf of its members and receives employer and employee premium contributions negotiated through collective bargaining between local MEA unions and school district employers. Enrollment occurs through school district HR personnel, and retiree premiums are deducted from Maine Public Employees Retirement System (MePERS) pension deposits, which is the mechanism by which the State of Maine's 60% retiree premium contribution is applied. MEABT generates no disclosed revenue figure and operates with a very small staff (approximately five named members per the website), functioning as an administrative trust entity rather than a commercial insurer.

Name

MEA Benefits Trust

Legal name

Maine Education Association Benefits Trust

Website

https://www.meabt.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1993

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

MEA Benefits Trust is a not-for-profit employee welfare benefit plan that provides health, prescription, and wellness insurance coverage to approximately 69,000 active and retired Maine public school employees and their dependents, administered through a group insurance contract with Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Maine.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Group Health Insurance / Employee Welfare Benefits

NAICS

Health and Welfare Funds (52512)

SIC

Hospital & Medical Service Plans (6324)

akta.pro primary industry

Ancillary Employer Benefits (Life/Disability/Accident/Critical Illness) (HLAEAAAK)

Keywords

• Group health insurance
• Employee welfare benefits
• Public sector benefits
• Educator health coverage
• Medicare Advantage plans

Headquarters

HQ city

Augusta

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Health Insurance Premiums: MEABT operates as a not-for-profit employee welfare benefit plan providing health insurance to Maine public school employees. Revenue comes from employer and employee premium contributions through collective bargaining agreements. The principal asset is a group insurance contract with Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Maine.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

MEA Benefits Trust is a not-for-profit employee welfare benefit plan that provides group health insurance coverage to approximately 69,000 Maine public school educators, retirees, and their dependents. Its principal asset is a master group insurance contract with Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Maine, offering multiple health plan options (Standard, Choice Plus, Choice Plus Value, Standard Core, Standard Basic, Standard 500, Standard 1000) plus Medicare Advantage PPO with Senior RX for retirees 65+, with supplemental wellness, prescription, vision, hearing, and behavioral health programs.

Product overview

MEA Benefits Trust is a not-for-profit employee welfare benefit plan offering a comprehensive suite of health insurance products for Maine public school employees. The core offering consists of six health insurance plans: Standard, Choice Plus, Choice Plus Value, Standard Core, Standard Basic, Standard 500, and Standard 1000—all providing medical, hospital, surgical, prescription, and wellness benefits. Plans are available to active educators and retirees through their local Maine Education Association Union. The organization also provides Medicare Advantage PPO with Senior RX for retirees 65 and older. Supplementary programs include prescription drug coverage with a 4-tier benefit structure, vision benefits through Blue View Vision, behavioral health support via Aspire 365, fitness programs through Silver Sneakers, hearing aid benefits via TruHearing, and various wellness programs including Personify Health, Building Healthy Families, Diabetes Prevention Program (LARK), Lin Health, and the Member Assistance Program. Members can access care management tools including the Sydney App for provider search and SmartShopper for cost comparison. The plan is administered through Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Maine and covers approximately 69,000 individuals.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Standard Plan Group health insurance plan for Maine public school employees and retirees providing coverage for routine preventive care, screenings, immunizations, well-child care, inpatient and outpatient care, emergency care, and prescription drug benefits.
• Choice Plus Plan Enhanced group health insurance plan for Maine public school employees providing routine preventive care, screenings, immunizations, well-child care, inpatient and outpatient care, emergency care, and tiered prescription drug coverage.
• Choice Plus Value Plan Value-priced group health insurance plan for Maine public school employees providing coverage for routine preventive care, screenings, immunizations, well-child care, inpatient and outpatient care, emergency care, and prescription drug benefits.
• Standard Core Plan Core group health insurance plan for Maine public school employees providing coverage for routine preventive care, screenings, immunizations, well-child care, inpatient and outpatient care, emergency care, and prescription drug benefits.
• Standard Basic Plan Basic group health insurance plan for Maine public school employees providing coverage for routine preventive care, screenings, immunizations, well-child care, inpatient and outpatient care, emergency care, and prescription drug benefits.
• Standard 500 Plan Group health insurance plan with a $500 deductible for Maine public school employees providing coverage for routine preventive care, screenings, immunizations, well-child care, inpatient and outpatient care, and emergency care.
• Standard 1000 Plan Group health insurance plan with a $1,000 deductible for Maine public school employees providing coverage for routine preventive care, screenings, immunizations, well-child care, inpatient and outpatient care, and emergency care.
• Medicare Advantage PPO with Senior RX Medicare Advantage PPO plan with integrated Senior RX (Part D) prescription drug coverage for MEABT retirees aged 65 and older, offered through Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield.

Quantifiable outcome

• Provides health coverage to approximately 69,000 individuals in the State of Maine

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield of MainecoreTechnology or Integration · 10 April 1993Principal insurance carrier holding the group insurance contract that provides medical, hospital, surgical, prescription coverage and related health benefits to approximately 69,000 MEABT members. Anthem provides the underlying insurance infrastructure and claims processing.
• Maine Education AssociationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEstablished MEABT on April 10, 1993 as an employee welfare benefit plan. MEABT is affiliated with MEA, and plans are available through local MEA union collective bargaining with employers.
• Maine Public Employees Retirement System (MePERS)coreOthersPartners with MePERS for retirement health insurance premium deductions. Eligible retirees must have premiums deducted from their MePERS pension deposit to receive the State of Maine's 60% contribution towards premium.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Direct peers

• VEHI (Vermont Education Health Initiative): VEHI is a nonprofit health benefits trust that pools Vermont public school employees and retirees to purchase group health coverage from a major carrier. It is the closest functional analog to MEABT in both governance structure (educator-led) and operating model (collective bargaining distribution, single carrier contract).
• EUTF Hawaii (Employer-Union Health Benefits Trust Fund): EUTF is a state-administered health benefits trust fund providing medical, prescription, and Medicare coverage to Hawaii public employees and retirees through collective bargaining. The governance and pooling model closely mirror MEABT's structure for Maine educators.
• MIIA (Massachusetts Interlocal Insurance Association): MIIA is a nonprofit insurance pool that purchases health and other benefits on behalf of Massachusetts municipal employees and public entities. It shares MEABT's nonprofit pooled-purchasing model, member-driven governance, and reliance on collective bargaining or municipal procurement for distribution.
• PEIA (Public Employees Insurance Agency, West Virginia): PEIA administers health and prescription benefits for West Virginia public employees, retirees, and dependents through a pooled state-administered trust. The structure — employer/employee contributions, retiree coverage, and group carrier contracts — parallels MEABT's operating model.
• SEGIP (State Employee Group Insurance Program, Minnesota): SEGIP provides health, dental, and life benefits to Minnesota state employees and dependents via pooled purchasing. It shares MEABT's nonprofit trust-style administration, employer/employee premium contributions, and retiree coverage offerings.
• SHBP (State Health Benefit Plan, Georgia): Georgia's SHBP is a pooled health benefits plan for state employees, teachers, retirees, and dependents, administered under a board structure with employer/employee premium contributions. The educator inclusion and retiree coverage make it a close operating analog to MEABT.

Broad incumbents

• NEA Member Benefits: NEA Member Benefits is the national affiliate-backed benefits program serving public educators across states. While it operates nationally rather than within a single state, it shares MEABT's educator-focused mission, union-affiliated governance, and pooled-negotiation approach to benefits delivery.
• CalPERS Health Benefits Program: CalPERS administers health benefits for California public employees and retirees through a pooled-purchasing model with multiple carrier contracts. It is comparable to MEABT in pooling public-sector members and negotiating group coverage, though at significantly larger scale and with a broader (non-educator) member base.
• NYSHIP (New York State Health Insurance Program): NYSHIP provides group health coverage to New York State and local public employees and retirees through Empire Plan and other options. It is comparable to MEABT in delivering employer-negotiated health benefits to public-sector members, though at much larger scale and with broader public-sector scope.

Others

• Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Maine: Anthem is MEABT's core carrier partner, holding the group insurance contract that underwrites and administers claims for all ~69,000 MEABT members. It is not a competitor but the upstream infrastructure provider whose pricing, network, and renewal terms directly determine MEABT's affordability and member experience.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/themeabt
• Facebookfacebook.com/MEA-Benefits-Trust-268131599186

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about MEA Benefits Trust