Joint Powers Trust

What Joint Powers Trust does

Joint Powers Trust (JPT) is a non-profit group health benefit trust founded in 1988 by a coalition of Montana counties seeking long-range stability for employee health coverage. Headquartered in Billings, Montana, the trust administers group health benefit programs for public service agency employers — primarily counties, school districts, and other government entities — across Montana and Wyoming, covering more than 8,500 members and their dependents.

JPT does not operate as a unified technology platform; instead, it functions as a collective purchasing pool that curates and integrates a network of partner services to deliver a full medical, dental, and vision benefit stack. Core administration and claims processing are handled by Employee Benefit Management Services (EBMS), with member self-service delivered through the miBenefits online portal (claims viewing, eligibility, EOB access). PPO access is provided via First Choice Health Network, pharmacy through SmithRX, telehealth via WellVia, vision through VSP, an Employee Assistance Program through Sapphire Resource Connection, chronic-condition management through My Health Navigator, and wellness programming through It Starts With Me and Healthy Is Wellness. The trust also offers tax-favored accounts (FSAs, HRAs, HSAs) and care management services through EBMS CareLink.

JPT is governed by a board of trustees composed of sitting county and school district officials, and is led by Executive Director Shane Heigis (since 2014). The trust collects group health benefit premiums from employer clients; as a non-profit, premiums are set on an actuarial basis to cover claims and administrative expenses rather than to generate profit. Sales and account management are delivered through a small internal team (1-10 employees) supported by referral partners such as Associated Employers, with no external funding rounds, parent company, or ownership by private equity.

Name

Joint Powers Trust

Legal name

Joint Powers Trust

Website

https://jointpowerstrust.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1988

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Joint Powers Trust is a non-profit group health benefit trust serving Montana and Wyoming public service agencies, administering medical, dental, vision, pharmacy, telehealth, and wellness benefits for over 8,500 members through curated partner providers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Group Health Benefits Administration

NAICS

Health and Welfare Funds (525120), Insurance and Employee Benefit Funds (5251), Trusts, Estates, and Agency Accounts (52592)

SIC

Insurance Agents, Brokers & Service (6411), Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Employee Benefit & Retirement Plan Trust Services (FSAAANAC)

Keywords

• Group health benefits
• Non-profit health trust
• Public sector benefits
• Medical benefits administration
• Employee benefits pool

Headquarters

HQ city

Billings

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Group Health Benefit Premiums: The JPT generates revenue through premiums paid by employer clients (public service agencies) for group health benefit coverage. As a non-profit trust, premiums are set to cover claims costs and administrative expenses while maintaining reasonable renewal rates.
2. Administrative Services: The trust provides administrative services including claims processing, network management, and wellness program administration through partnerships with third-party administrators like EBMS.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Joint Powers Trust (JPT) administers non-profit group health benefit programs for employees of public service agencies in Montana and Wyoming. The trust pools employer-paid premiums across counties, school districts, and government entities to deliver medical, dental, and vision coverage, plus wellness, chronic disease management, pharmacy, telehealth, vision, and Employee Assistance Program benefits, administered through third-party partner EBMS and a network of local Montana-based service providers.

Product overview

Joint Powers Trust (JPT) is a non-profit group health benefit trust providing comprehensive healthcare benefit programs to public service agencies in Montana and Wyoming. The organization operates as a collective purchasing pool rather than a single unified software platform, offering medical, dental, and vision benefits through a network of strategic partnerships. Core services include third-party administration via EBMS with 24/7 miBenefits portal access, wellness programs through It Starts With Me and Healthy Is Wellness, chronic condition management via My Health Navigator, pharmacy benefits through SmithRX, telehealth via WellVia, vision through VSP Vision, and an Employee Assistance Program through Sapphire Resource Connection. JPT also provides tax-favored account options (FSAs, HRAs, HSAs) and care management services including utilization review and case management.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Group Health Benefit Plans Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision benefit plans offered to public service agencies in Montana and Wyoming, providing stable, cost-effective group coverage to public employees and their dependents through a pooled trust structure.
• Wellness Programs

Quantifiable outcome

• More than 8,500 members served throughout Montana and Wyoming
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• EBMS (Employee Benefit Management Services, Inc.)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEBMS is the third-party administrator for JPT's benefits, handling claims processing, network discount access and direct provider contracts, intensive care management, and other health administration services. Headquartered in Billings, MT, EBMS is Montana-based and nationally recognized.
• It Starts With MecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAdministering the 'gold standard' wellness program for JPT. Provides client customized wellness solutions, health screenings, individual and aggregate health reports, annual health risk assessments, and risk analysis reporting.
• Healthy Is WellnesscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFastest-growing wellness business in Montana with innovative approach including cutting-edge health technology and one-on-one monthly coaching visits at worksites. Provides wellness, prevention coordination and education to promote healthy lifestyle choices.
• Sapphire Resource ConnectioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProvides short-term confidential assessment and solution focused intervention services through an Employee Assistance Program. Available to all enrolled members at no out-of-pocket expense to promote mental and emotional well-being.
• My Health NavigatorminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAvailable to all JPT plan members at no additional cost for those with diabetes (pre-diabetes, type I, type II, gestational). Helps minimize prescription costs, get health answers, control expenses, simplify medication management, and manage chronic conditions. Offers $0 copay diabetic testing supplies.
• VSP VisionminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerVision care partner committed to providing best choices in eye doctors and eyeglasses for JPT members.
• First Choice Health Network PPOcoreTechnology or IntegrationPPO network providing participating provider information for JPT members. Access to reduced-fee healthcare providers who have agreed to charge discounted rates under the JPT benefit plan.
• Associated EmployersminorGTM or Marketing PartnerProvides JPT client support as a marketing and referral partner helping connect public service agencies with JPT benefit programs.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Schools Insurance Authority (SIA): California-based joint powers authority providing insurance and benefits pooling for school districts. Closest structural analog to JPT: pooled public-agency risk vehicle delivering health and welfare benefits to member districts with shared governance.
• Public Risk Innovation, Solutions, and Management (PRISM): California public-entity risk pool providing coverage and risk management to municipalities, schools, and special districts. Comparable as a pooled public-agency benefit/insurance entity operating under joint-powers governance with member-driven control.
• Wisconsin Public Employers Group Health Insurance Program (ETF): Wisconsin state-administered program providing group health insurance to public employers and their employees. Functionally similar to JPT in pooling public-employer health benefit risk at a regional/state level, though administered by a state agency rather than a private trust.
• Schools Excess Liability Fund (SELF): Joint powers authority providing excess liability coverage to California school districts. Operates under the same pooled public-agency structure as JPT, making it a direct comparator for trust-based benefits pooling.
• Washington State Health Care Authority (PEBB): Public Employees Benefits Board administering health and wellness benefits for Washington state and public-agency employees. Comparable pooled public-sector health benefits delivery model, though at substantially larger scale.

Broad incumbents

• PacificSource Health Plans: Regional not-for-profit health insurer operating across the Pacific Northwest including Montana. Comparable non-profit orientation and regional footprint, but offers full-spectrum commercial insurance rather than a pooled public-agency model.
• CalPERS Health Program: California Public Employees' Retirement System health benefits program. Massive-scale public-sector health benefits pool offering a comparable service to public employers, but operating at dramatically greater scale and scope than JPT.
• BlueCross BlueShield of Montana: Dominant regional commercial health insurer serving the same Montana/Wyoming geography JPT operates in. Competes for the same employer benefit dollars but as a large incumbent carrier rather than a pooled trust.

Regional players

• Montana Association of Counties (MACo): Membership association representing Montana counties, several of whose members participate in JPT. Operates as an adjacent/overlapping regional organization serving the same Montana county constituency, though focused on advocacy rather than benefit pooling.

Others

• EBMS (Employee Benefit Management Services): Montana-based third-party administrator serving as JPT's core operational partner for claims processing, network access, and the miBenefits portal. Not a competitor but a tightly coupled service provider whose fortunes are linked to JPT and similar trust pools.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/joint-powers-trust

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 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 Joint Powers Trust