Built for Transparency
From its origins in 2009, the Missouri Educators Unified Health Plan was created and has continually evolved to provide school districts with the ultimate in transparency and control over the cost of employee health care benefits.
The not-for-profit health plan is owned by the participating districts and governed by a nine-member board consisting of one superintendent from each MEUHP regions throughout the state. FTJ, a family-owned, Missouri-based insurance broker with more than 70 years of experience serving Missouri schools, is the program manager for MEUHP.
Every district receives detailed reporting about their employees' utilization and claims experience as well as the plan's experience as a whole. This data is used to guide and justify the rates that are set for each plan year.
MEUHP utilizes the Aetna national provider network, one of the three largest networks in the U.S. with more than 800,000 participating physicians and 6,300 hospitals, including regional leaders such as BJC Health System, Mercy Hospitals, and the University of Kansas Medical Center. MEUHP is also the only school district consortium to have integrated the Health Cooperative of Missouri (HCM) as a benefit enhancement for members.
In addition to Aetna, MEUHP utilizes five other best-in-class partners to provide specialized services and benefits to MEUHP insureds:
- Lucent Health – insurance administrator, claims processing and payment, and member customer service
- RxEDO – pharmacy benefits manager
- Teledoc Health – telemedicine provider
- Marquee Health – wellness program and incentives
- Pinnacle Financial – health savings account administrator
- Resources for Living, an Aetna subsidiary – employee assistance program
Unbundling services in this manner provides greater transparency and control over the cost of the services and greater flexibility in tailoring these benefits to the needs of Missouri school districts.
Open enrollment MEUHP plans occurs in the spring for the following plan year, which begins July 1. MEUHP offers and online enrollment platform that employees can use to select their health plan as well as any voluntary coverages offered through MEUHP, such as Dental or Vision insurance. On-site, in-person assistance with employee enrollment provided by FTJ team members is available upon request.
Plan Options
MEUHP offers seven plan configurations that districts can offer to their employees. Per member premiums for each configuration are established in nine pricing steps, with steps assigned to a district based on its utilization and claims experience. Employee contributions toward the premium, if any, are the prerogative of each district.
Configurations include:
Three "HSA Plans" – high-deductible health plans teamed with health savings accounts for each employee to help cover out-of-pocket expenses with pre-tax savings. All HSA Plans feature:
- A wellness program with rewards and incentives for healthy lifestyle choices, and the cost of wellness visits are covered at 100%.
- A prescription drug plan that provides selected preventative medications at no charge
- Telemedicine provider for 24/7/365 access to health providers
- An Employee Assistance Program
Deductibles for the HSA Plans range from $3,500 to $7,000 per covered individual, per plan year. After the deductible has been met, the plans pay 80% of subsequent costs, the out-of-pocket maximum, which ranges from $5,500 to $8,000 per individual.
Four "PPO Plans" with more conventional deductible and co-pay models. Deductibles range from $1,000 to $5,000 per year per individual. There is a flat $30 charge for visiting a primary care physician, and $50 to see a specialist. Employees are responsible for either a 20% or 30% co-pay on other health care charges once their deductible is met.
Out-of-pocket maximums range from $4,500 to $8,550 per individual per year. Other PPO plan features include:
- A wellness program with rewards and incentives for healthy lifestyle choices, and the cost of wellness visits are covered at 100%.
- A prescription drug plan with co-pays starting a $10 per prescription and increasing to a maximum of $200, based on the cost of the medicine.
- Telemedicine provider for 24/7/365 access to health providers
- An Employee Assistance Program
For additional detail on the plan configurations, see the 2025-26 MEUHP Statewide Benefit Plans & Steps.
Other MEUHP Information
How to Join
MEUHP welcomes inquiries from districts that may want to join the health plan and take greater control of their health care expenditures.
Please use the contact link below to email Drew Beaugard, FTJ's director of employee benefits, or call him directly at the phone number provided.
Preparing a quote for acceptance into MEUHP require an employee census using the requirements and census form linked below. FTJ team members can also assist in populating the employee census form from data stored in your district's payroll platform.
Is MEUHP right for your district?
When you're ready to learn more about how MEUHP can help your district control health care costs and improve the health of your employees, we'd love to talk with you.