MABE has developed several programs that assist local school systems in providing beneficial services to their staff and the students they serve. The local school districts understand that by working together with MABE and expert service providers, they can efficiently and economically implement these programs and services.
For more information about any of these programs, contact Deputy Executive Director Steve James, sjames@mabe.org
OPEB Pooled Investment Trust
School districts offering employees post-retirement health and welfare benefits now need to account for the cost of those benefits, as required by the Government Accounting Standards Board Statement 45.
MABE surveyed school systems and found several interested in meeting this requirement by working together to create a Pooled OPEB Investment Trust. MABE staff, working with Trust Counsel and the prospective members, created the new program in May of 2008.
The member owned Trust provides participating school districts a structure to pool assets to reduce investment costs and to share administrative expenses. Harford County Chief Financial Officer John Markowski was elected Chairman and Washington County Director of Finance Chris South was named the Vice-Chairman. Since its inception, the Trust has grown to nine school member districts.
Flexible Spending Program
The program provides participating school districts the ability to offer a state of the art flexible spending benefit for their employees. Employees can set aside funds tax free to pay for uncovered medical and child care expenses.
MABE has partnered with HFS Benefits, a leading Flexible Spending Account Administrator of Hunt Valley, to provide the administration. Participants are able to easily pay for eligible expenses with the use of a benefits debit card. The program has grown, and there are currently 12 school districts that participate in this group purchase.
Group Term Life
MABE has partnered with ING to provide group life insurance benefits, including Basic Life Insurance, Supplemental Life Insurance and Accidental Death and Dismemberment for employees of the participating 11 school districts. Participating school systems determine the level of benefits offered to their empolyees in the group purchase program. ING has dedicated experienced staff that provides the service for the MABE account.
Student Accident Coverage
MABE has partnered with United Healthcare Student Resources to offer parents of students the ability to purchase student accident insurance. For very reasonable rates, parents have the option of purchasing different levels of coverage for medical expenses should their child be injured in an accident. Participating school districts arfe also able to secure a variety of other coverages for student activities including Interscholastic Sports, Field Trips, Before and After School Care and Work Based Learning programs. In all, 21 school districts partcipate in the student accident program.
Catastrophic Coverage
School districts can help students and their families with the means to cover the cost of medical treatment for catastrophic injuries occurring in interscholastic sports and other activities, if chosen, by purchasing catastrophic coverage. MABE has partnered with McCloskey Insurance to provide the 19 participating school systems with this coverage which pays for medical and other expenses incurred from most unfortunate catastrophic injuries. Premium contributions are paid by the school district on a per high school basis.
