Florida Educator Health Trust: Cost Reduction for School Districts

The Florida Educator Health Trust (FLEHT) has demonstrated significant growth and success nearly a year after its establishment. Created to help Florida School Districts reduce employee health plan costs without sacrificing benefits, FLEHT initially started with participation from Hardee, Hendry, and DeSoto counties, covering 1,671 public school employees.

By December, this nonprofit health insurance initiative expanded to include Brevard, Charlotte, Okeechobee, Highlands, and Polk counties, thereby increasing its coverage to almost 22,000 school employees. In mid-January, 15 School Boards approved entry into the program, with several districts expected to start enrollment throughout 2026.

As of now, 19 School Districts have joined FLEHT, serving over 56,000 school employees. Lafayette County is expected to finalize its agreement imminently, with Gulf County considering joining next month. Ted Roush, Executive Director of FLEHT, mentioned, "We are delivering real, verified dollars back to school systems that desperately need relief from rising health care costs, and we are doing it without cutting a single benefit for the educators."

Previously operating as the FSHIP program under the Florida School Board Insurance Trust since 2009, the initiative transitioned to its current form under the Florida Association of District School Superintendents last year to enhance service to educators. Under the leadership of an executive committee comprising superintendents from member districts, FLEHT features voting trustees from each member.

In the first quarter of 2026, FLEHT collectively saved over $7.8 million across its member districts. Notably, Polk County Schools are projected to save $4.2 million annually on prescription drugs, and Brevard Schools could save $1.1 million, plus $1.03 million on stop-loss premiums. Charlotte County Schools, an early participant, has saved more than $22 million over seven years by maintaining some of the state's lowest per-employee plan costs.

School Boards interested in joining FLEHT must adopt a participation agreement, ensuring they are self-insured or transitioning to a self-insured model. Upon joining, each district's superintendent becomes a trustee of the program. Through pooled resources and shared risk management, FLEHT estimates initial savings of 7%-12%, potentially reaching up to 13% in the long term.

Roush explains, "By harnessing the power of the group district membership, FLEHT is able to perform for the whole what is not possible individually in the insurance marketplace." The program’s actuarial analysis forecasts savings of $31.5 million to $70.5 million over five years through pooled stop-loss programs, with potential cumulative savings of $252 million for school districts over the same period.