We are committed and driven by a deep-rooted belief that every educator, staff member, and their families deserve a health and wellness plan that honors their dedication and enriches their lives. Our approach is personal and bold, delivering meaningful cost savings, enduring stability, and innovations to every aspect of your benefits.
When you join our alliance, you embrace a promise — access to a comprehensive suite of benefits, competitive rates, and a statewide, self-insured healthcare model built for longevity. You and your colleagues will become beneficiaries of a trust that treats every school employee and their loved ones like family, ensuring that health care isn’t just a service but a sanctuary of well-being.
This is the Bridged Health Alliance difference. It is on the horizon, ready to transform the heart of Montana’s education community.
We very are confident that Bridged Health Alliance will validate the new trust by enrolling more than 150 districts covering more than 12,000 employees. To date, the leadership and union representation of all the school districts with whom we have briefed are excited about this opportunity. The timing is excellent, when school health insurance costs are handcuffing schools and their employees. Our size, scale, and innovative strategies are just what Montana public schools need right now.
Yes. In the original bill, the $40 million was not accessible until July 1, 2026. The sponsors and supporters of the bill recognized that HB332 did not contemplate any start-up funding. So, with the help of Rep. David Bedey and the insurance commissioner’s office, we amended HB332 to state that the $40 million is accessible immediately “upon validation of the new trust by the state auditor.”
In discussing the new trust at length with schools of all sizes, it became apparent that smaller schools need different health insurance solutions than larger schools, and vice versa. This is why we created an innovative two-tier model, which has never been done before in Montana and why it will benefit schools of all sizes.
Districts of any size can join the Prairie Tier (Tier One), but it is primarily for schools with less than 100 employees. The Prairie Tier provides a predictable and stable monthly premium which becomes the maximum financial liability for the district in that plan year. If a Prairie Tier district has less claims than anticipated, it can recoup a portion of the claims overpayment during the next three years. The Prairie Tier is ideal for school districts that want to mitigate financial surprises while still being able to take advantage of good years.
To participate in the Skyline Tier (Tier Two), schools must have more than 100 employees. The Skyline Tier operates much like a current self-funded formula: school districts are responsible for paying Bridged an administrative fee for third-party administration, pharmacy benefit management, and stop-loss coverage. Skyline Tier schools maintain responsibility to pay their own claims. The Skyline Tier is ideal for schools who are currently self-funded, want to take advantage of scalable pricing, and want to continue managing their benefit designs.
Bridged will utilize all available information from each school district to determine individual district rates upon entry. It is imperative that Bridged be as precise as possible in its first-year rates. For AA and some A districts, Bridged will use existing claims data to help determine rates. For smaller school districts, Bridged will look at existing benefit and cost-sharing levels, district health surveys, and other available information. If the release of claims data requires approval by a district’s health insurance committee, we strongly recommend that approval be given prior to summer break to maximize our efficiency to market.
For the first two renewal years, all groups will receive the same renewal adjustment to their rates. Beginning on the third renewal (year four of trust participation), the trust, in conjunction with our actuary, will determine the districts that have much lower- and higher-than-expected claims costs. These schools will have their rates adjusted up or down by one to two tables in addition to any renewal adjustment to maintain the integrity of the pool and keep the rates appropriate for all schools. We anticipate making these adjustments every three years going forward as necessary. Given the relatively small adjustment based on performance every three years, this introduces significantly less volatility than what schools currently experience.
Bridged is very broker-friendly. We recognize the value the broker community at large, and individual agents, provide to school districts and we welcome the chance to work alongside brokers to best serve participating school districts. For schools that choose to work with and pay for a broker, Bridged will itemize that amount on your monthly invoice. To simplify the payment process for schools, you will pay one monthly amount with your broker fee included and Bridged will pay the broker.
It is up to each school whether they want to work with a broker. You do not need to have a broker to participate in Bridged. We are committed to providing a high level of customer satisfaction that is personalized for each member district.
We will ask for schools to commit to the new trust by November 1, 2025. This empowers Bridged to have enough time to be up and running by July 1, 2026.
Schools with renewal dates other than July 1, 2026, will be able to join Bridged upon their own renewal timeline. We will not ask or force schools to terminate contracts early or find a short-term option. So, while the new trust will begin coverage July 1, 2026, if your renewal date is October 1, 2026, that is when you would join.
Bridged performed a benchmark survey last fall to analyze the existing benefit structures at public schools across the state. We will mirror and improve upon benefit designs in a way that reduces cost, incentivizes wellness, and partners with providers across the state.
Broad provider access is one of our top priorities in the RFP process for a third-party administrator. Seeing in-network physicians and specialists helps keep costs down for members and the trust. It is our goal to provide a robust in-state and out-of-state provider network at the best price possible. We are confident that given our size and scale, Bridged will deliver significant savings within the network.
That is an outstanding question. First, the historic $40 million investment from the state is an immediate injection of reserves that will help stabilize premiums. Second, our innovative two-tier participation structure utilizes sensible stop-loss pooling points to protect schools and the trust from high-cost claims. Third, we plan to conservatively grow our reserves to a healthy point, at which time every dollar in excess comes right back to the trust members in the form of cost stabilization.
Bridged is drastically different than MUST, from the ground up. First, Bridged will maximize the return on the $40 million seed reserves. Second, Bridged will not drive funds away from its health insurance pool to member organizations. Third, our innovative two-tier structure caters to schools of all sizes – Class C all the way to Class AA – in a beneficial way unlike any other trust in Montana. Finally, our renewal methodology will be based on consistency and fairness to stabilize rates over the long term for all our members.
Yes. Special education cooperatives formed pursuant to 20-7-451 through 20-7-457 can join Bridged Health Alliance.
Yes. Bridged will have health plan options for retirees. We will also have sensible plan options for part-time employees down to 20 hours per week that will help school districts recruit and retain these valuable employees. Additionally, we plan to offer coverage options for early retirees as well. It will be up to each school district to decide whether to offer these levels of coverage.
Each school district will have to make the decision that is right for them. Bridged will leverage size and scale to offer unbeatable pricing, enhanced customer service, and the year-over-year stability that will ease the budgeting burden for Montana school systems of all sizes. We are confident that, come August 2026 when we begin issuing cost proposals, our full value will be apparent and schools will be running to the start line to join.
Contact John Doran, chief strategy officer, at [email protected], or go to www.bridgedmt.org.