[SchoolFinance] Fwd: IMPORTANT MESSAGE FROM MSMA: Private Maine PFML Plan Offering from the MSMA Group Insurance Trust (GIT) (OTHER DISTRICTS WHO SUBMITTED CENSUS)

Wed Apr 2 12:08:50 EDT 2025

Yes, we are.  I am bringing options to the Board on 4/14.

Stacie Field
Business Manager
RSU 16 - Poland, Mechanic Falls, Minot
207.998.2727 ext 102

On Wed, Apr 2, 2025 at 11:50 AM Ida Simmons <isimmons at winthropschools.org>
wrote:

> Is anyone considering this plan?
>
> ---------- Forwarded message ---------
> From: MSMA <MSMA at msmaweb.com>
> Date: Tue, Apr 1, 2025 at 4:00 PM
> Subject: IMPORTANT MESSAGE FROM MSMA: Private Maine PFML Plan Offering
> from the MSMA Group Insurance Trust (GIT) (OTHER DISTRICTS WHO SUBMITTED
> CENSUS)
> To:
>
>
> *Maine School Management Association*
>
> *49 Community Drive*
>
> *Augusta, ME  04330*
>
> *800-660-8484*
>
>
>
>
>
> *TO:                        Superintendents of Schools and Business
> Managers*
>
>
>
> *FROM:                 Steven Bailey, Executive Director*
>
>
>
> *DATE:                  April 1, 2025*
>
>
>
> *RE:                        IMPORTANT MESSAGE FROM MSMA:  Private Maine
> PFML Plan Offering from the MSMA Group Insurance Trust (GIT)   (OTHER
> DISTRICTS WHO SUBMITTED CENSUS)*
>
>
>
> *As the MSMA Group Insurance Trust (GIT) communicated in the fall of 2024,
> MSMA GIT launched a project to sponsor a private Paid Family and Medical
> Leave (PFML) plan to be made available to Maine public school districts.
> Unfortunately, the project was delayed for almost two months due to
> restrictions imposed on the insurance carriers by the Maine Bureau of
> Insurance.*
>
>
>
> *After undergoing a full RFP process including finalist interviews, the
> trustees for the MSMA GIT have selected the Guardian as the carrier to
> offer a private Maine PFML plan to Maine’s public school districts
> sponsored by MSMA GIT.   *
>
>
>
> *Due to the PFML regulations released by the Maine DOL, MSMA GIT is unable
> to be named the policyholder of a private Maine PFML plan but is able to
> secure competitive pricing based on a block purchase.   As a result, each
> school district would have their own private PFML policy with the Guardian
> but still receive all of the advantages of being affiliated with the MSMA
> GIT.*
>
>
>
> *The advantages of a private PFML plan through the MSMA GIT include:*
>
>    - *Rate below the State rate**
>    - *No requirement to have another line of insurance coverage with MSMA
>    GIT  *
>    - *Guardian national account team for all MSMA participating districts*
>    - *Access to resources at MSMA including the superb support of Wendy
>    Douglas, Client Services Manager at MSMA, to help with any issues that
>    arise.   Wendy will be supporting the new PFML plan as she does now for the
>    current GIT dental, life, and disability plans.*
>
>
>
> *This is in addition to the potential for savings of 13 months of
> contributions to the State plan**.   Here is a **link*
> <https://5il.co/3c8kc>* to a calculator to estimate the potential
> savings, assuming an exemption from contributions to the State is effective
> April 1, 2025.*
>
>
>
> *After receiving your census in November, MSMA was informed that school
> districts who share an FEIN with a municipality cannot separately choose to
> participate in a private PFML plan as all employees under the same FEIN
> must be covered under the same plan, either the State plan or a private
> PFML plan.   Since municipalities are not eligible to participate in MSMA’s
> GIT plans and we didn’t know if your district had a separate FEIN, your
> census was not included with the RFP sent in November to the insurance
> carriers.*
>
>
>
> *Assuming there is no Material and Substantial differences in the risk
> from other districts as represented by your district’s census, the Guardian
> is offering a rate of .88% or .98% for* *a private PFML plan through MSMA
> GIT for Maine’s public school districts.   *
>
>
>
> *If your district has a separate FEIN from your municipality and you would
> like to know if your district is eligible for the .88% or .98% rate**,
> please contact Wendy Douglas at **WDouglas at msmaweb.com*
> <WDouglas at msmaweb.com>*.   The rate will be guaranteed until April 1,
> 2028, assuming no Material and Substantial change in the risk, which is
> standard language in insurance proposals.*
>
>
>
> *Additional information:*
>
>    - *MSMA will be offering a webinar at 9 am on April 9, 2025** to
>    provide additional information about the plan, its implementation, and
>    answer participants’ questions.    A separate communication with webinar
>    details will be forthcoming.*
>    - *May 31, 2025 is the deadline for filing an application online with
>    the DOL for a private plan substitution in order to be exempted from paying
>    into the State program effective April 1, 2025.*
>    - *The Guardian has a very simple process for providing the
>    documentation needed to submit an application for a private plan
>    substitution with the DOL.*
>
>
>
> ** Please note, for districts with less than 15 employees under one FEIN,
> the Guardian rate will be higher than the State rate so the State plan will
> likely be a preferable option.*
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> Maine School Management Association
> 49 Community Drive
> Augusta, ME 04330
> Direct Line 207-622-3473
> Fax 207-626-2968
> www.msmaweb.com
>
> IMPORTANT/CONFIDENTIAL: This e-mail message (and any attachments
> accompanying it) may contain confidential information, including
> information protected by client privilege. The information is intended only
> for the use of the intended recipients(s). Delivery of this message to
> anyone other than the intended recipient(s) is not intended to waive any
> privilege or otherwise detract from the confidentiality of the message. If
> you are not the intended recipient, or if this message has been addressed
> to you in error, do not read, disclose, reproduce, distribute, disseminate
> or otherwise use this transmission, rather, please promptly notify the
> sender by reply e-mail, and then destroy all copies of the message and its
> attachments, if any.
>
>
> --
> Ida Simmons
> Finance Specialist
> Winthrop Public Schools
> 207-377-2296 x 2003
>
> *Please note my new work schedule effective September 6, 2024:*
> *Monday - Thursday Office Hours 6am - 2pm*
> *Friday - Remote 6am - 2pm*
> _______________________________________________
> SchoolFinance mailing list
> SchoolFinance at maillist.informe.org
> http://maillist.informe.org/mailman/listinfo/schoolfinance
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://maillist.informe.org/pipermail/schoolfinance/attachments/20250402/f25ec59f/attachment-0001.htm>