Health care trust for Florida schools grows to 20 District participants, with more on the way

The Florida Educator Health Trust (FLEHT) is nearly a year old, and already it has demonstrated significant progress.

Established to help Florida School Districts save on employee health plans without having to pass along benefit reductions, the program opened last year with just three counties on board: Hardee, Hendry and DeSoto, representing 1,671 public school employees.

By the end of December, the nonprofit health insurance program had eight counties enrolled, with the addition of Brevard, Charlotte, Okeechobee, Highlands and Polk counties. That brought its total public school employee representation to nearly 22,000 people.

As of mid-January, 15 School Boards had voted to join the program, with enrollment for several starting at various points throughout 2026.

As of today, 19 School Districts have joined the program, bringing the total number of school employees served to more than 56,000. Lafayette County will finalize an agreement with FLEHT this week, while Gulf County is expected to vote on inclusion next month.

“The savings our districts are realizing are not theoretical,” FLEHT Executive Director Ted Roush said. “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 who dedicate their careers to Florida’s children.”

Formerly known as the FSHIP program, it was established in 2009 by the Florida School Board Insurance Trust. The program transitioned to FLEHT under the Florida Association of District School Superintendents last year. The change was meant to align the needs of Florida educators.

The FLEHT under its new structure is overseen by an executive committee composed of Superintendents, with all member Districts represented with voting trustees.

Among all of its member Districts, FLEHT has saved more than $7.8 million combined in the first quarter of 2026 alone. Polk County Schools is on track to reach $4.2 million in projected annual prescription drug savings, while Brevard Schools could save another $1.1 million, plus another $1.03 million in stop-loss premium savings.

Charlotte County Schools has been a participant since before the name change to FLEHT, cumulatively saving more than $22 million over the past seven years. Its per-employee plan costs are among the lowest among all School Districts in the state.

The program is responding to rising health care premiums across the U.S. While cost of living is already creating a challenge, at an estimated 17% increase, health care premiums have increased by 45%, according to the National Council on Teacher Quality.

The FLEHT realizes savings for School Districts by bringing Districts together to deliver efficient health programs for employees.

In order to participate in FLEHT, School Boards must first adopt a participation agreement. The District must already be or become self-insured. From there, the District establishes a transition plan into FLEHT and then formally enters the program. Once a District is a member, its Superintendent becomes a member/trustee of the program.

The program estimates savings of 7%-12% when fully transitioning from a fully-insured health insurance plan to a self-insured FLEHT participant. Within one to three years, the program claims members will enjoy savings of up to 13%.

“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,” Roush previously told Florida Politics.

FLEHT’s actuarial analysis projects total savings of at least $31.5 million and as much as $70.5 million over the next five years over pooled stop-loss programs. Broader program savings could cumulatively save School Districts $252 million over the next five years.