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Health Care Benefits & Policy

Educators deserve access to quality, affordable, and comprehensive health care coverage. NEA is here to help.
Doctor holds up stethoscope to child in striped shirt.
Every educator should have access to the health care they need to keep them and their families healthy.

Educators have, continually, been asked to sacrifice wage increases to maintain affordable and comprehensive health coverage for themselves and their dependents.

In the meantime, wages for education employees have not kept pace with the increase in both health care costs and the overall rates of inflation.

NEA works closely with state and local NEA affiliates to secure quality, affordable, and comprehensive health care coverage for NEA members and their families. 

Understanding your health benefit plan choices. 

Making sense of your health care coverage is important, whether you’re reviewing the plan you are currently enrolled in, working with your employer to restructure a plan, or looking for a new plan. A good way to start is by breaking the issue into three main parts: the financial features that establish your financial exposure, the networks and other structural components that frame how you access care, and the use of tax-advantaged accounts to help you cover your out-of-pocket health care costs and those of your covered dependents. 

NEA has prepared materials to help you make sense of your various health plan choices and to assist you in making the most informed decisions when selecting or changing plans.

Health Care Glossary

Health Care Selection Guide

NEA is here to help. 

It takes health benefit expertise, and advanced planning to compare different health plan design options, and various cost sharing requirements such as premiums, copayment, coinsurance, and deductible amounts. Also, it takes an experienced health care team to review and analyze the applicable health care laws, regulations, and policies that may affect plans and when and how you and your covered dependents receive benefits. That’s why we’re here to: 

  • Provide tactical and strategic advice on health benefits and policy issues;
  • Assist in the preparation, development of, or response to, bargaining proposals and initiatives in labor-management health benefits committee settings;
  • Help with interpreting, demystifying and ensuring plan compliance with complex health care laws and regulations;
  • Support affiliate-related health benefit trusts and plans. 

We provide health policy and benefits expertise to affiliates in both bargaining and non-bargaining state and local settings. NEA’s health benefit experts provide guidance and assistance on issues as wide ranging as employer sponsored health plans, retiree health coverage, Medicare, Medicaid, the Affordable Care Act, and much more. 

LET US KNOW HOW WE CAN HELP YOU WITH YOUR BARGAINING OR ADVOCACY INITIATIVE.

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National Education Association

Great public schools for every student

The National Education Association (NEA), the nation's largest professional employee organization, is committed to advancing the cause of public education. NEA's 3 million members work at every level of education—from pre-school to university graduate programs. NEA has affiliate organizations in every state and in more than 14,000 communities across the United States.