The advantages of the Trust are:  

• The NCMCA plan is fully insured.  It is not self-funded, and it is not a MEWA.  This plan is approved by the North Carolina Department of Insurance.  The billed monthly premium is all that you will ever be asked to pay. 
• Each group will be medically underwritten by Trustmark Affinity Markets.  Harrington Health will serve as plan administrator for each NCMCA group.
• MedCost of North Carolina / South Carolina is the preferred provider network of physicians and hospitals.
• The Trust is owned by the NCMCA.  The Trust surplus is held by the Insurance Carrier to earn interest.  The Trust Account offsets administrative costs, reducing possible increases, and also permits reduction of future high-dollar claims which may occur.
• NCMCA members will receive volume purchase discounts that are not normally available to them on a stand-alone basis.  Your company will be a part of a large pool of other NCMCA members, thus driving down the administrative costs.
• Unused claims dollars are returned to the Trust’s reserve fund - not the insurance company's profit margin. This reserve can be used, within legal requirements, to reduce future insurance premium increases or otherwise be distributed to participating members in a manner deemed appropriate by the Trustees.  The funding mechanism in place with the Association allows for surplus gains to remain in the Association Trust account instead of being held by the insurance company which is the standard practice today.
• As the Trust grows, risk charges are reduced allowing for lower premiums.
• The appointed Trustees help the association members by representing the members’ best interests regarding the medical insurance coverage.