About Us

The NYSUT Member Benefits Trust was created by NYSUT in 1983 as a separately-funded not-for-profit trust to utilize the unified buying power of its membership and offer quality insurance and benefit programs to its members.

The Trustees of the Member Benefits Trust established the NYSUT Member Benefits Corporation in 2008 as a for-profit corporation. This separate, taxable subsidiary protects the Trust’s tax-exempt status and offers the opportunity to expand the types of programs and services offered to the NYSUT membership.

In 2015, the Trustees of the Member Benefits Trust established the NYSUT Member Benefits Catastrophe Major Medical Insurance Trust – with the Catastrophe Major Medical Plan being its sole purpose.

These three entities are each overseen by a board of appointed trustees/directors who help to ensure our endorsed benefits meet the needs of NYSUT members. Member Benefits is under the leadership of NYSUT Secretary-Treasurer J. Philippe Abraham, Chairperson of the Member Benefits Trust, and managed by Peggy Jacobsen.

In addition to voluntary programs available for purchase or use by individual members, Member Benefits also endorses group programs available for purchase by local associations, their benefit funds, and employers.

Member Benefits has staff located at the NYSUT Headquarters building in Latham, NY as well as several of NYSUT’s Regional Offices throughout New York State. Each Regional Office has a Member Benefits representative either housed at the office or visiting the office on a regular basis for the purpose of providing service to local leaders and individual members.