Welcome to the Memberly Café, where we serve up fresh-made health plans every day—hot, compliant, and customized.

Today’s special? A side-by-side taste test between two popular menu items:

🍔 Big MEC—the fully insured classic.

🍔 MEC Lean—the self-funded, build-your-own burger.

Both meet the ACA’s Minimum Essential Coverage (MEC) requirement—but they deliver very different experiences for your company’s wallet. So grab your napkin and let’s dig in.

🍔 Big MEC — The Full-Sized, Fully Insured Classic

Big MEC is the original diner-style MEC meal—big, bold, and a little greasy on the budget. Here’s what’s on the plate:

• Premium-Loaded: You pay the full monthly bill whether anyone uses the plan or not. Think of it as the ‘all-you-can-eat’ buffet—even if your team barely touches the salad bar.
• Pricey Combo Meals: Each coverage level (Employee Only, EE + Spouse, EE + Child, Family) costs more, stacking up quickly.
• No Refunds, No Transparency: You never see where the money goes—and when claims are low, the carrier keeps all the extra fries (profits).
• Minimum Order Required: Many brokers and carriers won’t serve you unless you have 25 employees enrolled. If you’ve got fewer, you might be asked to ‘buy extra portions’ just to qualify.

Big MEC is dependable and familiar—but it’s also the deluxe combo with a super-sized price tag.

🍔 MEC Lean — The Self-Funded, Build-Your-Own Burger

Forget the salad—MEC Lean is a burger. 🍔 Juicy, customizable, and built to order—with just the right toppings for your business.

This is the self-funded version of MEC, designed for employers of all sizes who want to take control of their healthcare budget without sacrificing quality or compliance.

• Pay Only for What’s Used: MEC claims are small, covering ACA-mandated preventive services like screenings, vaccinations, and wellness visits at no cost ($0 copay), with low copays for other services—$10 for generic medications, $30 for up to three primary care or specialist visits per year, and $30 for up to two lab or imaging services. Since there are no hospital claims, costs stay predictable—and you only pay for the care your team actually uses.
• Discounted Ingredients: MEC Lean uses a national PPO (Preferred Provider Organization) network, like the PHCS Physician-Only Network, for discounted rates, managed by a Third-Party Administrator (TPA) to keep claims processing smooth and compliant.
• Flat Admin Fee: No ‘combo meal’ markups. MEC Lean has a single flat admin and network fee—$50 per employee per month (PEPM)—across all tiers (individual, EE + spouse, EE + child, family). Claims costs vary, typically $0–$100/month for individuals and $0–$50/month for dependents, offering potential savings of thousands annually for larger groups.
• Built for Scale: MEC Lean isn’t just for small groups. The larger your group, the more you save, because claim risk spreads out across more employees—lowering per-member costs even further.
• Custom Add-Ons: Start with the basic burger—preventive MEC—then layer on toppings like Minor Medical, Telehealth, or a Pharmacy Benefit to build your perfect plan. Add what you want, skip what you don’t.
• Lean on Cost, Heavy on Value: MEC Lean keeps things simple and transparent. You get the coverage your employees need—without the fat that drives up premiums. Note that MEC Lean does not cover hospitalization, keeping costs focused on essential care.

Bottom line: MEC Lean is all about efficiency. It’s built to grow with your company, stay lean on a budget, and serve up serious savings.

⚖️ Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature	Big MEC (Fully Insured)	MEC Lean (Self-Funded)
Monthly Premiums	Fixed—pay even when claims are low	Variableelsk based on actual claims usage
Admin Fee	Built into premium, carrier keeps margin	Flat $50 PEPM (all tiers)
Participation Rules	Usually 25+ enrollees required	Flexible—starts with 5 or more
Transparency	None—carrier controls pricing	Full visibility into costs and claims
Refunds or Surplus	None—carrier keeps profits	Employer retains savings
Customization	Limited—set benefit design	Highly customizable (add Minor Med, Rx, etc.)
Scalability	Fixed cost per enrollee	Savings increase with group size

For a detailed breakdown of MEC plan features, visit https://memberlybenefits.com/mec-plans/.

💡 Which One’s Right for You?

It depends on your appetite:

• Choose Big MEC if you want a predictable but higher fixed cost and don’t mind paying for extra padding.
• Choose MEC Lean if you prefer transparency, control, and scalable savings that grow with your group size.

Both Big MEC and MEC Lean help Applicable Large Employers (ALEs) avoid ACA Penalty A by offering minimum essential coverage to at least 95% of full-time employees. Pairing either with a Minimum Value Plan (MVP) can also prevent Penalty B by ensuring affordability and coverage of at least 60% of medical expenses. MEC Lean’s flexibility makes it ideal for tailoring to your ACA compliance needs. Learn more at https://memberlybenefits.com/mec-plans/.

🧾 Final Check: The Memberly Menu

• Big MEC: The classic combo—heavy on cost, light on flexibility.
• MEC Lean: The fresh burger—lean on price, rich in options, and built to satisfy any group size.

Ready to order the perfect health plan? Visit https://memberlybenefits.com/mec-plans/ to explore how Memberly can cook up a MEC plan that keeps your team healthy and your budget happy.