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ELCA Synod Visits 2013

ELCA Synod Visits 2013. 2014 Open Enrollment Partners Leading the Way. How Far We’ve Come. Today’s ELCA Health Plan. Creating Healthy Leaders: Today & Tomorrow. Church Council. Plan Members. Synod Offices. Admin Team. From the beginning of the ELCA.

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ELCA Synod Visits 2013

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  1. ELCA Synod Visits 2013 2014 Open Enrollment Partners Leading the Way

  2. How Far We’ve Come

  3. Today’s ELCA Health Plan

  4. Creating Healthy Leaders: Today & Tomorrow Church Council Plan Members Synod Offices Admin Team

  5. From the beginning of the ELCA • When our denomination was being created: • We knew pastors would not be highly compensated; • We wanted them protected from financial disaster medically, in case of disability, accidental death, and • In retirement

  6. ELCA Philosophy of Benefits:Statement of Purpose • The “Statement of Purpose” affirms the role of benefits in ministry. • In order to participate in God’s mission, the ELCA believes in supporting our rostered leaders and lay employees for service in ministry. • We believe that by living well, we’re better able to enhance the lives of others. In other words, healthy leaders enhance lives.

  7. Benefit Framework: • ELCA employers provide health, retirement, disability, survivor, and other benefits to enhance their employees’ well-being and protect against significant financial loss • Rostered leaders and lay employees use benefits wisely to improve their health and well-being • Portico is responsible for providing benefits for this church

  8. The 10 Guiding Principles 1. “Benefits are an investment in God’s ministry as carried out through the lives of rostered leaders and lay employees.” This reflects a belief that healthy leaders enhance lives, and a commitment to the dignity of those who serve by offering sufficient compensation. 2. “Benefits should support and enhance the unique needs of this church.” This speaks to the need for benefits to facilitate the call process, by enabling clergy mobility and providing consistency across the nation.

  9. 3. “Benefits should include retirement, health, disability, death*, and other benefits, and be available to rostered leaders and lay employees.” This does not necessarily require that Portico provide everyone’s benefits, but it does call for some uniformity throughout this church to help those who serve guard against significant financial loss. 4. “Benefits should include coverage for the immediate family members of rostered leaders and lay employees.” It’s challenging for leaders to live well, and enhance the lives of others, when feeling anxiety about the health of their own family.

  10. Benefit Design Principles 5. “Retirement, health, disability, death*, and other benefit plans should be bundled.” Bundling helps to protect leaders from a variety of risks, it enhances mobility and consistency throughout this church, and it helps protect the financial viability of the benefit plans. In some cases, health benefits may be waived. 6. “Employers and plan members should share the cost of retirement, health, and other benefits.” This affirms that employers pay the majority of costs through monthly contributions, but plan members are also responsible for paying some costs through plan design and features.

  11. 7. “Plan design and features should provide flexibility and options that recognize both the needs of the employer and plan members.” The ELCA Philosophy has always sought to balance adequate coverage for plan members with affordability for employers. This principle specifically cautions employers against shifting benefit costs to employees in order to achieve savings. 8. “Pricing for health, disability, death*, and other benefits should reflect both the community nature of the plans as well as risk variation among plan members.” Prices should be set based on benefit costs and expenses. Pooling resources enables all employers to benefit from advantages of a large group (like year-over-year pricing stability). But at the same time, actual benefit price can vary by member according to characteristics like age, family size, and geographic location.

  12. Administrative Principles 9. “Benefits should be communicated to employers and plan members in an understandable and timely manner.” Important for making informed decisions, adapting to changes, and using benefits wisely. 10. “Benefit plans should be administered efficiently in order to achieve savings where possible.” Using professional skills such as those offered by Portico, and engaging in purchasing coalitions with denominational partnerships (as Portico currently does) are two key ways we can help make the most of church benefit resources.

  13. 2014 Health Contribution Rates • Goal: Hold increases below national average of 7% • 2013: Using 92.5¢ of every contribution dollar to pay member health claims • Rates for all 4 options reflect: • 5.2% anticipated rise in 2014 medical costs • 1.3% increase due to new health care reform fees • On average, sponsoring employer with Gold+ will see 6.5% increase on average (not factoring in age)

  14. All 2014 Contribution Rates For Average Sponsoring Employer: • ELCA-Primary Health: With Gold+, 6.5% increase (without age factor) • Disability: Rate suspended one year • Retirement: No change • Survivor: No change • Retiree support: No change

  15. Details: 2014 ELCA-Primary health benefit options

  16. Four Options: Same Great Benefits • Medical & Mental Health • Prescription Drugs • Dental • Employee Assistance Program (EAP) • ELCA NurseLineSM • Fitness Center Discount • Wellness Dollars • Mayo Clinic EmbodyHealth • Hearing Discount • Health Care Advocacy Team

  17. Personal Wellness Dollars • Plan members have until: • September 30 to complete the health assessment • November 30 to earn the additional $350 for your personal wellness account

  18. New: Four Health Benefit Options

  19. Age Rating & 2014 Rates

  20. New: Age Rating Today Employer contributions based on: • Geographic region • Member’s salary In 2014 Employer contributions based on: • Geographic region • Member’s salary • NEW: Member’s age

  21. The Age Rating Factor

  22. Preserves Plan for Future Leaders • Age rating helps retain diverse population • 2:1 ratio of oldest age rate to youngest age rate: • Increases competitive position at young ages • Continues community nature of the plan • Moderates impact on congregations with older members

  23. Change Preserves Value of Church Plan For Organizations • Efficient, cost-effective benefits leave more money for ministry • One set of benefits simplifies call process For Plan Members • Wellness-focused benefits help members live well • Carry benefits in ministry ― for life

  24. Impact on Sponsors Offering Gold+

  25. Time to Discern: New 2014 Choices • ELCA-Primary options: Platinum+, Gold+, Silver+, Bronze+ • ELCA Church Council recommends Gold+ • Sponsoring employers and members discuss options • 2014 online Open Enrollment • Employers select (Sept. 16 – Oct. 14) • plan members choose employer option, buy up, or waive (Nov. 1 – 22)

  26. Announcements • Video: Healthy Today, Healthy Tomorrow • News Article • Email alerts to plan members and sponsoring organizations

  27. Enrollment Guide • For both sponsoring organizations and plan members • Delivered by mail • Single guide invites conversation

  28. Online Tools Separate decision-making tools for: • sponsoring organizations • plan members

  29. Sponsors: Print Gold+ Report & Discuss

  30. Sponsors: All Options Report

  31. Sponsors: Contributing to HSAs

  32. Congregational Leaders/Decision Makers Sunday, September 15th Sunday, September 22nd 2:30 PM – First Lutheran Fargo 6:30 PM – United Lutheran Grand Forks Open Enrollment Decisions need to be made by October 14th. • 2 PM - St. John Lutheran Jamestown • 7 PM – St. Olaf LutheranDevils Lake • Terri Endres from Portico will be at these September 15th meetings

  33. SB 1164 • Church Plans are exempt from qualifying for HC credits by the ACA. • People who are currently on a church plan cannot apply/qualify for the healthcare tax credit. • If SB 1164 passes, church employees will be able to qualify and apply for the credit.

  34. IMPORTANT: All congregations need to go onto employer link and choose a health plan option even if their sponsored employees have waived their health coverage or are on Medicare Primary.

  35. Portico Resources • www.porticobenefits.org • Employer Link has calculators for sponsors • Employee Link has calculators for RL’s

  36. Questions Employers and Members: Contact the Portico Service Center at 800.352.2876 or mail@porticobenefits.org

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