New Health Care Plan Available to Congregations For the first time in eight years, a health care plan will be available to staff members of Unitarian Universalist congregations if enough enroll by October 15.The plan is for persons who work at least 1,000 hours per year for congregations or who are self-employed community ministers. Coverage will be offered in four options: for individual employees, two adults, one adult with children, or an entire family. Domestic partner relationships are included. At least 500 eligible people must enroll by October 15 for the plan to take effect January 1, 2007. An additional 200 enrollees are hoped for by December 1. The Unitarian Universalist Association's Compensation, Benefits, and Pension Committee developed the plan. The Rev. Ralph Mero, the UUA's church staff finances director, says almost 400 church staff have been identified who have no health insurance. He says small to midsize congregations have the most difficulty finding insurance because they have few employees, so ministers and staff of those congregations often have had to enroll in individual plans that charge high premiums. Larger congregations, which have more staff, are often able to arrange coverage through group plans. Mero says the UUA plan will likely save many congregations money in comparison to their current plans. He says congregations will be urged to pay at least 80 percent of the premium for their eligible employees and half of the cost for dependents. Some congregations, he says, may opt to pay half of the premium for the entire family. The amounts can be prorated for part-time personnel. The plan is set up so that individual rates are based on age and ZIP code, but both men and women will be charged the same. The proposed rates are competitive with other health plans that have $500 deductibles, as this plan does. A plan with a high deductible will also be offered as an alternative for those seeking protection primarily against the cost of catastrophic illnesses. The UUA has not had a national health insurance program for congregations since 1998 when Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Massachusetts cancelled coverage for congregations and no other insurer could be found. Mero says federal legislation passed in 2002 lets denominations create self-insured plans, and most denominational plans now take this approach. He emphasizes that the UUA assumes the entire risk of gain or loss. The plan will be operated by a separate UUA health insurance trust to be formed if the enrollment campaign is successful. Jessica Milstead, treasurer of Davies Memorial Church, in Camp Springs, Md., says the new plan appears to be significantly less expensive than their current insurance for its two covered staff members. "The premiums are hundreds of dollars less than our current plan," she says, "saving both staff and church thousands of dollars a year--and the plan itself is better." The Rev. Scott Prinster, associate minister at First Unitarian Society of Madison, Wisc., says potential savings isn't the only consideration: "One of the concerns that we're also keeping in mind is how significant it is that our large congregations help the plan reach 500 subscribers. We would be contributing 12 eligible staff to that pool, so we feel like we're also helping to make something available to congregations with fewer resources." Mero encourages congregations to provide insurance to staff, whether through the UUA plan or another plan. "Over the long term," he says, "a good health plan will help congregations attract and retain high quality employees and also fulfill their social justice responsibilities as fair employers." Resources Summer 2006 Index · Money Resources · Contact the Editor |
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