Health Insurance
The church provides benefits for clergy and lay employees to provide for the livelihood of those making a commitment to the spiritual care of those in their charge and help them to be well to serve. There is mutual benefit to the person and to the church.
Eligability:
To be eligible, active clergy and lay employees must be scheduled to work at least half-time (1,000 hours annually). The level of coverage is required to be at an employee’s given life situation – single, employee+1 (spouse or child), or family (employee plus two or more dependents). The Episcopal Church Medical Trust, part of the benefits provider Church Pension Group, serves only The Episcopal Church and affiliates and provides these qualified group benefit plans.
Health Insurance Medical and Dental Options:
Medical Coverage Options:
Dental Coverage
Declining Coverage:
An eligible employee may decline coverage, however an employer may not offer benefits (i.e. additional pay, enhancement of other benefits) to influence the employee to decline. In addition, an employer may not make payment to or on behalf of an employee for medical expenses after coverage is declined – with one exception. If the employee participates in another qualified group health plan (like through a spouse), the employer is allowed to pay qualified medical expenses not paid by that plan, including premium contributions. This is done through Health Reimbursement Arrangement which is like a travel reimbursement where an employer pays a vendor directly or makes reimbursement when documentation is provided. HRA payments are NOT a taxable event. An annual HRA limit must be set by the employer, usually as part of a church’s annual budget.
If an eligible employee declines coverage, the employer will enroll them in a stand-alone Employee Assistance Program. The EAP provides access to resources for help with behavioral issues, medical service discounts, referrals and additional services. It allows a congregation to access community level resources, including crisis response teams, at minimal cost
Questions?
Contact Diocesan Admin, Michael Finney at mike@diowis.org