Escalating medical insurance premiums face a number of Protestant denominations, as reflected in an informal survey of 18 major groups where premium increases are averaging 14 to 16 percent, according to Elliott Johnson, ECC director of finance. The Covenant, by contrast, will increase premiums by only five percent for 2005 – the third consecutive year of lower-than-average premium increases (8 percent in 2003 and 5 percent for 2004). One large denomination is facing a 22 percent increase, which would have been 29 percent had the group not reduced benefits significantly.
More than 3,000 individuals are covered by the Covenant plan, with a number of churches and other Covenant ministries calling and writing with requests to join the Bethany Benefit plan, Johnson noted. “Some of them are facing 20 to 30 percent increases in premiums,” Johnson said. “One of the benefits of an open enrollment period is the ability of an insured group to move into the Bethany plan without any pre-existing conditions.”
The Covenant is covered by Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield PPO, the second year of that affiliation, which Johnson says has gone extremely well. “Our experience with this group has been fantastic,” Johnson noted, pointing out that the benefit from this relationship extends beyond attractive premium rates or good customer service. Previously, there were seven different PPO plans representing Covenanters in North America, which meant that there were geographic areas where no PPO coverage was available to some Covenanters. Complicating matters was the challenge in seeking care outside of the home PPO group – “out of network” as the industry calls it – so that one could not as easily secure the benefits desired. Under the current plan, all Covenanters have access to PPO coverage, with the exception of a handful of pockets in Alaska.
Changes in dental and prescription drug coverages are added pluses under the Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield plan in the Covenant, notes Mary Miller, director of pensions and vice president for administration. The Covenant has switched from CoreSource to Delta Dental to manage the dental portion of the plan, Delta being the largest provider of dental coverage in the country. Those covered will not be required to change dentists, Miller stresses. The prescription drug plan reflects a significant improvement in the co-pay feature for generic drugs – the co-pay has been reduced by 40 percent, from $10 to $6, for generic drugs. The co-pay for brand drugs remains unchanged at $30. The annual deductibles ($25 single, $50 family) also have been eliminated. “We believe these changes will be helpful to both those covered by the plan and the plan itself,” Miller states in a letter to enrollees.
A recent letter of application from one Covenant ministry organization perhaps sums it up best: “Due to current rates and anticipated rate increases,” the letter concludes, “we have a desire to move to better managed health service with the stable rates that Bethany Benefit appears to offer.”
Applications for coverage should be received no later than December 15 for coverage that is effective beginning January 1, 2005. Application forms may be obtained from conference offices as well as the office of Bethany Benefit Services in care of the ECC at 5101 N. Francisco Avenue, Chicago, IL, 60625. To request a form by telephone, call 800-313-8955. A PDF copy of the four-page form suitable for downloading and printing is available by clicking Bethany Enrollment Form. Note that three sets of signatures are required on the form representing the local church, the appropriate conference office and the individual and spouse as appropriate. To learn more about Bethany Benefit Service, visit Bethany.
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