Retirees healthcare plan outside of current HealthFlex

Following more than an hour of debate and several unsuccessful amendments, the annual conference approved a revised plan to care in part for the health benefits of clergy retirees.

Before considering the retirees health benefits issue, Brent Williams, new director of Administrative Services now North Indiana treasurer, explained that the Pre-1982 Service Rate for 2010 is $608. Surviving Spouse amount is $456 – 75 percent of the service rate. These rates were approved.

The HealthFlex program for active clergy was approved for 2010.

In response to the feedback received from the ten Pre-Conference Briefings across Indiana and various correspondences from retired clergy and others, the two current conference treasurers, Brent Williams of North Indiana and Jennifer Gallagher of South Indiana, worked with a benefits consultant seeking other options to bring to the conference session.

Williams recommended on behalf of the Benefits Committee that the 2010 Indiana Conference Retirees Health Insurance, which was approved on Friday afternoon, June 26.

The conference approved this action regarding retiree health care insurance supplement.

1. That the conference proceed with changing from a HealthFlex supplemental insurance plan for retired clergy, spouses and surviving spouses due to increasing costs (estimated to cost $525 per person in 2010), and in place of it, move to a health insurance subsidy based upon years of service, set at $5-per-service-year per-month, with a maximum of 30 years or $150 for each retiree and spouse, and with a $250 per month for each surviving spouse.

AND

2. That the conference has retired clergy, spouses and surviving spouses enroll in one of two plans our benefits consultant recommends. These are:
   1. Plan A – a plan similar to HealthFlex but without some of the extras that HealthFlex brings, such as mental and nervous, Optum Nurse Line, Wellness, WebMD. The estimated cost for this plan is $434 per month, because this plan includes a richer pharmacy benefit with Medco.
   2. Plan B – a lesser plan with less pharmacy benefits, but one that still exceeds what conference retirees could purchase on their own. The estimated cost of this plan is $313 per month.

This choice will be supported by further information and consultation throughout the fall of this year. It will help avoid having retirees and spouses make their own purchases on the open market. Both Plan A and Plan B are in addition to the basic Medicare coverage that all people age 65 years and over receive.