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06569 November 6, 2006
BOP raises some rates, but not Medicare Supplement dues
by Jerry L. Van Marter and Jennifer Schoettle, Board of Pensions
LOUISVILLE * Bowing to market pressures, the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) Board of Pensions (BOP) has approved subscription increases for some of its medical benefits beginning in January, but has left dues for its Medicare Supplement program unchanged from 2006.
At its Oct. 21 meeting in Charlotte, NC, the board increased Medical Continuation dues 5.7 percent * from $265 to $280 per participant for those enrolled prior to 1987, and from $450 to $476 per participant for those enrolled in 1987 and later.
It also voted an 8.8 percent increase for early retirees who are covered by the Affiliated Benefits Program (ABP) and are not yet eligible for Medicare, from $720 to $783 per participant.
At their July 15, 2006 meeting in Philadelphia, the directors voted to increase Medical Plan dues by 0.5% and for ABP active and continuation members by 8.8%, effective January 1, 2007.
The last Medical Plan dues increase was in 2005.
Optional Dental Program dues for DMO (Dental Maintenance Organization) participants will increase 4.9% in 2007. Dues for PPO (Preferred Provider Organization) and Indemnity (Passive PPO) participants will remain unchanged from 2006 to 2007.
A special open enrollment for Optional Dental benefits is underway until November 17. For new members, the standard first-year service limitations will be waived. A 36-month waiting period still applies to orthodontia coverage.
During this special open enrollment, there will be no coverage restrictions (other than for orthodontia) for anyone who enrolls or adds dependents. The restriction is being lifted to encourage higher levels of participation.
Medicare prescription drug benefit (Part D) subsidy renewed
After a successful application for and implementation of the Medicare Part D subsidy arrangement in 2006, the BOPensions has received approval to participate in the program again in 2007.
As in 2006, the board suggests that Medicare Supplement members continue to rely on the BOP's Medicare Supplement for their prescription drug coverage rather than enroll in a Medicare Part D plan because the board's plan is, on average, better than those provided by any Medicare drug program offering the minimum standard benefit.
BOP Medicare Supplement subscribers who join a Medicare drug plan cannot take advantage of the board's prescription drug benefits under the Medicare Supplement.
Pre-certification for bariatric surgery coverage added
A pre-certification requirement for bariatric surgery performed to treat morbid obesity has been added to the Medical Plan, effective January 1, 2007.
As the obesity rate in the U.S. population has increased, so has the popularity of various bariatric surgeries, of which gastric bypass is the most common. This surgery carries both physical and psychological risks, pointed out the BOP's Healthcare Committee.
The pre-certification process, the Board said, will ensure that members who elect to have bariatric surgery receive adequate pre-surgical counseling and post-surgical follow-up care, thereby improving patient safety and clinical outcomes.
Smoking cessation program changed
The board has replacing the discontinued Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield "Smokeless" smoking-cessation program with the Mayo Clinic's "Tobacco Quitline."
Effective Oct. 1, members enrolled in "Smokeless" were being transitioned to the new program.
The Mayo Clinic Tobacco Quitline provides phone-based counseling, scheduled at the member's convenience; customized educational materials that support individual treatment plans; personalized counseling sessions over a six-month period; and, when appropriate, fully covered over-the-counter nicotine replacement therapies, along with coverage for prescription smoking cessation aids.
Announcing the new program, the BOP noted that tobacco use continues to be the leading cause of death and disease in the United States. Not surprisingly, tobacco users have significantly higher healthcare costs than non-smokers.
Two-year "Preventive Incentive" initiative planned
In response to strong encouragement from its Healthcare Committee in July, the board will significantly expand its Preventive Incentive in 2007 and 2008. Beginning Jan.1, all members and spouses 50 and older who complete all specified preventive care between January 2007 and December 2008 will be eligible to receive a Preventive Incentive of $100. Approximately 18,000 members and spouses will be eligible for this incentive.
The Preventive Incentive began as a pilot program in October 2005. Since that time, it has provided cash rewards to more than 1,000 eligible members (called and installed ministers of the Word and Sacrament serving congregations of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), age 50 and over) who completed preventive health examinations and appropriate medical tests and screenings by Dec.31, 2006.
The program reflects the board's belief that too many Medical Plan members neglect their preventive health needs. The expansion to include spouses in the program recognizes the valuable role spouses play in influencing family health behaviors, the board said.
Gifts, new income target levels approved for supplement recipients
The board voted to continue its tradition of providing a Christmas gift to Income and Housing Supplement recipients * retired church workers and their surviving spouses who have served the PC(USA) for 20 years or more and whose total income from all sources is below minimum levels established by the Board.
The BOP approved Christmas gifts of $250 for each single person and $500 for each married couple receiving an Income or Housing Supplement as of Nov. 1.
At the same time, the board approved increases to the Income Supplement target levels, effective Jan. 1, 2007: from $24,120 to $24,600 for single persons and from $28,920 to $29,520 for married couples.
The target level is the maximum income a single person or married couple will have after an Income Supplement is added to all other sources of income. Since 1994, the Board has established the Income Supplement target levels at 50% of the "average total retirement income" for single persons and 60% of the "average total retirement income" for married couples.
The Board of Pensions annually calculates the "average total retirement income" by adding the estimated Social Security benefits for minister retirees at or after age 65 and the average retirement pensions from the Benefits Plan.
In other actions, the board:
After two successful pilot conferences (and another scheduled for this December), added four new CREDO (Clergy, Reflection, Education, Discernment, Opportunity) conferences are scheduled for 2007. CREDO provides opportunities for ministers to address stress and reflect on personal and professional wellness in four areas of their lives: spiritual, vocational, health, and financial. Currently the program seeks ministers between the ages of 40 and 55 with at least seven years of service to the church.
-Prepared for the 2007 Christmas Joy Offering * which helps fund assistance programs of the board and the PC(USA)'s racial ethnic schools and colleges * by reviewing its online giving system, which makes it possible to make one-time or recurring tax-deductible contributions to the BOP's assistance programs.
-Announced a free teleconference on Dec. 7 at 3:00 p.m. Eastern entitled "Tax Tips for Ministers and Churches." The annual event, which last year drew 300 participants, will also include information on a new tax credit for low income participants in the BOP's Retirement Savings Program. To register call toll-free at 877-709-8255 or go online to the Board of Pensions Web site and receive a passcode.
Learned that its $7.1 billion investment portfolio returned 7.6 percent for the first nine months of this year, exceeding the BOP's year-to-date, one-, three-, five-, and ten-year benchmarks.
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