Who’s covered*?
*Note: Breaks in coverage may affect participant eligibility.
The New England Conference offers six plans from Blue Cross Blue Shield of Illinois (BCBSIL) through the HealthFlex Exchange along with wellness programs through Virgin Pulse.
Find the details and more links on this page HealthFlex Medical/Dental/Vision Coverage
For question about your HealthFlex coverage
Contact the New England Conference Benefits Department or the Health Team at Wespath at HealthTeam@wespath.org or (800) 851-2201
The New England Conference offers the United HealthCare Group Medicare Advantage PPO Plan and Guardian Dental to Medicare Eligible and age 65 and over, and to Medically Disabled on Medicare Part B.
Find the more information and links on the page United Healthcare Group Medicare Advantage PPO
For questions about your United HealthCare coverage
Optavise Advocates are available to assist with any benefits or health care concern.
Co-pays: Active pastors and conference staff with health insurance coverage may have a personal contribution for their health insurance plan, known as the health insurance co-pay. The insurance premium co-payment will be determined by the health, dental and vision plans elected during the annual election period in the fall of every year. The health insurance premium co-payment is a pre-tax payroll deduction.
Clergy and Conference lay employees are eligible to take health insurance into retirement. Retired participants and covered spouses and dependents are covered under the same pre-retirement benefit options, unless age restrictions apply (i.e., Medicare entitlement).
To be eligible, participants must have 5 years in the Conference health insurance plan, with pension responsibility, immediately preceding retirement (with no breaks in coverage).
Clergy and Conference lay employees are eligible for a health insurance subsidy credit through the Conference Board of Pensions.
To qualify for subsidy credit toward the cost of health insurance in retirement, you must have participated in the New England Conference health insurance plan for at least 10 years, with pension responsibility, immediately prior to retirement from the NEAC, its predecessors or the Troy Annual Conference.
The subsidy credit is based on the cost of the current Medicare plan. Those with 10-29 years of service, receive a credit of 3.3% for each year of qualified service. Those with 30 or more years qualify for 100% subsidy credit.
The spouse of record at the time of retirement and any disabled dependent children will be eligible for the same subsidy as the participant based on the above. Other dependents are not eligible for subsidy credit.
Contact the Conference Benefits Department about eligibility and costs.
Additionally, there is a retiree co-pay (Retiree Health Benefit Contribution). The Retiree Health Benefit Contribution is adopted annually by resolution. If you receive a percentage of benefit toward the cost of your health/dental/vision coverage, you are charged that same percentage as your Retiree Health Benefit Contribution (retiree co-pay). For example, if you receive 60 percent toward your health coverage, you will pay 60 percent of the co-pay amount set for that year. Only the retiree and eligible spouse pay the retiree co-pay, other dependents do not have to pay into the Benefits Stabilization Fund.
Wespath Benefits and Investments administers the retirement plans for United Methodist clergy and lay staff.
Wespath and its subsidiaries maintain one of the largest faith-based pension funds in the world, serving more than 100,000 active and retired clergy and lay employees of the Church, including more than 3,300 international retired clergy and beneficiaries. Click the link to learn more.
Participation in CRSP is mandatory for all active and credentialed clergy appointed ½ time or more, to local churches or positions for which the annual conference has pension responsibility.
CRSP does not accept participant contributions, but you can potentially grow your personal savings by making contributions to UMPIP. Every pay period, your annual conference contributes 2% of your plan compensation to your defined contribution retirement account. Your annual conference also matches any personal contributions to the United Methodist Personal Investment Plan (see more below) up to 1% of your plan compensation.
Participation in UMPIP is optional.
Find other resources at Wespath Retirement and Investment Resources
Provides death benefits, long-term disability income replacement and certain other survivor benefits for eligible clergy and their families.
Who’s eligible? Clergy appointed full-time (100%) and 3/4-time (75%) who are Full and Provisional Members (Elders and Deacons), Associate Members and clergy of other Methodist denominations earning at least 25% of denominational average compensation (DAC) and Full Time (100%) Local Pastors.
UMLife plans offer long-term disability and life insurance coverage for some clergy not eligible for CPP.
Who’s eligible? Clergy appointed half time (50%), Full and Provisional Members (Elders and Deacons), Associate Members, and clergy of other Methodist Denominations who are not eligible for CPP plan.
The voluntary Optional Life Insurance Plan gives eligible clergy the option to purchase additional life insurance coverage. Clergy must be enrolled in Comprehensive Protection Plan (CPP) to add additional supplemental life insurance coverage.
New England Conference Health Coverage Policy mandates all charges receiving full-time or three-quarter time appointment of a pastor(s) be assessed the blended rate of Health Insurance.
The blended rate is a set charge for health insurance billed to the church approved by the annual conference regardless of contract type. Every church pays the same blended rate of health insurance premium. The blended rate assists the local church in budgeting and financial planning. The premium may be split between churches served by the three-quarter time or full-time pastor.
Local church lay employees are billed 100% of actual premium elections plus a Benefit Stabilization cost, per plan, per month.
The Church Dashboard/People Portal ( www.neumc.org/welcome-portal) is a tool for pastors and local church leaders that allows you to view the information about your church/es that is in the Conference database.
Pastors, SPRC Chairs, Treasurers, Church/Admin Council Chairs, and Lay Leaders have access to this information any time using a unique username and password.
Using the Portal, Pastors, SPRC Chairs and Treasurers also have access to the pastor’s benefits information, allowing you to confirm your pastor’s health insurance and pension benefit billing information for your church when applicable.
ACH transactions are electronic payments created when the church Pastor, SPRC Chair or Treasurer gives the Conference authorization to debit directly from the churches checking or savings account for the purpose of bill payment.
Additionally, utilizing the ACH option for pastor pension and/or health insurance payments provides a discounted premium! Authorizations are to be submitted annually for each bill.
Authorizations are completed electronically via the Church Dashboard in the People Portal found on the Conference website https://www.neumc.org/welcome-portal