Detroit Conference health insurance rates to raise 10 percent in 2011

By Paul Thomas, Detroit Conference Director of Communications

The Detroit Conference Board of Pension and Health Benefits has informed local churches that the conference's health insurance rates for 2011 have risen by 10 percent over the rates for 2010. The 10 percent increase is below an earlier projection by the CBOPHB that figured a 15 percent increase in the rates.

According to a letter sent to clergy in the active group health insurance plan, staff-parish relations committee chairpersons, and selected conference agencies, the Rev. Don Emmert, conference benefits officer, stated that the increase is due primarily to the high rate of medical claims experienced by the group health plan in 2010. 

"While no one is satisfied and everyone struggles with these high costs, our recent conference claims trend has slowed enough to reduce the 2011 increase by a third," Emmert said.

Emmert also stated in the letter that the conference plan has experienced a cumulative increase of 26 percent over the last four years. That is less than the national average, which is 35-38 percent.

In addition to the increase in health insurance rates for 2011, Emmert reported that 63 percent of the eligible participants enrolled in the Virgin HealthMiles program. Those who have who have reached level 3 in the program, and either participated in the ProCheck for Health Screening at annual conference or had a physical during the year will earn financial credit for their salary-paying unit in December. 

Emmert said that a mailing will be sent in November to each participant along with a confirmation form that must be completed and returned in order to receive the credit.

Please visit www.detroitconference.org/benefits to view the 2011 health insurance rates, as well as information on how to enroll in the Virgin HealthMiles program. Those with questions my contact Emmert by phone at 810-233-5500 or by e-mail at demmert@detroitconference.org.

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Detroit Conference members encouraged to join nationwide HealthMiles challenge

By Paul Thomas, Detroit Conference Director of Communications

The registration deadline is quickly approaching for the Conference-to-Conference Challenge, a Virgin HealthMiles challenge sponsored by the General Board of Pension and Health Benefits. 

The deadline for eligible participants to register for the challenge is Tuesday, Sept. 21.

The GBOPHB is sponsoring a Conference-to-Conference Challenge for all conferences that have adopted the Virgin HealthMiles program, but are not enrolled in HeathFlex, the health care plan of the GBOPHB.

The conferences participating in the challenge will be:Arkansas, California-Pacific, Detroit, East Ohio
Eastern Pennsylvania, Illinois Great Rivers, Iowa, Peninsula-Delaware.

The purpose of the challenge (beyond conference bragging rights) is to increase enrollment and daily average steps of participants. The challenge will fun for four weeks from September 23 to October 21.

Participants in the challenge who average 7,000 steps per day (total of 203,000) during the challenge will receive 300 HealthMIles. Members that average 12,000 steps per day (total of 348,000) will receive 500 HealthMiles. All participants who enroll in the challenge and wear their pedometer everyday during the challenge can earn an additional 100 HealthMiles.

For conferences, the conference with the highest average steps per participant will receive a Traveling Award to proudly display in their conference office. This award will remain at that location until the start of the next Conference to Conference Challenge.

So far approximately 40 percent of eligible participants in the Detroit Conference have signed up for the challenge. Competition between conferences is expected to be fierce, and trash talk between benefits coordinators has already begun, with the East Ohio Conference stating it is already making plans to build a display case for the trophy.

The Rev. Don Emmert, conference benefits officer, would like to see as many people as possible from the Detroit Conference participate so that the trophy can find its way to the Conference Center in Flint.

This challenge is only open to those who are enrolled in the Detroit Conference Active Health Insurance Plan. The challenge does not include retirees or those who enrolled in Virgin HealthMiles as individuals through the UMC Friends and Family program.

All participants, spouses, and dependents (ages 18-24) that are currently enrolled in the Detroit Conference Active Health Insurance Plan may still enroll in the Virgin HealthMiles program. Please click here to visit the Virgin HealthMiles Web site. You must enroll by Monday, Sept. 13 to have time to receive your pedometer and engage in the challenge.

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