REMINDER TO UUA MEMBER CONGREGATIONS and related UU organizations, from the UUA Office of Church Staff Finance and Peter Henrickson, PNWD Compensation Consultant:
Open Enrollment for the Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA) Heath Plan began November 1 for all eligible staff and will continue through November 30. Eligible staff may join the plan effective January 1, 2013, even if they have not taken advantage of past enrollment opportunities.
For currently participating employees of Subscribing Employers or for Subscribing Individuals, there is nothing to do to continue coverage for 2013. Current participants will be carried over and be billed the 2013 rates. Participants are free to change plans (from High Deductible to Standard PPO, for example) by notifying the UUA Health Plan office.
For more information, see the UUA website. This page offers details on 2013 Rate and Benefit Changes, including impacts of the Affordable Health Care Act and other specific changes being made in 2013.
If your congregation is not currently participating in the UUA Health Plan, please consider enrolling your staff in your denominational health plan with outstanding benefits, consistent with Unitarian Universalist (UU) values, managed by Unitarian Universalists, and benefiting UUA-related participants and not the insurance industry.
The Affordable Care Act is adding a lot of uncertainty for all employers—uncertainty about benefits, about rates, about state-based insurance exchanges. The UUA Health Plan is committed to the long haul, however the ACA plays out. As we enter our seventh year, membership continues to grow, and our reserves are strong. Over the 2012 and 2013 policy years, out net rate change has been zero. During our first six years, rates have increased only 21%, at least 30% less than the small group market average. Unlike commercial health insurance, the UUA Health Plan is here to serve ONLY the interests of our participants and their UUA-related employers.
Please consider joining the more than 300 congregations that have become part of the UUA Health Plan movement Health care with UU values managed by the UUA and benefiting UU congregations and their staff.