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Guidestone – Health Insurance Premium Increase Coming in 2008
Posted by Geoff Baggett in Uncategorized
My wife and I are 42 years old. We are in perfect health. My two teen-age daughters are also in perfect health. Praise God! We have no chronic conditions (yet), no regular and ongoing treatments or medications. We only go to a doctor when we absolutely have to.
Last week I received my 2008 Medical Plan Election from Guidestone Financial Resources. I almost passed out when I discovered that my family’s health insurance premiums for their “second from the bottom” option (Health Choice 1000) will be increased by 10.6% in 2008. It will cost my church and my family an almost unbelievable $8,640 next year just to have basic health insurance coverage.
Not that our coverage is that great, but I guess no insurance really is anymore …
This is our current plan, in a “nutshell”:
- $2,000 Family Deductible
- The plan pays 80% of Medical Expenses (Additional $4,000 out-of-pocket maximum)
- We pay a $25 co-pay for visits to the doctor, except for specialists … where we pay $35
- We have an additional $100 deductible on drugs, with $15 co-pay on generic and $30 co-pay on preferred.
We had, as best I can tell, six doctor’s visits in my family this past year. The insurance paid well under $750 total for our doctor’s care and drugs. Even worse than that, three of my claims were denied outright (at first) by the insurance “computer.” I had to invest my own time to pursue an endless maze of telephone menus, connect with a “live” person, and have my claims resubmitted. I wonder how many ministers there are who may not be as diligent as I am in these matters … who simply go ahead and pay based upon bogus denials and faulty statements. That would be an interesting study …
Anyhow … if something catastrophic happened to a member of my family, we would still be faced with $6,000 in out-of-pocket expenses, in addition to all co-pays. I suppose that when and if something like that does happen, I will be completely thrilled to have the coverage. But that’s the big “bugaboo” of insurance, isn’t it?
But the enormous rate increases? (400% times the rate of inflation) … I just don’t get it. Is our healthcare system that broken? Is the government already too deeply involved in an industry that should be market-driven? Shouldn’t there should be a system of rewards or lower premiums for healthy families which make little use of their plan’s benefits?
Guidestone president O.S. Hawkins was quoted in a news story by the Baptist Convention of Maryland/Delaware as saying:
“Even with anticipated rate increases for 2008, in many areas GuideStone medical plans will still be priced lower than they were three years ago. In fact, almost 80 percent of our participants will pay less for their medical coverage in 2008 than they paid in 2004. With a wide variety of plans available, participants have the opportunity to control costs by choosing a plan that meets their needs and their budgets.”
While those facts may, indeed, be true, the reality is a bit different. Dr. Hawkins seems to make it sound like our premiums have been lowered since 2004 (actually … they were lowered last year … a BIG blessing!). But overall that’s just not the case. Here is the reality: Guidestone (formerly the Annuity Board) made several new, cheaper options available a few years ago. In essence, they created eight “levels” of coverage where there once only three or four available. The reason that “almost 80%” of the participants are paying less is because they have elected to purchase cheaper coverage with reduced benefits (higher co-pays, astronomically higher deductibles, and lower percentage of overall pay-outs). I know this is true. I am one of those Southern Baptist ministers paying less money for less peace of mind. Indeed, if I still carried comparable coverage to what I had three years ago, it would take $10,296 a year just to pay our insurance premiums ($858 / month).
I am just thankful that my church purchases my health insurance outside my salary “package.” My church will absorb this increase. But my previous church refused to do so. They considered insurance as part of my “package.” It was up to me whether or not to be insured. It was “not their concern.” My last year on staff there I suffered a significant salary reduction because the “cost of living” raise I received fell well short of covering the increase in the (then) Annuity Board health insurance premiums.
I fear that there are thousands of churches in our convention that take the same approach. In 2008 and beyond there will, undoubtedly, be ministers who will be forced to decide whether they will carry $10,000 worth of insurance premiums, or carry that same $10,000 home to feed and clothe their families. I fear that there will someday be scores of pastors’ families that will be added to the ranks of the uninsured in the United States.
I think our churches deserve better. I know that our pastors, staff ministers, and employees do. I hope that our churches will research their options and to their utmost to take care of their pastors and staff.
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One option is Christian “Medi-Share” (http://medi-share.org/). My family was a part of this approach for dealing with astronomical insurance costs during the three years (1998 to 2001) when we were not part of the SBC International Mission Board. The cost was around 25% to 30% of what conventional insurance would have cost. During our participation in the program was had one medical emergency, and Medi-Share did cover the cost in a timely and acceptable way.
At the time, Medi-Share was the only option we had. The church we served could not afford to pay for a conventional insurance program, nor could we.
Were we in the states in a similar situation, I would consider re-joining Medi-Share.
Steve,
I have heard of that program, but have always been a bit suspect of the approach. I think I would have to do a bit more research.
You might consider the Health Saver 2600 plan. For my age it is substantially cheaper and the church can pay into my Health Savings Account and we both come out better. It was a no-brainer for me.
A 10% increase is modest. It’s a sad fact – inflation is higher on health care than most everything else.
It would be nice to reward you young and healthy guys with lower insurance but no young and healthy SBC pastor or staff is required to be in the plan; hence, the lack of a true group plan where you guys would lower premiums for all of us.
I’d speculate that almost all SBC clergy have had their salary diminished by increasing health care costs, no matter how the church handles the matter.
Oh, haven’t you heard? Hilary is going to fix all this.
William,
You have given me some food for thought, indeed. I did a quick check on the premiums. I’m going to read up a bit more on the health savings accounts.
Hilary … yeah, right … can’t wait.
Geoff,
My wife went to work (she teaches 1st grade in the public schools) 5 years ago because we could not afford health insurance. The premiums in my group practice were just over $1600 per month. They’re closer to $2000 per month today.
I don’t need her paycheck to support our family: I just need her to contribute to a retirement fund and purchase our health insurance.
I guess I’m saying… it could be worse!
Bowden,
Wow … $2000 a month. That borders on being beyond reality.
I guess, no matter what, things can always be worse.
We’re a small group; if everyone participated there would be 11 (8 therapists and 3 support staff). Not everyone participates. With that small a group it doesn’t take much to ratchet the premiums up.
The best kept secret in our area is the group plan offered by one of the state universities. Most colleges offer some form of a group plan for full time students. One of our schools in Tulsa offers the group plan to anyone enrolled in at least 3 hours (one course).
If my wife had not wanted to go back to work (at the time the oldest two were in college and the youngest was starting Jr. High) my back up plan was to work on a MBA – one class per semester. I figured I could just keep adding graduate degrees until I was eligible for Social Security. You might check the local colleges and universities in your area.
Health Insurance infaltion is made up of several factors. First off we have normal inflation, then we have all the new technologies etc. Every hospital (almost) has thier own MRI machine. One of the biggest components is medicare cost shifting – our wonderful federal govt does not pay the providers enough in medicare reimbursement for them to break even on their medicare patients – so what do the providers do – shift those costs directly to those of us who have insurance.
Drug inflation has been amongst the highest in the medical field – one of the reasons for this is the ever changing formualries for the drugs. A drug is just about to become eligilbe to be generic, and the manufacturer will change a molecule or two in the drug – just enough that it can still be classified as non generic and the mfg can continue to charge the higher cost for it.
Medical Care inflation has run between 12-15% for as long as I can remember.
The best solution that I see is that you buy the HSA or HRA plan from the annuity board with the highest deductible you can, and have your church help fund your deductible through the HSA. the nice thing about that plan is that any money in your HSA that you dont use can be carried forward. This can become a problem for those with chronic illnesses – diabetes etc – so if you do this – make sure you eat correctly and exercise. And dont forget those yearly visits to the doc to make sure that everything is running as it should!
Jim,
I’ve been doing some research this morning. It seems, more and more, than an HSA plan is something I really need to consider.
Take a look at other medical sharing programs. We’ve been on one for the past several years. We have had to look at other options due to some previous conditions, and the one we’re on seems to fit the bill. We’ve come to the place where our faith isn’t in the Insurance Company any more like it once was….
We do work with the Doctors and Labs and whoever we are sent to to negotiate a better deal. Requires a bit more work on our end, but we are the ones in charge of our own care, not someone else.
Rodney,
So you have to negotiate rates for yourself?
Geoff,
We made the change to the HSA this year because Guidestone dropped our HMO. I know people complained about the HMO, but I loved it. The price was hight, but out of pocket was very low.
We made a deal with our church. What they were paying in premiums last year, they paid this year, too. The HSA was $500 cheaper than the HMO. So, the church paid the premiums and put the rest in the HSA. I did the numbers last year. It has cost our church no more this year, and it has taken no more out of pocket for us. We have had alot of medical this year, met the family deductible, etc. Now the Health Saver 2600 is paying for all meds and other needs for the rest of the year. So, at the end of the year, I’ll have no money in my HSA, but I won’t have any more money out of pocket. If we have a better year next year, I’ll have money in the HSA (which can be used for much more than just paying for doctor’s visits).
Cyle
When you are covered by an HSA and you go to the doc, (assuming you do not have a physician co pay), tell them you are self pay and will be paying up front – in many instances they will give you a 35% or so discount from thier regular charges. If they dont, ask them to give you the same rate as they give to the PPOs. Often the docs dont know what they charge so it might take some digging – but better rates are out there.
You can negotiate with providers – not prescription charges so much – but get the generic whenever possible. If your doc pushes you to a name brand, ask them if there is a generic that works as well. In many instances the newer drugs dont work any better than the generics, but the docs are incented (bribed) by the Merks of the world to push thier new drugs
Health care is a very difficult problem.
It is one of the few items that costs the average family quite a lot each year (on average) but yet doesn’t fit the normal economic model. Unlike virtually every other item people tend not to adjust their healthcare expenses based upon economics. My son is a prime example. His wife needed some expensive procedures and the cost caused him to take on a huge debt which took him years to recover from.
My wife has MS. During the 1990s the cost of her medication — which was $950 per month at the time — was not covered by insurance. Now, her medication is around $1300 per month but our insurance covers it. However, our own out of pocket health care premium is around $1200 per month — not counting that portion of the premium paid by my employer. Also, we have fairly high co-pays.
The “problem” with health care is that it remains very labor intensive and many of those who provide it are highly skilled professionals. You can’t outsource health care services to a third world country like you can with manufactured products. We see a situation where we have an aging population demanding more health care coupled with a situation where more “exotic” types of treatments are available (such as implants).
I personally think we in the USA have a pretty decent health care system. In terms of economic cost we are getting a good deal. However, that does not mean it is “free” or low cost.
If you are more or less healthy you are probably subsidizing those who like my wife have cronic disease. I don’t know if this is “fair” or not, but this cross-subsidation is the underlying basis for insurance.
I don’t know the exact statistics but I’m sure Pareto’s rule is probably pretty accurate: We have 10% of the people using up 90% of the health care “budget” for the country.
Doctors making fat salaries are not the cause of the problem. Also, drug companies making exhorbitant profits are not the cause of the problem. They have to charge a lot to pay for the costs of research and clinical trials.
The “problem” is that we have way more complex treatments available now that ever before to more people. In generations past, I wouldn’t be worrying about my wife’s $1300 per month drug habit: she would already be dead.
Some of you have mentioned Health Savings Accounts. I believe this is a positive trend. If people can save up for medical services and then pay for them out of their own pockets then I think — over time — this will lead to a better situation relative to the delivery and financing of health care.
Les might want to get a rep from guidestone at his next small church conference to talk about how to save money in the health care arena.
Medical sharing arrangements scare me – if they get hit with alot of expenses they might pick up and go away and you could be left holding a very large medical bill
I would also be very careful about any medical plan that you pick up outside name brand plans (bcbs, guidestone etc – there are many shysters that pick on churches due to the drive to save dollars whenever possible. Be careful and ask many questions
I couldn’t believe my eyes, either, when I opened up the pretty white envelope from Guidestone. I’ll freely admit, the IMB spoiled us with health insurance.
Now, without the IMB, and having to pay for my own insurance (the church can’t afford it), I believe I’ll be doing some “shopping” before re-enrolling.
I am appalled by the cost of insurance. Even with the exorbatant cost of our insurance, my wife still had to pay over $75 for an asthma medication for my daughter today. $75 for a 30 day supply! That is absolutely insane.
geoff,
this is very bad news. i got the package from guidestone, but i havent looked at it yet.
i dont like hearing this.
my insurance is part of my “pay package.”
david
Jim’s suggestion to get a GuideStone rep to the small church conf is excellent. It takes some degree of education in a smaller (or even a median) SBC church to understand HSAs and alternatives. Wish I knew enough to have done it earlier. Wish it were available when I was younger. The accumulation factor is a real plus.
To All -
It’s beginning to look like the HSA with a “catastrophic” insurance policy is the way to go for me. It will only take about three years to accumulate the cash to cover a complete family deductible. Once you have that covered, the plan pays 100%.
For younger, healthier people this truly seems like the way to go. But it seems to me that the more young, healthy people shift to HSA’s, the less their former premiums will be “redistributed” to the less healthy. I fear that this option, which seems good for me now, may cost me in my older years.
This is a bit of a rabbit trail… but I’ll ask anyway.
Does Guidestone offer mental health benefits? For years they didn’t. (I guess ministers aren’t supposed to have mental health issues.) Getting pastors, staff members, and their families help for depression, anxiety, or even marriage/family counseling was difficult because they had no coverage. I helped our state convention set up a process by which pastors could maintain anonymity while the convention helped pay for counseling.
If a pastor or staff member in the Tulsa area needs counseling we are able to provide it because: a) I cut my fees in half b) the state convention helps pay some and c) the association will help with the rest if they need to.
Our motto in our group is pastors and missionaries get the help they need first and we figure out how/if we will get paid later.
Are other state conventions or associations doing anything similar?
David,
I am sorry that your church takes that approach. It is definitely more detrimental to your family. I hope that someday they may reconsider and cover your rising healthcare costs.
Willaim:
I agree that HSAs may a good solution. I have a question, are there HSAs that allow you to accumulate a balance over many years?
For example, can you put in a certain amount when you are in your 20s, 30s, and 40s when you are more healthy and then draw on it when you are in you 60s or 70s when you might need it do deal with a stroke, cancer, or coronary situation? If so, then is is tantamount to self-insurance.
To the extent that people can be able to control their own situation — without resorting to 3rd parties such as insurance companies — then I think market forces will be able to kick in. This — over time — will be positive: we will get the medical treatment we need without so much beaucratic intervention and without drifting to socialism.
Roger K. Simpson
Oklahoma City OK
Roger,
The HSA’s automatically roll over each year. They are, in effect, an investment. You can, indeed, save for your older years.
Geoff
The unsued cash in an HRA accumulates tax free and can be used to pay for your medical benefits in later years. In that sense they function similarly to an IRA for retirement benefits. The cash in the HRA is yours.
One of the ideas behind HRAs was that people would know the true cost of health care (not just the co pay you pay for the doc or Rx) HRA hope to turn us into consumers for medical care just as we are for shoes or cars. At some point it is hoped that there will be tranparency in the costs – and that docs will post thier costs on the wall, and that everyone will pay the same cost (execpt the feds for medicare and medicade of course, those costs will continue to be under funded and cost shifted to the rest of us)
Bowden, I think I read that there are some mental health parity bills that are pending in congress – and that are expected to pass, that will put M&N on the same basis as any other illness
We left the Annunity Board Health Insurance about 5 years ago. My wife is a school teacher and the system takes $480 a month out of her check. The total cost for the insurance premium is $1,150 a month.
Yes, the health care system is broken. However, if you want to make some money – a person who is a beginning pharmacy will make $100,000 a year – a beginning physician assistant will make $100,000 a year (plus receive loan forgiveness for student loans from the federal government) – a beginning lawyer who sues the health care network will make ?????? a year. A beginning pastor will receive a couple of vegetables and a couple of chickens for their salary for a year.
Also, we are living longer – take for instance, my granny is over a 100 years old.
The best route to go is a HSA with a higher deductible. I have been saying for years that a man over 50 years old was going to have to work a secular job and just ask the church to pay his health insurance instead of receiving a salary. Or perhaps we are going to see a man once again pastor more than one church at a time (like in the 1950 or 1960′s).
Gene,
You may be right about the multiple church thing. As there are fewer and fewer pastors for the churches, demand may cause it.
Geoff,
It probably wouldn’t hurt to check out http://www.ehealthinsurance.com
Last year my insurance costs increased. Even though I was working for a large mutli-billion dollar company which subsidized our insurance we still had to pay about $100 more per month.
Another part of the expense equation is the insurance company itself. The large companies make large profits. Even the non profit arms have surpluses. Check out Blue Cross Blue Shield, for example.
As of December 2003, the 38 nonprofit Blue Cross and Blue Shield plans across the country retained approximately $20 billion in surplus, an increase of 30 percent since 2002.
I imagine that surplus could have helped lower the consumers insurance costs.
Roger is right in the sense of the more healthy people subsidize the less healthy which is the whole basis of how insurance works. The company spreads out the risk.
Mark
P.s. Jim, if we were typing in German or you would have written “shyster” in English you probably wouldn’t have written it. My wife grew up in Germany as a military brat and she got onto me about that word when I first used it. It was actually funny as I didn’t know what I was saying.
John Mark,
Too funny. I think I know the root word for the German term of which you speak.
Brother Geoff,
HSA is the way to go if your church is willing to cover your insurance in this way. If, you are in the shape of Brother David (Volfan007) it is a way to stabilize his insurance.
We approached the finance committee about it and they did not want to continue the same coverage if we went to the HSA plan. Thus, we decided if they were willing to pay it then we would continue with the non-deductible insurance.
Brother David,
It would help you. With your insurance being part of your package then you can benefit by knowing that your insurance will stay the same, plus you get to take advantage of the savings plan. For example, if you pay $800 per month for you and your wife. The Catastrophic Ins cost $400 per month and you take the other $400 and place it in an HSA. In 12 months you have $4800 in the HSA. It will cover your deductible for one of you. After two years, with good health, you have enough to cover the full family deductible with extra in the HSA. Guess what? Your present ins. probably has you at a $4000 total out of pocket family plan before it pays 100%. The Catastrophic Ins. is 100% after the deductible and also covers wellness visits. The reason you could stay the same is that if the premium of the Catastrophic Ins. increases you just reduce your amount going into the HSA. Oh, BTW, this is all without taxes.
Blessings,
Tim
Tim,
They didn’t want to continue coverage with the HSA plan? Why, pray tell? Your family’s insurance option should be your choice.
Good analysis on the HSA. I crunched the same numbers today. That’s why I have decided to change plans.
Geoff, David, Tim,
If you do the math on the HSA you’ll find that it is no more out of pocket than the high end policies and is actually less out of pocket than some of the moderate high end policies. It’s not really even a gamble.
For my family, the Health Legacy 200 would cost $16,704 per year in premiums. If we have another year like we did last year, we would then pay about $3,000 out of pocket. That’s $19,704.
With the Health Saver 2600. Our premiums will be $7,488 for the year. If we have another year like we did last year, we would then pay $5,200 out of pocket. That’s all the money in our HSA. That’s $12,688.
Do the math. And, if we have a better year next year, we’ll have money left in the HSA at the end of the year. That money can be used for so much more than just paying doctors and hospitals.
I was fearful and skeptical, but I vote HSA.
Cyle
Just remember Cyle, that you can only use HSA dollars to pay for deductibles and coinsurance, otherwise the money becames taxable and may even have a penalty associated with it. Now you may be able to pay for long term care insurance premiums or laser eye surgery etc but you will need to check the regulations on that
Cyle,
I just called and made the switch. The Guidestone folks were extremely helpful in helping me understand the process. My plan changes over Jan. 1. I can go ahead and enroll in an HSA now, but the church cannot contribute until Jan. 1.
Meanwhile, we stay healthy and pack in all of the doctor’s visits we can before the end of the year.
After that, we’re in “saving up” mode for the days ahead.
The Guidestone fellow told me that several people are making the switch, especially since the large premium increases kicked in.
Jim,
The HSA’s changed with new legislation last year. You can pay for almost anything medical out of them. Equipment, vision care, eyeglasses, even over-the-counter drugs.
If you have large amounts of money in an HSA, when you retire (after age 65) the penalty is dropped. You pay only income tax on any money you take out. And when you die the investments in an HSA simply become a part of your estate and subject to normal estate taxes.
The new laws have made them much more flexible and much more user-friendly.
If more people would take this option, it should bring normal market forces more into play in healthcare.
If commenters on this blog struggle to afford their premiums, what about people of lesser means who cannot even imagine paying thousands a year for insurance? Many millions of Americans have no coverage at all. Large numbers who do have health plans find they are ultimately denied payment.
It seems evident that moral and humane societies make a point of caring for their sick and their weak. In light of such wildly spiraling costs and regardless of your opinion of filmmaker Michael Moore, a question he asks in his latest documentary “Sicko” still haunts me…”Who are we?”
Pilgrim,
I have not seen the movie but would like to do so. What does Moore mean by that question?
Pilgrim makes a very good point. I have not seen the movie but I think I may know what Moore means. I do not see health care as a right but the fact that basic medical coverage is so expensive and truthfully, people of much lesser means than the average SB pastor cannot afford health care, much less insurance.
It gives me great pause knowing that I have more than adequate coverage for my family, graciously provided by the church I serve. However, is it not incumbent upon Christians to see to it that people of lesser means do have (at least) basic coverage? I know that the UMC just recently passed a plan that helps their older members (age 55+, I think) with prescription drugs.
I don’t think churches should begin providing health care for their members. The Mennonites do have us cornered in this regard, though, at least the Mennonites in the community in which I serve. None of them have health insurance and they each shoulder the load in their congregations to help each other with health care costs.
So, when Moore asks the question, “Who are we?” the question is basic; is helping those less fortunate not a simple extrapolation of the command to “love your neighbor?”
Well I, for one, don’t want to see it. Moore’s Socialism is not the answer to anything.
Pilgrim, the safety net is in place … provided by the law of our land. No one can be denied emergency room care, despite their inability to pay … thus passing on the expense to those of us who can pay the rising insurance premiums. And there are thousands of free clinics manned on a volunteer basis by health care professionals.
I grew up without health insurance. My dad was a carpenter. He never made over $20,000 a year in his life. My mom was sick for as long as I can remember, and had to stay at home. But we still went to the doctor and still had medicine. My humble father just worked extra days on the weekends to pay his bills.
I sincerely think that’s what we need more of in our culture.
Sorry for the mini-rant.
Geoff,
We do not negotiate rates from the medical sharing program we are in, but we do negotiate price with the caregiver – Doctor’s offices, labs, hostipals, etc. The monthly charge remains the same, it is up to us to get the best deal for the price we pay.
Sorry for the delay in replying…. looks like you’ve already made a decision….
Geoff,
I’m not arguing for socialism but what I am pointing toward is churches exercising more of a NT responsibility (which looks strangely socialist, btw) toward those less fortunate than us. I do agree that hard work accounts for a lot. I am MUCH more willing to help someone with extenuating medical circumstances if I know they are working hard and trying to pay.
I also understand that welfare, food stamps, WIC and other government programs has developed a permanent underclass of people dependent upon those programs. Some use them rightfully, some abuse them. (I also realize that many folks are overly dependent upon food pantries and churches’ benevolence funds.)
These obligations per the Bible do not fall upon the government, but rather upon the church, yet churches are all too glad to let the gov’t handle ministering to the poor.
And what I see very little of is churches willing to help their own members with medical costs beyond having a benefit, a yard sale, or something of the sort. It may be different in your neck of the woods. Like I said in my earlier comment, health care is not a right, but in a society as ours with the caliber of medicine and prescriptive health care such as we have, it is sad that many church members do not have basic coverage or access to health care when our churches CAN afford to help (similar to the Mennonites I mentioned above).
I think it is significant that the parable of the Good Samaritan has to do with medical assistance when determining the stinging question, “Who is my neighbor?”
I also grew up without health insurance, my dad was an auto body worker and mechanic. My mom stayed at home with us, but I was a VERY sick kid growing up so I understand that completely. But the question I think we overlook in matters like this and we do not understand is that the question is not so much about who they are but who we are.
Tony,
Of course you are not calling for socialism/communism … I was talking about Michael Moore.
The discussion of an entitlement class is a whole other discussion for another day. Definitely. Suffice it to say that I believe our federal government has created and exacerbated more problems in this area than they will ever be able to solve. We cannot have everyone (literally) in an entitlement class. Someone has to work and “pay the bills.”
If your church is able to assist people with their medical expenses, then I say, “Praise the Lord!” At our church we just manage to pay the bills … our motto is, “What comes in each month goes right back out.” We are not in any position to provide financial assistance on that scale. Indeed, we are not able to provide cash assistance for anyone.
But we do operate an enormously successful and active food and clothing ministry. We host Angel Food for reduced price foods for our community.
And we minister to our people. We recently had a young woman in our congregation doing battle with cancer. Every day people from our church gave her rides to her treatments in two cities 45 minutes and 1 hour & 15 minutes away. And if there is a real financial need within the body, we work diligently to see that need met. That’s “who we are.”
I hear what you’re saying. But the entire healthcare / medical expense issue is way far beyond the scope of our churches to handle. By far. There simply is not enough money in all of the churches combined for us to solve the financial crunch of healthcare. So we do what we can on a case by case basis.
Ministry in the face of a problem or crisis rarely involves the actual removal of the problem or crisis.
Geoff:
A little late getting in here; just found the site. But our family is a HSA success story.
I was disgusted with the amount of money our church was spending each month on health insurance premiums, for a totally healthy family — $900+ per month for nothing.
So I asked the Personnel Committee for permission to move to the High Deductible policy and HSA — $400 for each per month. It saved the church $100 per month, and gave us “first dollar” coverage for doctors visits, drugs, glasses, dentist, etc. which we didn’t have. It was “win/win.”
With God’s continued blessings on our health, after several years, we now have saved up almost 3 times the deductible, which as someone pointed out above becomes a savings account for our retirement.
The whole plan DOES somewhat depend upon being healthy, especially in the first days when the HSA has not yet built up. For a chronically ill person/family it may not be as effective, but for us it has been a blessing.
Shawn,
Excellent testimony! That’s what I wanted to hear.
From my vantage point, once you have about double your deductible in the HSA, it’s “no worries” beyond that point. One need always keep a full family deductible in the account beyond that point.