Retirees Health Care Benefits Information
For the past several years, the New York Annual Conference Board of Pensions and Health Benefits has been working hard to evaluate our current retiree health insurance program and balance concerns about the rising health care costs, the impact of these costs on apportionments to our churches, the increasing unfunded liabilities of the current plan and our commitment to providing access to quality healthcare for our clergy and their families.
As approved at this year’s Annual Conference, the New York Conference together with the General Board of Pension and Health Benefits, will be partnering with Extend Health, Inc., to provide you with a choice of individual Medicare Supplemental and Medicare Advantage Plans beginning in January 2013. The current group insurance coverage offered to our retirees through HealthFlex will terminate on December 31, 2012. Read more>>
Medicare Part D
Some retirees are receiving letters from Medicare regarding their Prescription Drug Coverage. Click the links below to view and print the General Board letter dated October 2012 regarding the termination of your HealthFlex Coverage and the Notice About your Prescription Drug Coverage and Medicare. The Notice explains and confirms that the Prescription Drug coverage in which you were enrolled and was provided by the General Board through the New York Annual Conference meets or exceeds the minimum requirements of coverage. Because you were covered by the Conference HealthFlex Medicare Companion Plan Insurance you are not subject to any penalties or fees.
The letter and Notice may be requested by Medicare or your new Prescription Drug Insurance provider.
Click to download "Notice to Retirees regardig Termination of HealthFlex Coverage>>
Click to download "Medicare Part D Legal Notice">>
Additional Information
Click here to view the July 2012 brochure, "Important Information about Changes to Your Retiree Medical Benefits in 2013"
Click here to view the latest Extend Health Brochure>>
Click here to view the updated Frequently Asked Questions>>
Click here to view the introduction letter to the "Getting Started Guide">>
Click here to view the "Getting Started Guide">>
Extend Health Video Presentation
Please click the links below to watch the video recording of a presentation given at the conference center in August, 2012.
If you have a slow internet connection (dial-up), it will take a long time for these videos to load since they are very large files. Please be patient!
| Windows Media Video (best for PCs) | MP4 (plays in QuickTime - best for Macs) |
| Presentation, Part 1>> | Presentation, Part 1>> |
| Presentation, Part 2>> | Presentation, Part 2>> |
| Presentation, Part 3>> | Presentation, Part 3>> |
| Presentation, Part 4>> | Presentation, Part 4>> |
More Detail from the Conference Office
The General Board of Pensions and Health Benefits (GBOPHB) has contracted with Extend Health www.extendhealth.com/gbophb a private company which specializes in clarifying the insurance needs of Medicare eligible adults and finding the supplemental policies best suited to their individual requirements. Utilizing Extend Health would allow the Conference to continue to contribute to the insurance costs for eligible retirees, now and for the foreseeable future. After studying this new opportunity very carefully, the Conference Board voted to adopt it effective January 1, 2013, and it was approved at our June 2012 Annual Conference.
Representatives of Extend Health will communicate and contact each retired participant throughout the summer and then schedule an appointment (by phone) to work with our clergy and spouses to choose the insurance policy that is best suited for their medical needs, geographic location and financial considerations. The Extend Health representatives are experts in the costs and benefits of the various policies available in local areas as well as how to work with retirees to choose the plan most suited for them. This telephone consultation will be the single most important activity of this program, because it will determine your insurance coverage and costs for the following year.
"Using Your Health Reimbursement Arrangement" Guide>>
Extend Health will also set-up a Health Reimbursement Account for each participant. This HRA will work in a similar manner as the Flexible Spending Accounts you may have used in the past; the main difference is that the Conference Board in January 2013 will initially fund your account in the amount of $2,644. These tax-free funds can be used to pay the premiums of the Medicare Supplemental Insurance Plans which you will choose with Extend Health’s assistance. (The amount of future funding for the HRA has yet to be determined.)
Please take the time to view the videotaped Extend Health informational meeting and question and answer session held in May at the Conference Center.
Sally Truglia, our Benefits Administrator, and Representatives from the General Board of Pensions and Extend Health is also be available to answer your questions and address any concerns you may have. STruglia@nyac.com
* Please note that the move to Extend Health does not affect those retired clergy and their families who are less than 65 years of age, or any future eligible participants who retire before age 65. Until the participants reach age 65, they will continue to receive the HealthFlex Insurance plan sponsored by our Conference through the General Board.
As approved at this year’s Annual Conference, the New York Conference together with the General Board of Pension and Health Benefits will be partnering with Extend Health, Inc.,