The Anglican Diocese of South Carolina transitioned from a group health plan through Blue Cross Blue Shield to the ACNA’s UnitedHealthcare plan on October 1, 2017.
This transition was particularly challenging, but was necessary as the Diocese strived to maintain effective as well as affordable coverage. In order to sustain their (BC/BS) self insurance plan they would have been forced to increase premiums well beyond what they felt was reasonable and affordable. The good news is our new affiliation with the Anglican Church in North America has allowed us to enroll on the ACNA employer group health plan. The ACNA plan is a fully insured plan covered through United Healthcare. The ACNA plan is covered through United Healthcare with a nationally recognized network of physicians and facilities. We are very pleased to announce that the premium rates with United Healthcare HSA plan are below what we would have experienced had we renewed on the Blue Cross Blue Shield plan.
All currently covered members were automatically enrolled into the United Healthcare HSA plan effective 10/1/2017.
Frequently Asked Questions about the transition:
1. Do I have to meet my deductible again this year, and why?
If a diocese changes plans in the middle of a year, it will need to be on the plan year of the group it is joining. Please keep in mind that ACNA’s plan year runs from September 1st through August 31st each year, and deductibles follow suit. Everyone will have to meet a new deductible starting with this new plan, and it will not start over again until September 1st of next year.
2. What about our Vision Plan?
Our Vision care plan is still in force and has not changed. The ACNA offers a Vision Benefit and the benefits committee will continue to review that going forward, but for now, all vision care invoices will still come from the Diocese.
3. I notice that the Dental Insurance rate is now separate. Why the change?
Unlike our old plan, the ACNA plan and rates do not include dental. Those are voluntary and elected separately by the employee and the cost is borne entirely by the employee if they wish to have it. This is very common with fully-insured plans and a change we would have made ourselves had we kept our self-funded plan. You will automatically be enrolled in the dental plan unless you de-enroll by October 27, 2017. Contact Teri Stephenson at (tsolomongroup@verizon.net) to de-enroll. You may elect to join the dental plan at a later date if you so wish.
4. What if I want to join a different health plan from the HSA?
All employees have been placed in the High Deductible HSA plan, as most of our employees have health savings accounts and will probably wish to continue with that. However, if someone wishes to change to a different plan, you only have until October 27, 2017 to make that change. If you do that, then you will no longer be eligible to deposit funds into your Health Savings Account, however, the funds that are already there may still be drawn upon for eligible medical expenses. Again, contact Teri Stephenson to make that change.