ELCA NEWS SERVICE

August 19, 2008  

ELCA Board of Pensions Continues Wellness Plan
08-145-SS*

     MINNEAPOLIS (ELCA) -- Trustees of the Evangelical Lutheran
Church in America (ELCA) Board of Pensions voted to continue
wellness incentives for health plan sponsors, just as the unit
continues its incentives for plan members.  Trustees met here
July 31-Aug. 2.  The incentives are part of a three-year
transition to a wellness plan.
     Again in 2009 the ELCA Board of Pensions will offer plan
members the opportunity to earn wellness dollars to apply to
their medical costs when they take the Mayo Clinic Health Risk
Assessment (HRA).  Plan members may earn additional dollars by
follow-up health improvement activities, including lifestyle
coaching programs.
     More than 50 percent of plan members had taken the HRA by
July 31, and 35 percent of those had earned their maximum reward
of $300, reported Bradley J. Joern, director of health products,
ELCA Board of Pensions.
     The trustees recommended "that the Board of Pensions continue
in 2009 to give a 2 percent discount on health plan contributions
to ELCA organizations and sponsoring employers within an
organization or a synod when at least 75 percent of plan member
employees and spouses in the organization or synod take the Mayo
Clinic Health Risk Assessment."
     "We appreciate the decision to extend the incentive to receive
the 2 percent discount in premiums to synods, institutions and the
churchwide organization into 2009.  Our challenge now is to educate
and inspire members to take the Health Risk Assessment and to
obtain the available savings.  This is a stewardship issue for all
of us," said David D. Swartling, ELCA secretary, Chicago.
     As of June 30 several of the ELCA's organizations and 65
synods hadn't yet qualified for the 2 percent discount, said David
G. Adams, vice president of products and services, ELCA Board of
Pensions, but they still have time to earn the discount if 75
percent of plan members and spouses in their area complete the
HRA before Sept. 30.
     "There is great gratitude for the 2 percent incentive, and
it will be exciting news to synods that they have another whack
at it in 2009," said the Rev. James A. Justman, bishop, ELCA
East-Central Synod of Wisconsin, Appleton, an advisory member to
the board of trustees.
     The ELCA Board of Pensions is based here.  It provides
retirement, health and related benefits and services to 50,000
pastors and lay employees and their families.  It serves nearly
11,000 congregations and other sponsoring ELCA organizations.
     In other action the trustees set the 2009 contribution
rates at an average increase of 5 percent for the medical and
dental benefits plan.  They approved continuing the moratorium
through 2009 for the survivor benefits plan and recommended the
disability benefits plan remain at 2 percent.  Retiree support
will continue at 0.7 percent for 2009.
     The trustees discussed outlines for a 2009-2011 strategic
plan for the ELCA Board of Pensions.  Staff and trustees voiced
their desire to pursue initiatives jointly with the ELCA
Foundation and Mission Investment Fund leadership as part of a
Mission ONE study.  Mission ONE joint operating guidelines are
currently being developed, and an operating structure will be
presented to all three boards in fall meetings.
     "It's important to get clarity around each of our roles,"
said John G. Kapanke, president, ELCA Board of Pensions. "We'll
look at all our products" and ask who can best handle each one,
he added.
-- -- --
     The home page for the ELCA Board of Pensions is at
http://www.ELCAbop.org/ on the Web.

*Sonia C. Solomonson is managing editor of The Lutheran,
the magazine of the ELCA. 

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