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. For information contact: John Brooks, Director (773) 380-2958 or [log in to unmask] http://www.elca.org/news ELCA News Blog: http://www.elca.org/news/blog