Managing employee benefits using Benefits Connect

Viewing employees' elections | Managing invoices and payments | Employer Quick Start Guide for Benefits Connect | Submitting a data collection | Data Collection Quick Start Guide for Benefits Connect | Reporting changes in employment | New medical pricing requests | Providing a better experience for your employees | Questions about Benefits Connect?

Benefits Connect is your one stop for managing your organization’s benefits through the Board of Pensions. The website integrates multiple functions into a single, easy-to-use platform:

• Receive and pay Board invoices conveniently and securely.
• Model scenarios and compare costs quickly when selecting benefits offerings.
• Share administrative responsibilities easily by having multiple employer representatives register for the website.

Viewing employees’ elections

You can view your employees’ elections and prepare for payroll:

1. From the blue menu on the left side of your employer dashboard, click Plan Reporting.
2. On the Standard Reports page, click Benefit Extract.
3. Select the following from the filter criteria:
   1. Employer: Your PIN
   2. Eligibility set: All
   3. Employment statuses: Active
   4. Benefits: All
   5. As of date: 2025-01-01
4. Click Run Report.
5. When the report opens, click the gray download icon (to the right of Table) to download to Excel.

Managing invoices and payments

View the step-by-step navigation guide (pdf) to the Benefits Connect Billing Tool.

Log on to Benefits Connect to view and pay your organization’s invoices from the Board. Once you log on, click the Pay/View button under Employer Billing on your Employer Dashboard and a Billing menu will appear on the left side of your screen.

To view your invoice:

1. Click Forms (the last option).
2. In the Billing Forms box, click Employer Billing Invoice on the row for the relevant Invoice Date.
3. A PDF invoice will download to your browser or your device’s Downloads folder. You can print or save this invoice as needed.

To pay your invoice:

1. Click ACH.
2. There are two ways to submit an electronic payment:
1. To set up a recurring, automatic payment, click the Add New Account button in the Banking Information box.
2. To make a one-time payment, click the Make one time electronic payment button in the Electronic Payment History box.

Submitting a data collection

Use the Data Collection feature in Benefits Connect to submit an update to employer information, such as a new hire, salary change, or termination. To create a Data Collection, click on Data Collection in the blue menu on the left side of your Employer Dashboard.

When submitting a Data Collection, you will need these details about the employee:

• Social Security number
• date of birth
• benefits group number

You can find the employee’s benefits group number in Benefits Connect by going to My Organization > Company Details > Related Companies > Organization ID.

Reporting changes in employment

Report your organization’s day-to-day personnel changes on Benefits Connect:

• change in service (hours), status, or salary
  
• newly hired/eligible for benefits
• terminating employment
  

Change in service (hours), status, or salary

Employers are required to report the following changes to the Board of Pensions through Benefits Connect:

• employee service (hours), within 30 days of the change
• status (employment, classification, benefit group), within 30 days of the change
• salary, within 60 days of the change

Changes reported after 30 days for service and status and 60 days for salary may affect the employee's eligibility for benefits enrollment/changes and/or their pension credit calculation (if applicable), along with benefits payable.

When a change in service, status, or salary results in an employee’s eligibility to elect, update, or drop benefits coverage, they will receive an email from the Board with instructions to update their benefits elections and beneficiaries through Benefits Connect.

Newly hired/eligible for benefits

When a new employee starts or becomes eligible for benefits, you should provide them with details about participation in the Benefits Plan of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.).

If eligible, they will receive a welcome email and instructions from the Board to complete benefits enrollment for themselves and any eligible family members through Benefits Connect.

The employee must enroll for benefits within 30 days of hire or eligibility, whichever is later. This initial enrollment is the only time they will be able to elect benefits before the next Annual Enrollment, unless they experience a qualifying life event.

Terminating employment

When a member's employment ends, you are responsible for reporting their termination and any associated employer-provided benefits extension or monetary severance amounts.

• You can submit a termination of employment through Benefits Connect up to 60 days before the effective date or on the effective date.
• The benefits end date will be the last day of the month in which the employee worked or the end of the month through which benefits will be extended, regardless of submission date.
• You are responsible for paying all dues or costs of coverage associated with benefits coverage through the benefits end date.

Termination of employment is a qualifying life event that allows for changes in your employees’ benefits (and those of eligible family members) within 60 days of the event.

Medical coverage end date

If your employee was enrolled for medical coverage through the Board (not in Pastor’s Participation), their benefits end date is the last day of the month of their last day worked.

If they were enrolled for medical coverage through Pastor's Participation, coverage for them and any covered family members will continue for one month after their benefits end date — at no cost to them or you.

Options for continued coverage

Transitional participation

If your employee was enrolled in Pastor's Participation or Minister’s Choice, they may be eligible (with Board approval) to enroll in transitional participation coverage, continuing some or all of their Benefits Plan coverage. Refer to Transitional participation coverage for additional information.

Medical continuation

Your employee may continue medical coverage for themselves and their covered family members through medical continuation if they were enrolled in medical coverage through the Board. See Medical continuation for additional information.

Minister members only: If a minister was enrolled in Pastor’s Participation, they may enroll in medical continuation or, if eligible, the Human Group Medicare Advantage PPO plan once coverage through transitional participation is exhausted.

They have 60 days after employment is terminated to elect to continue coverage or permanently forfeit the eligibility to do so.

Note: Unless an employee was enrolled in Pastor’s Participation or Minister’s Choice, they are not eligible to continue benefits other than medical coverage through the Benefits Plan after their employment ends.

Death benefits

Members who were enrolled in Pastor's Participation or Minister’s Choice and who do not enroll in transitional participation coverage will have death benefits coverage for three months from the termination date at no cost to them or to you.'

New medical pricing requests

Medical Plan pricing is customized for each employer based on their ZIP code and the demographics of the employees being covered. When you call the Board to request medical pricing, the service representative will ask you a series of questions to complete the request.

Questions about Benefits Connect?

We’re here to help. Contact the Board of Pensions at 800-PRESPLAN (800-773-7752) (TTY: 711) or email us at memberservices@pensions.org.