Medical Plan value
The Medical Plan offers flexibility and affordability with three coverage options — a preferred provider organization (PPO), an exclusive provider organization (EPO), and a qualified high deductible health plan (HDHP). All three options include unique features that deliver outstanding value in promoting wholeness and well-being, at no additional cost to employers.
Plans offered through the Board of Pensions provide value not readily available through the commercial market. In recent years, we have continued to add value to the Medical Plan by including features such as telemedicine services through Teladoc, the Livongo for Diabetes Program, Centers of Excellence for complicated surgeries, and enhanced benefits for select preventive prescription drugs.
Medical coverage through the Board also gives members access to generous preventive care, the Employee Assistance Plan (EAP); Call to Health, our online well-being program; and care navigation for personalized support navigating today's complicated healthcare system.
The following features are included in the Medical Plan:
Generous preventive care benefits exceed Highmark’s standards and Affordable Care Act requirements, and include an annual wellness exam, well-baby visits, specified screenings, immunizations, blood tests, and more.
Care navigation, provided in partnership with Quantum Health, helps make it easier for members to navigate today’s complicated healthcare system. When a member calls Quantum Health, a highly trained Care Coordinator serves as their personal healthcare guide, identifying healthcare needs, resolving issues, and providing personalized support.
Prescription drug benefits, offered through our partnership with Express Scripts, include a robust preventive drug list and reduced out-of-pocket costs when using drugs on this list. Additionally, certain medications are offered in multiple tiers; members can lower out-of-pocket costs when using a lower tier drug.
Call to Health, our online well-being program, focuses on four overall aspects of wholeness: spiritual, health, financial, and vocational. Participating members can significantly lower their annual deductibles in the following plan year and may be eligible to receive gift cards for completing challenges.
Teladoc is a telemedicine feature that allows members 24-hour access to consultations with licensed physicians via voice or video call at a reduced copay. Physicians may also prescribe medications over the phone for added convenience.
Employee Assistance Plan (EAP), from Spring Health, supports members' emotional and financial health and work/life balance through a range of mental well-being and EAP services, including mental health care navigation, crisis support for immediate assistance, and guidance and support for personal work/life needs.
Centers of Excellence are providers that meet both quality and cost-efficiency standards. Patients receive reduced-cost access to medical facilities proven to deliver superior results for complicated, costly surgical procedures, including bariatric surgery, transplants, knee and hip replacements, and spinal surgery. If the member must travel more than 100 miles to a Center of Excellence, they are eligible for a travel benefit of up to $10,000.
Livongo for Diabetes Program combines the latest technology with coaching to help members living with diabetes manage their condition. Participants receive an advanced glucose meter, unlimited test strips, and access to a Certified Diabetes Educator.
Assistance and education programs
Members enrolled in the Medical Plan also have access to important assistance and education programs that help cultivate wholeness and nurture ministries.
Assistance Program
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Assistance Program expresses our care for one another by helping eligible members and their families in need with financial assistance. Some assistance programs are designed specifically for ministers. The following opportunities for assistance are available:
- Adoption Assistance of $6,500 per child is provided at the completion of an adoption to eligible members to help with a portion of their adoption-related expenses, such as agency and attorney fees.
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Emergency Assistance is a one-time grant that addresses an emergency or unexpected need facing a member. Groups of members affected by natural disasters may also qualify.
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Transition-to-College Assistance helps eligible families of post-high school students. They can receive up to $3,000 for ancillary expenses, such as a computer purchase.
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Minister Debt Relief helps eligible ministers pay down debt through financial planning and a grant of up to $10,000 — alleviating financial burden and helping ministers achieve greater well-being.
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Minister Educational Debt Assistance helps eligible ministers repay educational debt through student loan debt coaching and grants of up to $25,000. This makes it easier for them to accept a wide range of positions and wholly commit their best gifts to ministry.
- Clergy Wellness Support assists eligible ministers with respite and vocational support, providing up to $5,000 for program and travel fees.
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Sabbath Sabbatical Support provides eligible ministers with a portion of the support they need — up to $10,000 — to engage in planned activities for personal and professional renewal.
- Employee Vocation Program grants provide educational debt relief of up to $25,000 to eligible members employed by organizations affiliated with the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.).
Lifelong Learning
Lifelong Learning through the Board provides education programs that support all facets of well-being — spiritual, health, financial, and vocational — tailored to specific stages of life, career, or ministry. Offerings available through Lifelong Learning include the following:
- E-Learning: Self-paced online courses cover vital topics related to wholeness.
- Webinars: Engage virtually with subject-matter experts to learn about a variety of topics important to well-being.
- Well-Being Respite: An online opportunity for spiritual renewal, mental stimulation, thoughtful conversation, and meaningful engagement.
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Well-Being Retreat: An immersive, in-person experience helps participants become more deeply rooted at every stage of life and ministry.
Administrative resources and support
When you partner with the Board of Pensions to offer benefits through the Benefits Plan of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), you and your employees receive additional resources and support at no additional cost.
Interested in partnering with the Board?
If you would like to learn more about our plans, call our Employer Services team at 800-PRESPLAN (800-773-7752) (TTY: 711) to discuss how we can best meet your and your employees' needs.