The Episcopal Diocese of Northern California

350 University Ave. Suite 280, Sacramento, California 95825

Tel 916.442.6918 Fax 916.442.6927

Web www.norcalepiscopal.org

MEMORANDUM

October 19, 2012

To: Rector/Vicar/Priest in Charge /Senior Warden/Treasurer/Director/Administrator

Re: Open Enrollment

Open Enrollment for 2013 in the Episcopal Diocese of Northern California will be October 31 through November 21, 2012.

The week of October 22nd, the Episcopal Church Medical Trust (CMT) will mail Open Enrollment (OE) packets to all members who are currently enrolled.

Eligibility:
All exempt (salaried) employees are eligible for group health and dental insurance regardless of the number of hours worked; all hourly employees working 20 hours or more per week are eligible for group health and dental insurance; all lay employees working 20 hours or more per week will receive group short-term disability. (Clergy already receive this benefit through the Church Pension Group.) All lay employees* working 20 hours or more per week will receive group life insurance of $50,000; all clergy working 20 hours or more per week will receive group life insurance of $20,000. (Clergy already receive $100,000 through CPG). All lay employees working 20 hours/week or more will receive group long-term disability. Please note that clergy already receive long-term disability benefits through CPG. Life and disability insurance premiums must be 100% employer paid. Beginning January 1, 2013, lay employees working 1,000 hours a year or more are eligible to participate in the Lay Pension Plan. Employers must make a minimum of 4% contributions depending on your plan selection.* There is no waiting period allowed for employees eligible for the Lay Pension Plan. Clergy employees should already be participating in the Pension Fund as stipulated in their letters of agreement.
*Separate schools have a special implementation schedule for the Lay Pension Plan and should discuss this schedule with the benefits administrator or with the Medical Trust directly prior to implementation.

Parity:
The Board and Council decided at their joint meeting in June of 2011that we would implement parity in the Episcopal Diocese of Northern California as of January 1, 2012. What this means at a congregational level is that there must be parity between clergy and lay employees as it relates to the percentage of premium paid by the employer for health and dental insurance. For more information on parity, please read the article on this subject available on our website (www.norcalepiscopal.org/implementing-parity).

Lay Pension Plan:
The Lay Pension Plan is Canon Law for the Episcopal Church and requires that all institutions under the authority of the church must provide a pension through the Church Pension Fund for all lay employees working 1,000 hours or more. There are two types of plans which each institution may choose. For more information about this, please visit www.norcalepiscopal.org/how-to-enroll-employees.

Church Responsibility:

It is the responsibility of the Rector/Vicar/Priest in Charge/Director, Treasurer, or Senior Warden to ensure that all eligible employees at his/her organization understand their right to coverage and have received OE materials prior to the OE period. The church/institution will be liable for the cost of any medical procedures undergone by eligible employees who were denied coverage.

Enclosed, you will find 2 packets:

·  For all eligible employees:

o  a welcome letter, a paper Enrollment Form, and a brochure for the Employee Assistance Program. (Employees wishing to enroll in the EAP only will need to complete paper enrollment.)

·  For those employees who did not receive the CMT Open Enrollment Packet, a paper Open Enrollment Packet.

o  This OE packet contains information regarding the full spectrum of plans offered in our group coverage. Anyone who did not receive a CMT OE packet must be given this paper OE packet by October 31st. They will need to complete a paper enrollment.

Deadlines:

·  The period of Open Enrollment (OE) for our diocese is October 31st through November 21st.

·  The week of October 22nd, The Episcopal Church Medical Trust (CMT) will mail packets to those members who are currently enrolled, and other qualifying employees should obtain an enrollment packet from their employers. The CMT packet will include the web address for online enrollment and each employee's user name and password.

·  If an employee chooses to waive his/her right to medical and/or dental insurance, he/she must complete the paper enrollment form included in the OE packet from the Office of the Bishop (not the one from the CMT OE packet) and return it to The Episcopal Diocese of Northern California, Attn: Nicole Baxley, Sacramento, 350 University Ave. Suite 280, CA 95825 or fax 916-442-6927 no later than 4 PM on November 21st.

·  All paper enrollments must be mailed to The Episcopal Diocese of Northern California, Attn: Nicole Baxley, Sacramento, 350 University Ave. Suite 280, CA 95825 or faxed to 916-442-6927 no later than 4 PM on November 21st.

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