# LCMS Convention Workbook_St. Louis Missouri_1983_S182
# Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

182 ADMINISTRATION AND PROGRAM IMPLEMENTATION

To Set New Basis
for Health Plan Premiums

WHEREAS, At present Concordia Health Plan charges
premiums for insurance on the basis of percentages of salaries
which workers receive. rather than on single, married, and
family rates, as most other insurance companies do; and

WHEREAS, This arrangement causes an unduly high percent-
age of the cost of the plan to be assessed against those who
have higher salaries. rather than according to benefits pro-
vided; and

WHEREAS, This type of charging for health insurance
creates the illusion that higher salaried persons are also
receiving greater peripheral benefits in terms of insurance
than lower salaried workers: therefore be it

Resolved. That the Synod in convention in 1983instruct the
Board of Managers of Concordia Plans to set up the Concordia
Health Plan on a similar basis as other insurance companies
have, namely, on a cost basis of individuals insured, rather
than on the basis of salaries received.

St. Paul's Lutheran Church
Fairmont, Minn.

LaVern Schulz, Chairman
Douglas K. Janetzke, Pastor
Vernon H. Harley. Pastor

4-60
To Pay Interest on Claims After 15 Days

WHEREAS. Section VIII, 8.2, of the Concordia Health Plan
regulations requires that Plan costs be paid in advance “on the
first day of each quarter for the quarter then commencing,”
and imposes an interest penalty of 8 percent, or as may be set
by the Board of Managers, compounded quarterly, on pay-
ments 15 or more days overdue; and

WHEREAS, The Health Plan speaks of a 10-working-day
target time for claim processing, but in reality has been taking
a good deal more time than this over the past recent years; and

WHEREAS. This slow claim processing often requires
members to pay health care costs out of their own pocket, or
receive repeated billings with “friendly reminders’ —and some
not so friendly—on them; and

WHEREAS. Simple fairness would require that the Plan lay
on itself the same penalties it seeks to lay on others: therefore
be it

Resolved, That any legitimate, documented health care
claim not paid by Concordia Health Plan within 15 days of
receipt begin to draw interest, payable to the Plan member, in
the same manner and rate as the Plan imposes on overdue
contributions.

Rollingwood Lutheran Church
San Pablo. Calif.

W. Gieseke, Chairman

E. Mitchell. Secretary

R. W. Schick. Pastor

4-61

To Determine Future Operations
of Health Plan

WHEREAS. One of the basic requirements of any insurance
program is that it give reasonably prompt payment to
documented legitimate claims; and

WHEREAS, Concordia Health Plan has been plagued by
continuing inability to meet this basic requirement by its own
admission (Examples: Benefit Plan Bulletin of February 1980,
page two. carries an article titled “We're Swamped,”’ and asks
for patience on the part of Plan members seeking payments; a
letter from the Plan Administrator, dated May 28, 1981, speaks
of ‘unexpected large submissions,” and hopes for something
like a seven-week claim process time: the Benefit Plans Bulletin

of August 1981. page 3, reports problems with claim processing
for the vear thus far and reports, ‘‘We are just beginning to see
our way out of this backlog’: a letter tothe Plan members from
the administrator. dated July 20, 1982. states, “We had hoped
to resolve the problem of delayed processing of medical and
dental claims by now,” and mentions that “right now we are
working on mid-May claims,” a delay of approximately nine
weeks: as of December 1982 only minor progress has been made
in claim handling); and

WHEREAS, The Board of Managers and Plan staff seem
unable to bring improvements in service: and

WHEREAS, The cost of the Plan and its benefits do not
present any great advantage. if any at all, over commercially
available plans which do provide prompt service to their
members; therefore be it

Resolved, That the Board of Directors of the Synod be
authorized and directed to engage the services of an appro-
priate consulting agency or agencies to determine whether it is
cost effective for the Synod to continue to operate its own
health plan; and be it further

Resolved, That if it is determined to be cost effective to
continue the present plan, and if the Health Plan at that time is
unable to pay claims in 15 working days or less. the Board of
Directors of Synod be authorized and directed to engage the
services of an appropriate consulting agency or agencies for
the task of bringing the Health Plan up toa reasonable level of
service to its members.

Rollingwood Lutheran Church
San Pablo, Calif.

W. Gieseke. Chairman

E. Mitchell, Secretary

R. W. Schick. Pastor

4-62
To Observe Centennial of Walther’s Death

Preamble

May 7, 1987. will mark the centennial of the death of C.F. W.
Walther, the first president of The Lutheran Church—Missouri
Synod. Walther is regarded as one of the two most important
figures in the history of Lutheranism in America and is
certainly the most commanding figure in Lutheranism in
America in the 19th century. Werner Elert asserted that
Walther was one of only two Lutherans in the 19th century to
understand Luther’s teaching on the proper distinction
between Law and Gospel. Robert Schultz asserted that all
Lutheran bodies in America have been influenced by Walther
in the realm of pastoral theology. Recognizing the importance
of this man, both to our Synod and to Lutheranism in general.
the centennial of his death should be observed properly. Such
observation, to be effective. should be organized and coordi-
nated by acommittee assigned sucha task. In keeping with all
this, be it

Resolved, That a committee be appointed by the President
of the Synod in order to suggest ways in which the Synod. its
agencies, and its congregations. can observe the centennial of
the death of President Walther; and be it further

Resolved. That the Board of Directors be directed to provide
adequate funding so that this committee will have sufficient
resources available to it to carry out its assigned tasks.

Mount Olive Lutheran Church
Norfolk. Nebr.

Gavard Nygren. Chairman
Arnold Krugler, Pastor

4-63
To Thank God on 20th Anniversary
of Ohio District

Wuereas, The Ohio District was organized by The Lutheran
Church—Missouri Synod in 1963; and
WuerEas, God has richly blessed the Ohio District and its