# LCMS Convention Workbook_St. Louis Missouri_2016_S75
# Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

OFFICER, BOARD, AND COMMISSION REPORTS
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Clear Savings: Members can compare cost and quality of basic
medical procedures and prescription drugs using this interactive transparency tool.
Concordia Total Health Team: The team is made up of nurses, behavioral specialists, nutritionists, counselors, exercise specialists, and
others who listen to members and help find solutions for them to get
and stay healthy.

To effectively promote healthy living among our own staff, CPS
supports a variety of wellness initiatives internally. In 2014, CPS was
named one of the 100 “Healthiest Workplaces” in America. The
“Healthiest 100” list is compiled by Healthiest Employers, a wellness
technology company based in Indianapolis, and represents employers of all sizes, regions, and industries. Employers who made the list
comprehensively effect employee wellness programs and practices.
CPS was also a finalist in the 2013 and 2014 Healthiest Employer
contests sponsored by the St. Louis Business Journal, being named
St. Louis’ healthiest employer in 2013 among all employers in the
100–499 employee category.
Health Care Reform Done Right: To help Concordia Health
Plan members understand how we can impact our own health and the
cost of health care, CPS initiated “Health Care Reform Done Right”
(HCRDR). The elements of the program are Healthy Behaviors,
Lifestyles, and Choices; Health Management; Health Stewardship;
and Health Coverage. The HCRDR blog series can be found at
ConcordiaPlans.org.
Affordable Care Act: CPS remains focused on helping employers understand and comply with the changes and requirements of the
Affordable Care Act (ACA), while continuing to offer health care
coverage options that are consistent with LCMS beliefs. Actions
included these:
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Educated small employers about the small business health care credit,
which resulted in potential tax credits across the LCMS totaling $11
million annually for three years
Helped persuade government agencies to expand the ACA contraceptive services mandate exemption
Consistently maintained LCMS beliefs with respect to specific health
services, including abortion, abortifacients, and transgender surgery
Helped employers meet ACA compliance responsibilities, including the production of required Summaries of Benefits and Coverages
(SBCs), providing notice templates for employers, educating employers on the “Pay or Play” rules, and helping them meet reporting
requirements
Lowered costs through utilization of over $1.5 million that had been
applied for and received from the Early Retiree Reinsurance Program
Monitored ACA issues and advocated on behalf of CHP members and
employers, such as with the future “Cadillac” excise tax on the cost of
health coverage
Helped secure passage of the Church Plan Clarification Act, which
should assist some mid-size and large employers with ACA compliance requirements

Retirement Connection: Retirement Connection was introduced in 2014 and allows workers to view their projected Concordia
Retirement Plan (CRP) and Concordia Retirement Savings Plan
(CRSP) benefits and apply for retirement benefits online. Workers
can also create and compare different retirement scenarios based on
their actual data to help in retirement planning. Since introduction,
over 7,000 unique users have logged into the site and created over
56,000 retirement-planning scenarios.
CRSP Enhancements: Changes to the Concordia Retirement
Savings Plan will allow more members to participate with enhanced
service and resources.
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Fidelity became the service provider for the CRSP in 2015. Fidelity
was selected for their resources, customer support, and commitment

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to helping members become ready for retirement. They also have
resources specific to church plans and their members.
Members in the CRSP now may choose to save by contributing on a
pre-tax basis, an after-tax Roth basis, or a combination of both.
If elected by the employer, part-time workers may be eligible to save
in the CRSP.

CHP Enhancements: Changes in the Concordia Health Plan have
enhanced coverage for specific groups.
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Working with the Office of International Mission, CPS introduced
a new health plan for international workers, Blue Cross Blue Shield
GeoBlue.
CPS introduced a new Medicare supplemental program for 2016
administered by AmWINS. Now retirees may choose from an
expanded selection of Medicare supplemental options and may enroll
in voluntary dental and vision coverage.

Paychex: CPS works with Paychex, a national third-party payroll and business administration provider, to offer LCMS ministries
a reduced rate on payroll processing and tax compliance solutions.
Paychex has expertise in the unique needs of church payroll. As of
December 31, 2015, more than 430 ministries were using Paychex
services to administer payroll for more than 13,000 employees.
Communications: New and updated communications tools allow
CPS’s audiences to interact with the organization more easily and to
more quickly find information they seek.
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MyCPS.org launched to create a single entry point for members to
access their information and link to sites of service providers. Online
open enrollment also began, allowing workers at select employers to
choose their health plan option online.
The CPS Facebook page grew to over 15,000 likes, providing an outlet for member and employer interaction.
A redesigned ConcordiaPlans.org website launched. The new site features 45 pages instead of the 800+ on the former site, making content
easier to locate.
A new series of videos under the banner Sharing in Your Spirit of
Service launched to illustrate the connection between CPS and LCMS
workers.
The new CPS magazine, Serve, launched to create a stronger connection between CPS and the members in the Concordia Plans. Serve
features stories of real members of the Concordia Plans.
Looking to the Future

CPS serves the ministries and members in the Plans by studying, anticipating, and preparing for future developments in employee
benefits and the economy, while seeking to meet the needs of LCMS
ministries. Looking into the coming years, the following will be
among the areas of focus for CPS:
Economic Environment Impact: Recognizing the challenges
presented by ongoing volatility and uncertainty in the economy, both
domestic and global, CPS remains focused on delivering products
and services designed to meet the benefit needs of Concordia Plans
members, while practicing biblically based stewardship principles.
Health Care Reform—Status and Impact on the CHP:
Provisions related to the ACA are constantly changing. CPS will
continue to work diligently to prepare for and evaluate the impact of
ACA provisions on LCMS ministries. CPS is also actively involved
in organizations that allow us to dialogue with government leaders
on the ACA and other issues.
Health Plan Options: Ministries in the CHP are diverse, based
on their type, size, and geography. As ministries grow and evolve,
CPS will seek to create and offer plan design options that effectively
meet ministries’ needs.
Financial Wellness: CPS will place a stronger focus on financial wellness for the workers of the LCMS. CPS will introduce new
2016 Convention Workbook