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Dear Bishops and Deputies,
Among many challenges in our mission and ministry as a church, one of the most expressed anxieties of congregations and dioceses is the rising cost of health care, most particularly in the Denominational Health Plan (DHP). In response to this concern, the 80th General Convention acted in resolution D034 to create a Task Force to Advise the Church on the Denominational Health Plan and recommend actions to the 81st General Convention that could reduce the costs of providing health coverage to lay and clergy employees in The Episcopal Church.
The DHP Task Force has been hard at work since early this year on fulfilling our mandate. We believe the church’s witness matters. As such, we seek solutions that provide long-term sustainability to our congregations and dioceses; that provide health and wellness to our employees through accessible benefits; and that support dioceses and congregations with less means in obtaining coverage that is priced appropriately to their context.
Among the tasks we’ve undertaken is the commissioning an independent outside study of the structure and offerings of the Denominational Health Plan, from a nationally esteemed actuarial firm who undertakes the work with no prior rendered opinions about the plan’s structure and offerings. This study is equally underwritten by The Episcopal Church and the Church Pension Group, and its findings are due directly to the Task Force in October.
In order for the DHP Task Force to be good stewards of the task entrusted to us by the whole church, we need to hear from the whole church, so that our recommendations take into consideration not only what the study shows to be actuarily efficient, but also what is right for the needs, concerns, and ethical and moral values of our church. We now ask for your help in providing feedback that will be vital in shaping our final recommendations to the 81st General Convention.
Below, you will find a link to an online survey that seeks your feedback and experience of the DHP at present. We want to know about your plan selections, and how you make choices as to what plans to offer. We need to hear about your experience as to the accessibility and generosity of benefits, and your experience of how the cost of health care has affected the mission and ministry of your communities. And we want to leave room for open feedback to tell the Task Force the things you think we need to know. Responses should take no more than 10-15 minutes.
On November 14 at 4:00 PM ET, we will hold an Online Listening Session, in which you can tell us about your experience of the DHP in your own words, and provide qualitative feedback on the DHP that an online survey may not adequately convey. You can find information on pre-registering to provide your testimony and feedback below.
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