by Tim Isbell, August 2013
Every quarter, I receive a little magazine from the Pensions and Benefits Department of the Church of the Nazarene. It's written for pastors in our tradition to provide news on retirement issues. Healthcare is a significant concern for all retirees, including ministers, especially if health or other circumstances force them to leave full-time employment before Medicare coverage becomes available. The July/August/September issue's lead story offered a helpful perspective on the health care battle in the United States. Don Walter, the director of Pensions and Benefits for the Church of the Nazarene, wrote it. Despite the political polarization around healthcare these days, it's a remarkably balanced article. In addition to offering an excellent top-level view of the issues, he brings a lot of personal experience to the reader, including his involvement in participation mandates.
Here's an excerpt from the article:
"One of the biggest challenges the Board of Pensions and Benefits USA and our office have faced over the last three decades is health benefits for pastors. We tried a 'denominational plan' from 1983 to 1995. Unfortunately, it was offered without any enforceable requirements for participation. It eventually ended because only the sickest stayed on the program, and there weren't enough healthy folks to collect premiums from. I've thought about that experience as I've listened to the debates over requiring people to purchase health insurance.
You can read the whole article at Healthcare Battle - Round 83? (Link used with permission).
Blessings,
Tim
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