A101 (Revise DHP Pricing Structures for Equitable Access )

House of Bishops Message #102

The House of Bishops informs the House of Deputies that on Jun 25, 2024 it considered resolution A101 (Revise DHP Pricing Structures for Equitable Access ). The house acted to:

Concur


Resolved, the House of Bishops concurring,

That the 81st General Convention reaffirm The Episcopal Church’s commitment to maintaining parity in health benefits offered to clergy and lay employees of The Episcopal Church and its dioceses, congregations, institutions and communities; and be it further 

Resolved, That the 81st General Convention urge Church Pension Group to take actions to make the health insurance plans offered by the Episcopal Church Medical Trust self-sufficient and self-funding at each offered benefit level to the extent possible and appropriate; and be it further 

Resolved, That the Church Pension Group be urged to offer health insurance benefit offerings in the Episcopal Church Medical Trust comparable to those offered by the benefit agencies of similar denominations including, but not limited to, the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, the United Methodist Church, the Presbyterian Church USA, and the United Church of Christ, and to continue collaborating with them when feasible for achieving greater purchasing power in the provision of prescription drug benefit offerings; and be it further 

Resolved, That the 81st General Convention urge the Church Pension Group, in consultation with the CPG Client Council, the House of Bishops, and other pertinent stakeholders, to adopt methods to provide equitable churchwide pricing of plans offered by the Episcopal Church Medical Trust, including by taking into account additional factors that may increase equity such as (a) the relative ability of each covered community to pay for needed benefits, and (b) the prevailing cost of comparable coverage within the area covered by each group; and be it further 

Resolved, That the 81st General Convention urge the Church Pension Group to adopt a pricing structure that will ensure the ability of the Navajoland Area Mission and the Dioceses of Alaska, North Dakota, and South Dakota to provide plans through the Episcopal Church Medical Trust to their qualifying lay and clergy employees and their dependents, most especially to those who presently only receive coverage through the Indian Health Service (IHS) of the United States Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).