The 2025 Employer Elections period is Sept. 2 – Sept. 13.
Before you choose benefits, start by reviewing your 2025 Employer Renewal Notice mailed to your ministry in June. This letter includes an overview of your ministry’s 2024 Concordia Plans (CPS) participation, as well as a comparison of your 2024 and 2025 Concordia Health Plan (CHP) rates. To request another copy of your 2025 Employer Renewal Notice, please contact us at 888-927-7526 or [email protected].
If you’re making any changes for 2025, the deadline to elect your healthcare option(s) is Sept. 13. Please contact your Account Manager to discuss. If you’re not making any changes, no further action is required and your plans will renew automatically. (See note below regarding personal spending accounts (PSA)).
We encourage you to visit our Employer Election webpage where you will find resources such as guides, plan information and recordings of our Employer Election webinars.
Do you currently offer a Grandfathered health plan?
In 2025, CPS is consolidating health plan options to provide clear choices that are strategically spread across a value spectrum, offering more meaningful choices to ministries. As part of this consolidation, our grandfathered plans will no longer be offered. We have proactively mapped your ministry to a new CHP option that is similar to your current offering.
Additionally, your dental and vision plan will no longer be bundled. We have proactively mapped your ministry to the Dental Premium plan and Vision Basic plan options.
Do you offer personal spending accounts (PSA)?
PSAs offer great financial advantages for your workers to budget and save for everyday healthcare and dependent care costs, while also providing tax advantages that let your workers keep more money in their pockets. These financial accounts can help to offset worker costs for out-of-pocket expenses, while still helping you be mindful of the costs to your ministry.
If you offer PSA(s), no action is necessary if you do not wish to make any changes. However, if you offer a health reimbursement account (HRA), consider reviewing your medical deductible for 2025. If your intention is for your HRA plan design deductible to match your medical deductible, you’ll need to change your existing HRA. If you need to make this change or any other changes to your PSA elections for 2025, please contact your Account Manager. Any changes made after the Employer Election period may result in a fee from HealthEquity , our PSA vendor.
Life Insurance webinar – learn the basics!
Thank you for choosing the Concordia Disability and Survivor Plan (CDSP) to provide Basic Life Insurance benefits for your workers. You’re offering peace of mind to workers by providing financial benefits to help during a very difficult time.
Learn more about the Basic Life Insurance benefits you’re providing and additional coverage opportunities available (e.g., Supplemental Life) at our upcoming webinar “Life Insurance Basics,” hosted by Meg Nichols, Director of Benefit Product Solutions, Sept. 24 at 1 p.m. CT. During the webinar Meg will provide an overview of CDSP Basic Life Insurance benefits, information on additional insurance options, the importance of beneficiaries and much more.
She’ll also talk about an upcoming opportunity during Benefits Open Enrollment where your workers will be able to purchase additional life insurance without answering any medical questions.
Each worker has a different idea of what retirement will be like, but no matter how they imagine spending their time if they aren’t saving for retirement, their picture may be missing something. That’s where you come in! Encourage your workers to save in the Concordia Retirement Savings Plan (CRSP) 403(b). It will help them fill in the missing pieces of their retirement income, so they can enjoy the retirement they always pictured.
Our CRSP 403(b) Fall Enrollment event will be held Sept. 16-20, to encourage workers to start saving (or saving more). They’ll receive a mailer and emails, as well as see reminders on social media. Workers are encouraged to visit the Member Portal to increase their contribution amount or to visit ConcordiaPlans.org/CRSP for more information.
Encourage your workers to save in the CRSP 403(b) today!
Enrolling your workers in AutoSave does the heavy lifting for them. The industry best practice is for you, the employer, to automatically withhold retirement savings from workers’ paychecks, and research shows that most workers prefer for their employer to take these measures. If you are interested in more information regarding AutoSave, contact your Account Manager.
Not offering the CRSP 403(b)?
Contact your Account Manager about offering it to your workers.
Employer Portal users now have the ability to perform a self-service reset of their Portal passwords. Visit our website for step-by-step instructions on how to complete this task.
If you’d like additional assistance with the password reset process, please call us at 888-927-7526.
Employer Portal update: Consistency for Salary Deferrals
Starting in September, all salary deferral agreements in the Employer Portal (TELUS) will be displayed as monthly amounts for all benefits, including the CRSP 403(b). This change, based on your feedback, will provide consistency, and make it easier to calculate deferrals, especially for those making CRSP deferrals as a flat dollar amount. No action is required from you or your workers.
Reminder: our new customer service hours are Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. CT.
As you may have heard, the Inflation Reduction Act is bringing national changes to Medicare in 2025. Medicare can be confusing and change can cause stress, but don’t worry … we’re here to help members and retirees! We’re working diligently with our longtime Medicare Navigation partners at Amwins to create communications that will clearly explain the changes and instill confidence that CPS Medicare options are designed not only to meet these new regulations, but also to best meet our retirees’ needs.
We’ll be sending information directly to retirees and active workers 64 years of age or older. If someone reaches out to you with questions, encourage them to contact Amwins, our Medicare benefits partner, for a free appointment or call 877-517-1409.
Our “State of Medicare Report” that provides details about the 2025 Medicare changes.
Information to register for our webinar, “Medicare Changes & CPS Medicare Options," co-presented by CPS and Amwins, Sept. 19 at 10 a.m. CT (recording will be available after the live presentation is held).
2025 Medicare Open Enrollment materials for the CPS Medicare options (after Oct.1).
Access to BeFine ending Sept. 30
We strive to provide the best financial resources to workers. BeFine was a financial product created by ProManage, our financial partner, to help members meet their financial goals and improve their everyday finances.
After careful review of member usage since it was introduced in 2022, the level of utilization did not justify the ongoing expense of subscribing to the BeFine tool. As a result, we have made the difficult decision to discontinue offering it. Starting Sept. 30, 2024, the BeFine Tool will no longer be available to members. Other programs offered through ProManage will continue, including the Vision retirement planning tool and the PROgram™ asset allocation services.
ProManage will be reaching out directly to those members currently using the tool to let them know that it is being discontinued and encouraging members with financial questions to contact our Financial Education team at [email protected].
Life Insurance Awareness Month is the perfect time to remind your workers about the life insurance coverage you’re providing them and their enrolled family members through the CDSP and Securian Financial (administrator for our life insurance benefits). You can also encourage them to purchase additional insurance (if needed).
This year, during your designated 2025 Benefit Open Enrollment period, your workers can take advantage of a special, guaranteed-issue opportunity, allowing them to purchase up to an additional $50,000 (not to exceed a total of $200,000) in Supplemental Life Insurance for themselves without having to provide any medical information.
Workers can:
See their Basic Life Insurance benefits on the Member Portal.
Consider purchasing more insurance (if needed) anytime through the Member Portal or take advantage of the guaranteed-issue opportunity during your 2025 Open Enrollment.
Remind them they could earn 100 Vitality Points by using Benefit Scout to estimate their insurance needs (if enrolled in the CHP).
One aspect of retirement planning that tends to be overwhelming is learning about Medicare. Invite your workers to explore this topic with our Financial Educators and an Amwins representative at this month’s webinar where they will explain the basics of Medicare, changes to Medicare for 2025 and discuss the Medicare plans offered by CPS. Copy and paste this invitation and share it with your workers!
Subject: Learn more about Medicare!
Medicare coverage is one of the biggest—and often most confusing—topics of retirement planning. Get a head start by learning some of the basics! Concordia Plans will host a webinar on Medicare Changes and CPS Medicare plans Sept. 19 at 10 a.m. CT. This event will be co-presented by CPS Financial Educators and Amwins Representatives. Even if you can’t join the live webinar, you can still register here and they will send you a link to the recording. You can also check out their library of recorded webinars on a variety of financial wellness and retirement topics!
Upcoming member communications
Here’s a snapshot of the communications we’ll send your workers this month (they may also receive additional communications from our vendors):
Members are encouraged to learn more about their life insurance benefits offered through the CDSP, Supplemental Life Insurance and/or Accidental Death and Dismemberment insurance.
CRSP 403(b) Fall Enrollment Campaign
Eligible workers are encouraged to make CRSP 403(b) elections during the CRSP Fall Enrollment event to begin saving for retirement or to increase their savings amounts.
Wondr
The next Wondr class enrollment starts Sept. 30, but no need to wait if you want to lose weight ... now CHP members can start anytime.
CPS Survey
Members and employers are invited to share their opinions and experiences with CPS through a survey.
