Benefits Frequently Asked Questions

Annual Conference/Appointment Changes

  1. Q: What are the payroll deductions for benefits for our new pastor? 
    A: Payroll deductions are based on the pastor’s health insurance election and their UMPIP election.  CRSP and CPP should not be deducted from the pastor's payroll. The pastor should provide the person at the church responsible for payroll with this information. 

 

  1. Q: Our new pastor starts before the end of the month, what amount do we deduct from his paycheck for this month? 
    A: According to the Insurance Guidelines in the Conference Journal, the first premium will be deducted from their first full pay period of coverage. So, if they start on April 23, they will not have a premium deducted until the May 1 paycheck.

 

  1. Q: What is our new pastor’s compensation? 
    A: The new pastor’s compensation is provided by the District Superintendent when the appointment is made. This information is provided to the pastor and the SPRC chair via electronic or mailed letter.

 

  1. Q: How do I enter our pastor’s compensation?
    A: The Pastor enters their compensation through the Clergy Financial Support Worksheet. Instructions can be found here. The pastor should also provide a copy of the CFSW to the treasurer as the treasurer may not have access to Data Services in order to see this information. 

 

Charge Conference – Clergy Benefits Budget/Benefit Changes for the New Year

  1. Q: What is the church’s portion of the Pastor’s benefits for the next year?
    A: Using the pastor’s compensation, you may determine the pension benefits using the CRSP calculator. The church portion of the HealthFlex premium can be found in the current year Journal and on the Health and Well Being Page

 

  1. Q: What are the pastor’s health insurance deductions?
    A: Based on the pastor’s elections, which the pastor should provide to the church, the costs can be found on the conference website on the Health and Well Being Page

 

  1. Q: Why is there a difference in the billing for the Health Insurance for the pastor? The pastor said they didn’t make any changes.
    A: Even if a pastor’s election stays the same as the prior year, the cost of the plans to the pastor are approved at annual conference and can be found on the conference website on the Health and Well Being Page as well as in the Journal.      

 

UMPIP

  1. Q: Why are we getting a bill from Wespath?
    A: North Georgia elected to sponsor but not remit UMPIP payments. Therefore, the bills for the pastor are sent to the church. CRSP is the only pension amount billed by the conference and is included in the monthly invoice. 

 

  1. Q: Why is the amount different from the amount on the Wespath billing different for January if the clergy person didn't tell us there would be a change?
    A: If the pastor doesn’t elect a specific amount each year, based on approval by Annual Conference, each year the clergy person’s UMPIP election will be increased by a percentage point until the percentage gets to 10%. The clergy person can elect to not have the election auto escalate, but this election must be made with every appointment change.

 

  1. Q: How do I make a change in my UMPIP amount deducted?
    A: Fill out the UMPIP Election form and return it to the Benefits Office.

 

Health Insurance - Clergy and Lay Participants

  1. Q: When I first enroll in a HealthFlex plan, how do I know that i have insurance? 
    A: Each participant will have coverage as of their effective date (generally July 1 or January 1).

 

  1. Q: When will I get my health insurance card? 
    A: Cards are mailed out once the participant's record is updated and it will take 7-10 business days for delivery.

 

  1. Q: What if I need to go to the doctor before I get my insurance card? 
    A: Participants can log into their WebMD account to print a temporary card. Participants can also call the Health and Wellness Team at 800-851-2201, option 2 then 0.

 

  1. Q: How do I access the WebMD website? 
    A: For instructions on accessing the WebMD site, please see the instructions found here.

 

Health Insurance - Churches

  1. Q: We need to terminate our Lay employee’s insurance on the 23rd, how much will our bill for this month be prorated?A: Insurance payments are made at the beginning of the month. Wespath covers participants through the end of the month in which there is a termination, so the expense is not prorated.

 

  1. Q: What if I can’t pull up my billing from the link provided?  A: If you have not set up your Data Services account, you must do that first by following the directions found here for logging into Data Services. Once that is done, if the link doesn’t work, you can view the monthly invoice by logging into Data Services account and clicking on the Benefits button. This will take you to a new screen where you will see a drop down from which you can choose the current month’s invoice.

 

  1. Q: We have paid our invoice on-line, but it is not showing up on the website.  What do I do?
    A: When the payments are made on-line the payments aren’t automatically applied to the account as the on-line system is separate from the bank. Once the payments are applied to the bank account, the payments are recorded by the accounting department. If the amount does not show up in seven business days, please contact Bruce Cooper, Conference Controller, at bcooper@ngumc.org.

 

Retirement

 

  1. Q: How do I choose a medicare plan?
    A:  In order to receive the retiree benefit, medicare plans must be chosen through ViaBenefits. They have qualified advisors who can help you choose your plan. 
     
  2. Q: Where do I find information on how to designate pension payments as housing?
    A: The resolutions pertaining to the housing allowance can be found in the Journal for the year prior to the current tax year. For example, the resolution for the 2020 tax year can be found in the 2019 journal. In addition, Wespath has provided instructions, found here, that will aid in preparing your tax return and designating pension benefits as housing. 
Administration