^M.W.O.S.

^{Developments:}

^{The Official}^{Newsletter for MWOS and Benevolent Fund Employees}

^{Mormon Widows and Orphans Society and}

^{Benevolent Fund For Mormon Widows And Orphans}
http://ourbenefitcenter.com/mwos/

^{Issue XVI}

^{December 8, 2005}

^{Society's Health Care System and Self-Funded Supplemental Health Insurance}

^{Here is where we are NOW!!! Individual: 100% = $5,310.90; Couple: Add 75% for a Spouse; Parent and Child: Add 75% for one Child , or 50% each for firdt two Children. Two Parents and one Child: $5,310.90 + (75%) + (75%); Two Parents and first two Children to reach maximum: $5,310.90 +(75%) +(50%) +(50%); Third child or more add 0%.}

^{Employees Payroll Deduction is 40% (less 8% discount from underwriters) The “Deductible” in force is $2,500 or “Family Deductible” which is $4,000}

^{(A family is: a married couple: a married couple with children; and, a parent with children.)}

^{Information for employees who received a payroll credit advice from our carrier. Up till now the employee portion of the premium (40%) was deducted from your salary. We agreed with our carrier that the premium will be paid by means of a payroll deduction form of collection. This was already mentioned in the letter from the Council dated November 21, 2005. Note that the 10% discount on the premiums for the supplementary insurances have not yet been implemented. This will soon be corrected.}

^{The new health care system per April 1, 2006.}

^{• From April 1, 2006 there will no longer be a distinction between the Society's Health Care System and the group health care insurances. From then on all employees of the Society will be obliged to self-insure for the deductibles not covered under the group insurance. The coverage and premium of this group insurance are determined by the underwriters. The deductible portion is similar to Society's Health Care Plan. See the MWOS site: http://ourbenefitcenter.com/mwos/}

^{• Group Health Insurance Companies are held to accept any employee for group insurance. They are not allowed to apply a medical selection to the self-insured deductibles..}

^{• The premium for the group insurance consists of a fixed amount, which you pay directly to the insurance company 1/12th monthly or 1/24th on the 14th and 28th of each month.}

^{• Children up to the age of 18 are insured as dependents (or up to age 26 if living at home and enrolled in full-time study). If you like to know more about the group insurance or anything related you will find that information on www.mwos.onefireplace.com.}

^{What else must I do? Everyone insured did receive an offer for a new health care insurance from their insurance company by December 15th 2005 at the latest. The Society now has a group health care insurance policy with a new carrier. All employees who are presently group insured with our carrier did also receive an offer from the new health care insurance carrier. This offer is geared to your present insurance package. If you are satisfied with that the an offer, you need to sign a waiver (and check the plan YOU DO NOT CHOOSE) or you will automatically be transferred to the new group health care insurance. You will also have the possibility to choose a different supplementary insurance package with self-referral selection. However, for the Luxury Dental package a referral requirement will be applied. If you are not satisfied with our new carrier’s offer, you can switch to another insurance company before March 1, 2006 or change your package with our new carrier at any moment.}

^{What is going to happen to the present group contract that the Society has taken out with our carrier? Over the past months the Council has been negotiating with our insurance company about a new group health care insurance for Society employees. The negotiations have led to the following attractive result: The insurance will be offered for a premium with an 8% group discount. This means that the premium with our carrier will be $180.96 per month. In addition to the insurance you can take out supplementary insurances with our new carrier. For these the premium discount will be 10%. In addition to the discount, there is now a Youth Extra extension of the coverage of all supplementary insurances. This involves a full world coverage, repatriation, extended physiotherapy and vaccinations. In the dental packages the Youth Extra coverage is up to age 26.}

^{Note: you have until March 1, 2006 to choose your insurance company. The insurance companies will mutually settle the premiums, costs and repayments retroactively to January 1, 2006. The calculation of employees share is 40% of premium less 8%.}

^{Premium growth of the group contract with our carrier for the next years. The press published a number of disturbing articles about the premium growth the beginning of the century. This has caused us to negotiate a contract period of three years with our carrier who has promised that the premiums for the supplementary packages will rise or fall with no more than 3% on a yearly basis. In addition our carrier has guaranteed the present discount percentages for the basic insurance and the supplementary packages for the next 3 years. However, our new carrier does not have any influence on the premium for the group insurance if this premium is later to be determined by the government.}

^{Other important issues for MWOS employees, ex-employees, and members of MWOS (employee discounts do not apply unless you are a student member or past employee):}

^{• PayPal. Through the Society's website, members can get access to PayPal. This service makes it easier for members to view the conditions of the Society's Health Care System, to subscribe themselves for a health care insurance plan under the Society's group contract, newer group policy and all the supplemental coverages of either carrier.}

^{• Group Number. If you are not or not yet insured with our carriers and apply with our carrier for a new health care insurance package, you will be asked the group number. This number is given out by request only and is different for different carriers.}

^{• Subscribing yourself for the group insurance. If you and/or your spouse are not or not group insured with our carriers, you can subscribe to our group insurance without a medical selection. This also holds for the supplementary insurance packages, with the exception of the Luxury Dental package. For more information please contact :}

^{Banks Armstrong (702) 421-5371 or .}

^{• Address for application forms. Please send the application form for the group health insurance to the following address with correct postage.}

^{• Change of employer during the year. It is laid down in these contracts that a change to our insurance carriers can only be effected within thirty days prior to April 1st each year. We arranged with our carriers that employees who change their employment during the year may continue to avail themselves of the group advantages as non-employee members until or unless covered by another insurer.}

^{• Retirement. All employees who enter retirement, or who enter an unemployment benefit situation, are entitled to continue to make use of the group unless they come under the coverages of another plan such as a different company, Social Security, or public welfare program at the discretion of the Council.}

^{• Ex-employees. In the case of retirement or early retirement or if the employee is entitled to an unemployment benefit, he or she may remain insured on a group basis for the same premiums as employees. Also, ex-employees may still enter the group under non-employee member eligibility. The group number will be asked for. This number is given out by request only and is different for different carriers.}

^{• Insurance of children . Dependent children up to the age of 18 (or 26 in the case of full-time students living at home) are insured for their parents’ or parent’s supplementary package automatically. Note: if both parents are group insured but have different supplementary packages, the children are insured for the least extensive package. If the parents have a supplementary dental insurance, orthodontics for the children will be paid for in full.}

^{• Employees’ children who are students (up to the age of 26, living away from home) For employees of the Society who have children that are students, the following is important. Over the past months the Council has been negotiating with our carriers about a new group health care insurance not only for its employees and members but also for their studying children who do not live at home. This has led to the following attractive result. Studying children of employees up to the age of 26, and living away from home, can enter the group students insurance (group number 000104451). To apply please use the application form for the students insurance. For more information see below.}

^{• Student Members. Over the past months the Council has been negotiating with our carriers about a new group health care insurance for its student members not covered under any other plans. This has led to the following attractive result for students. Like the employees students will get an 8% discount on the premium for the basic health care insurance and pay $180.96 per month and a 10% discount on a supplementary package specifically developed for students (the Youth Extra insurance, with a monthly premium of $62.60 (after discount). This supplementary package contains (among other things):}

^{• dental care}

^{• orthodontics up to $1,300 per year;}

^{• physiotherapy up to $1,600 per year;}

^{• fertility related care;}

^{• primary care psychologist up to $1,210 per year;}

^{• alternative forms of care up to $1,300 per year;}

^{• world coverage (outside USA up to 200% US$);}

^{• vaccinations.}

^{For a full list of this package’s coverage see our website or please contact Banks Armstrong (702) 421-5371 or}^.

^{• Application form for Students}

^{• Leaflet Basic insurance}

^{• Leaflet Youth care}

^{• List of premiums Students Basic insurance}

^{• List of premiums Students Supplementary insurance You still have ample time (until March 1, 2006) to make your choice. In January we will plan a number of informative meetings. We will inform you about these on the website. Of course, it is up to you if you want to buy insurance from a different insurance company.}

^{• Living abroad. The situation for employees and their dependents, members and student members all of some of which may be living abroad depends on both personal circumstances and the country of residence. Quite recently additional information was published on the site about the new health care insurance ( http://ourbenefitcenter.com/mwos/ ). A large number of situations are described. We are planning to have informative meetings about the situation for those working and living abroad in the beginning of 2006.}

^{These meetings will be announced.}^{For more information please contact:}

^{Banks Armstrong (702) 421-5371 or}^.

^{Due the favorable negotiations for group contracts it is now advantageous to suspend the HCS-allowance. At the moment employees of the Society who have a their own health care insurance receive a contribution towards the premium on their health care insurance, the so-called HCS-allowance. With the introduction of the new health care system this HCS-allowance will terminate. This also holds for any contributions for spouse and/or children. The HCS-allowance up to and including March 2006 will be paid in December 2005 so these will note be expensed in the new fiscal year beginning January 1, 2006.}

^{No legal rights can be derived from this newsletter. Information contained herein is informational only and subject to change without notice.}

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