Concordia Seminary, St. Louis will now offer health care coverage to their students and families under the Concordia Health Plan administered by Concordia Plan Services (CPS). Concordia Theological Seminary in Fort Wayne, Ind., has also agreed to extend this offer to its students. The effective date for the 12-month plan is August 1, 2009, and will cover the 2009-2010 academic year.
The agreement among the three organizations has been under development for more than a year and represents a breakthrough for Seminary enrollees. The new health care plan will provide improved, affordable, and comprehensive coverage that will meet the needs of students and their families. It will also ease the transition from the student plan into the Concordia Health Plan for active workers upon graduation.
In the past, the two seminaries worked separately with independent brokers to develop limited health insurance coverage for their students. Neither plan offered the comprehensive coverage that is available through Concordia Plan Services. Now, Seminary students and their families, for costs similar to their current independent insurance, will receive the all-inclusive healthcare components that are available to active Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod workers.
“I am excited about the high quality of health insurance that we will be able to provide to our students and their families through the Concordia Health Plan at the same or even lower cost compared to our current health plan,” commented Dr. Wally Becker, director of student services. “And the benefits, especially in the area of prevention and helping our students live healthy lives, are excellent.”
The Seminary student plan will become part of the Concordia Health Plan portfolio of medical care options. Additional coverage not available in the current package for Seminary students will include dental care benefits, preventive medical services, expanded prescription drug coverage, employee assistance program, health and wellness programs, vision care, behavioral health benefits and hearing treatment discounts.
All Seminary students, including those in the deaconess program, with seven credit hours or more will be required to have health coverage during their enrollment at the Seminaries. In addition, coverage will continue during periods of vicarage, internship or foreign study. There will be exceptions for students who qualify as eligible “opt-outs” by having coverage, for example, through a spouse’s or parent’s group health plan.
Students can purchase the plan for themselves only, or for their spouses and dependent children. As in the Concordia Health Plan, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Minnesota will administer the medical benefits, CIGNA Healthcare will administer the dental benefits and wellness programs, and Express Scripts Inc., will manage prescription services.
In addition, students and eligible dependents will be able to keep their coverage up to 12 months following graduation if the graduate is working on a dissertation or waiting for a call.