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HR - Benefits & Enrollment

Information for active clergy and lay employees of the Diocese of Newark.

2024 Annual Enrollment for active employees

Annual Enrollment for 2024 health insurance plans begins on Wednesday, October 11 and runs through Wednesday, November 1, 2023. Annual Enrollment is the once-a-year opportunity for eligible clergy and lay employees to review options, enroll in or change medical or dental coverage, add or remove eligible dependents, and verify contact information (even if coverage is not changing). It's also a good time to ask any questions about plan changes or about benefits.

For 2024, the Diocese of Newark will continue to offer the same eight (8) medical insurance plans offered in 2023 through providers Cigna and Anthem BCBS:

  • CIGNA Open Access PPO 90
  • Anthem BCBS PPO 90
  • CIGNA Open Access PPO 80
  • Anthem BCBS PPO 80
  • CIGNA Consumer-Directed Health Plan 20/HSA*
  • Anthem BCBS Consumer-Directed Health Plan 20/HSA*
  • CIGNA Consumer-Directed Health Plan 15/HSA*
  • Anthem BCBS Consumer-Directed Health Plan 15/HSA*

*These are high-deductible health plans, also known as Consumer Directed Health (CDHP) Plans that come with a “tax-favored” Health Savings Account (HSA). Because the HSA is funded by the employer and/or employee, when determining total health care costs for a CDHP Plan, the employer's contributions to the HSA should be considered in addition to their monthly premiums for the CDHP Plan. To learn more about CDHP Plans and HSAs and their benefits, visit CDHP/HSA (Consumer-Directed Health Plan /Health Savings Account) on the CPG website.

Dental plans

As of January 1, 2024, Delta Dental will be our new dental insurance provider. Delta Dental has the largest network of dentists nationwide. These plans have no deductibles, bigger annual maximums and cover more services than Cigna Dental, our 2023 vendor.

If you intend to have dental insurance next year you must login and select a plan. This member education video further explains the new dental selections.

These plans should also be reviewed to ensure that you are not selecting a plan that offers more coverage that you or your dependents will need or use in the upcoming year. (For example, if you don't anticipate needing orthodontics or major dental work, the mid-level plan may work best for you.)

Do your homework

Before making your annual enrollment selections, check with your church employer to find out which of the 8 available plans they are offering to their employees. Some churches may offer all 8 plans, and some may not.

You might wish to call the offices of your health providers and ask which plans they accept. Often, you will find out that your physicians have preferences and could save you money. It will take some time, but could be well worth the effort with lower costs. In fact, it’s in everyone’s interest to check with their health providers on preferred plans.

Enrollment for current members

To access your personal annual enrollment information, you will use the same user name and password that you created previously to access your benefits and enrollment information on the MyCPG Accounts webpage. To review your information and make your selection:

  • Go to: cpg.org/annualenrollment
  • Login to your account using your previously created User ID and password
  • Follow the instruction to complete your AE

If you do not know your Client ID number, please call the CPG Client Services Team at 800-480-9967, Monday-Friday, 8:30 AM-8 PM ET (excluding holidays), or email mtcustserv@cpg.org, to request it.

For actively working, Medicare eligible members

Are you an actively working member who is currently Medicare eligible (65+ years of age) or will be in 2023? If so, the diocese offers lower cost Medicare Secondary Payor (MSP) medical plans whereby Medicare becomes the primary payor of hospitalization claims and your active medical plan is the secondary payor.

To be eligible for an MSP plan, you or your enrolled spouse must be enrolled in Medicare and work for an employer with 19 or fewer employees. These plans give the church a chance to save on premiums while letting members enroll in the same quality health plans that they are used to. If you would like more information about these plans, please contact Leslie Thomas at lthomas@dioceseofnewark.org.

Reminder: Your eligibility to enroll in an MSP medical plan is not dependent on Annual Enrollment. You may enroll whenever you or your spouse becomes Medicare-Eligible.

Not a member and want to enroll?

You will not receive a letter from the Medical Trust, so please contact Leslie Thomas, Diocesan Benefits Administrator at lthomas@dioceseofnewark.org, to request an enrollment form and a copy of the Summaries of Benefits and Coverage and other important notices or to ask any questions.

Congregations are required to provide health insurance through the Episcopal Church Medical Trust to all paid clergy and all lay employees scheduled to work 1,500 hours per year (approximately 30 hours per week).*

  • All eligible clergy and lay employees currently enrolled in one of the Diocesan Health Plans administered through the Medical Trust, will receive by US mail an Annual Enrollment letter that tells you how to access your CPG account so you can choose medical and dental plans for 2020. Letters will be sent directly to members by the Medical Trust, so watch your mail. These letters will contain information and resources to make the selection process easy for you to complete online. Take a few moments to carefully read the letter. Remember that Annual Enrollment is October 12 - November 2, 2022 for coverage starting January 1, 2023.

  • Clergy and/or lay employees who are newly eligible and not currently enrolled in a Medical Trust plan will not receive this mailing. To initiate the enrollment process, they should instead contact Leslie Thomas, Diocesan Benefits Administrator at lthomas@dioceseofnewark.org.

  • Clergy and lay employees who choose to “opt-out” of coverage at the congregational level must certify that comparable alternate coverage is in place through a spouse or alternate employer.

*If you are a clergy person or a lay employee who believes you are eligible for health insurance coverage but it is not being provided, please contact the Benefits Ombudsmen Committee. The committee members are The Rev. Vicki McGrath (allsaints_rector@verizon.net); John Niles (jniles@optonline.net) and Patricia Bradley (arlin.bradley@me.com).