Evangelical Free Church of America (EFCA) churches, and other churches and ministries that are clients of Free Church Ministers and Missionaries (FCMM), now have access to the group health plans from GuideStone® (the church benefits board that serves Southern Baptists and like-minded churches and ministries). GuideStone health plans are self-insured but are administered by Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield (BCBS) and Express Scripts® (ESI) pharmacy network.
GuideStone Group and Personal Plans are deemed group health plans under the ACA and may be provided by the employer as a nontaxable benefit. That means that GuideStone does not issue individual medical policies; rather, it provides group health coverage through the plans it makes available. This is made possible because of GuideStone’s unique structure as a self-funded church health plan.
Available health plans include:
- Comprehensive Plans
- Consumer-driven High Deductible Health Plans (HDHPs) that are eligible for use with a Health Savings Account (HSA)
- Protection Plans
- Blue High Performance Network Plans
GuideStone will collect your employees’ health information either through a general survey from your overall staff or through individual health statements submitted by your employees. The level of detail required will be based on the number of employees who will potentially be covered in the plan. Staff underwriters will use the information submitted to develop your rates.
