A Partnership for Today and Tomorrow—The Advantages
for Employers and Workers

The Concordia Plans are meant to be a partnership among Concordia Plan Services, LCMS employers, and workers. We each have a role to play—and we each face significant challenges. The current benefits environment is putting pressure on employers as they strive to provide a comprehensive set of benefits for their workers. For workers, healthcare costs, including those they must plan for in retirement, are also challenging. The Church’s Plan is designed with these issues in mind. There are advantages for both employers and workers that make this an exciting new offering.

Why Employers Should Study and Consider The Church's Plan:

• Provides your workers with a comprehensive and continuous bene€ts package designed especially for them.
• Assists in the call process and keeps you competitive — helping you to attract and retain workers.
• Creates financial security for your workers — allowing them to focus on ministry.
• Continues to offer flexibility, conveniently allowing you to choose the best bene€ts package for your workers.
• Excludes coverages not aligned with LCMS beliefs.
• Maintains a low administrative cost because we pay no commissions or taxes and have low overhead and sales/marketing expenses.
• Provides you the power of group purchasing (one 30,000-worker group versus 6,000 small employers) with substantial additional leverage through Church Bene€t Association coalitions.
• Offers a dedicated and committed staff of €nancial, insurance, and bene€ts professionals working on your behalf.

The Advantages of The Church's Plan for Workers:

The Church's Plan has LCMS workers in mind—as we are focused on the wellbeing of workers and their families.

We offer:

• Comprehensive and continuous benefits—workers can take their benefits to a new LCMS employer if that employer offers Concordia Plans.
• A way to help create financial security for retirement by providing a new opportunity for workers to save—with an employer match.
• A new Retiree Medical Supplement, which will help workers pay for healthcare expenses when they retire.
• Tools and resources to help workers plan for the future.

The Church’s Plan is designed to encourage employers to “walk together” to ensure that financially stable plans will be here for workers in the years to come.

The Advantages of The Church's Plan for Workers:

The Church's Plan has LCMS workers in mind—as we are focused on the wellbeing of workers and their families.

We offer:

• Comprehensive and continuous benefits—workers can take their benefits to a new LCMS employer if that employer offers Concordia Plans.
• A way to help create financial security for retirement by providing a new opportunity for workers to save—with an employer match.
• A new Retiree Medical Supplement, which will help workers pay for healthcare expenses when they retire.
• Tools and resources to help workers plan for the future.

The Church’s Plan is designed to encourage employers to “walk together” to ensure that financially stable plans will be here for workers in the years to come.

Remember, employers decide if they will offer The Church’s Plan or another option to their workers for 2006. Employers will then communicate their decision to their workers. While employers will be encouraged to offer The Church’s Plan for 2006, they have until the end of 2006 to join and still receive special past service credit advantages for their workers in the Retiree Medical Supplement.