Wishing you a blessed Easter filled with the hope and joy of Christ’s resurrection.
Upcoming webinar for employers: Mental wellness culture
Did you know that 35% of surveyed Concordia Health Plan members expect their employers to support their mental health?*
At Concordia Plans (CPS), we want to empower you to create a workplace culture that prioritizes mental health. Join Kelly Menke, CPS Health & Wellness Educator and Jill Staloch, MA, LPCC, from Evernorth Confide, May 1 at 1 p.m. CT for our webinar: “Resources to Help You Cultivate a Mental Wellness Culture.”
In this session, we will:
Define what a mental wellness culture is.
Review resources available through Evernorth Confide and CPS, including:
We’re making an important change to better support your workers in times of need – we're transitioning to Sedgwick, a new disability benefits vendor.
To help you understand what this means for your ministry, we’re hosting a webinar May 13 at 1 p.m. CT. The webinar will cover the essentials of the disability benefits available through the Concordia Disability and Survivor Plan, as well as important information about Sedgwick.
In this session, we’ll walk through:
Key plan provisions under the new vendor.
Updates to the administrative process and support teams.
We are excited to announce that emailed notifications regarding monthly invoices are now available. Instead of receiving a printed invoice in the mail from CPS, you now have the option to receive an email notification informing you that your electronic invoice is available in the Employer Portal.
Please note that opting into emailed invoice notifications means that you will not receive a mailed invoice. You will only receive the email notification that your invoice is available in the Employer Portal. For your security, we cannot include a copy of the invoice with your email notification.
If you would like to change your invoice delivery preference to an email notification, please contact CPS at 888-927-7526 or send an email to [email protected] including your name, employer ID number, your role and the email address you’d like to enroll.
Disability Administration moving to
Sedgwick on May 1
Effective May 1, administration of the Concordia Disability and Survivor Plan (CDSP) disability benefits will transition to Sedgwick from Lincoln Financial. This change is being made to improve the customer experience and streamline the disability claim process for our members.
No action is required on your part as the employer. This is a service provider change only; the disability benefits offered through the CDSP remain the same.
So, how does this effect your workers?
Workers filing a new disability claim on or after May 1 will submit their claim directly to Sedgwick by calling 888-550-1617 or online through their portal: mySedgwick.com/ConcordiaPlans.
Members currently on short-term disability (disability expected to last 26 weeks or less) will finish their claim with Lincoln Financial. If their condition extends beyond 26 weeks and they move to long-term disability, the claim will transition to Sedgwick.
Members currently on long-term disability (disability expected to last more than 26 weeks) will be transitioned to Sedgwick from Lincoln Financial May 1. These members will be sent communication explaining the transition; we have made this process as smooth and simple as possible. For more information about what that transition will look like for these members, you can reference the Member FAQ guide.
Our website and disability materials are being updated and will be available May 1. If you have any questions, please contact [email protected].
It's never too early to consider
next year's budget
As a reminder, the Concordia Retirement Plan (CRP) pension contribution rate for the Traditional Option* will increase by 1% to 10.7% of compensation in 2026. The rate adjustment allows the CRP pension to remain on the path to fully funded status.
It takes some time getting used to new things. For example, Concordia Plans (CPS) rolled out Quantum Health in January 2024 to Concordia Health Plan members. We asked your workers to, “First call Quantum,” when they need help with:
Getting prior approval for a procedure or medication.
Answering billing questions.
Finding in-network providers.
Verifying coverage.
Requesting ID cards.
Because your workers may not have a reason right now to call Quantum, they may not be familiar with this new service. CPS needs your help encouraging them to register so they’ll be ready to call Quantum first.
Share this link with your workers:ConcordiaPlans.org/Quantum. They also can download the Quantum Health app.
Quantum can remove the complicated from health care. A Care Coordinator will help make sure approvals, claims and billing go smoothly so your workers can focus on their health.
Financial Wellness Corner
A health savings account (HSA) can be a valuable financial tool for workers enrolled in a high deductible health plan (HDHP), like the Concordia Health Plan (CHP) options Healthy Me HSA, Whole Health 2000 or HDHP.
Q: What are the advantages of contributing to an HSA?
An HSA has a triple tax advantage: tax-free contributions, tax-free account growth, tax-free spending on qualified expenses. HSA balances roll over every year, so a member can use an HSA for long-term saving (like retirement). Money in an HSA can be invested for additional potential tax-free growth.
Q: How do I invest my HSA balance?
Contact your HSA provider for more information. If you workers have an HSA with HealthEquity, then you can review this information for more about investing.
Q: Can I change my HSA contribution rate?
Yes, you can change your HSA contribution rate at any time from your Concordia Plans Member Portal.
On the home screen, find Benefits Management and click Enroll or Make Changes.
On the Enroll and Make Changes screen, scroll down to Enroll or Change Contributions for HSA and click Start.
After confirming family members and health plan enrollment, designate the annual amount to contribute.
Synod-Wide Challenge: Wholistic Fitness
Fitness looks different for everyone, and Vitality offers many ways to support your workers’ wellness. Do your workers know all that Vitality has to offer?
During the Synod-wide fitness challenge (April 21–May 31) your workers can see how many point-earning activities they can complete! Concordia Health Plan members can register at powerofVitality.com starting April 21. Earn points for:
Workouts & Physical Activity
Vitality Reviews & Financial Wellness
Goal Setting & Online Education
Health Management & Prevention
Vitality members can check their Points Planner for all available options!
Upcoming member communications
Here’s a snapshot of the communications we’ll send your workers this month (they may also receive additional communications from our vendors):
Quarterly Benefits Connector
The Benefits Connector e-newsletter updates members on what’s new and how to best use the benefits available to them. These segmented emails go to members based on their plan enrollments and eligibilities.
Personal Statement of Benefits (PSOB)
The quarterly PSOB will be posted late April, and members will receive an email when they are ready to view.
