Orthodox Health Plan issues update
In a letter to all participants in the Orthodox Health Plan [OHP] dated March 29, 2010, members of the plan’s benefit committee announced a modest two percent premium increase effective May 1.
“This marks the sixth year in a row that our premium increase is below five percent,” the letter reads. “However, questions still arise about the OHP premium.”
The letter, the full text of which may be found here, goes on to explain that “the premium is dictated by the claims which the program incurs. Even with Aetna’s deep discounts in provider payments, our participants’ utilization is above the normal ‘book of business’ for a group of our size.”
The letter added that “our participants do share in their health costs through plan deductibles and co-pays.”
Two plan changes involving slight increases in emergency department and annual participant deductibles’ also were announced.
OHP’s benefits committee has been closely monitoring discussions and decisions concerning the new US government Health Care Program.
For more information on OHP visit www.orthodoxhealthplans.com.
Letter signators included Priest Constantine L. Sitaras, Chairman, Joint Orthodox Health Plan Committee [Greek Archdiocese]; Priest Stratton Dorozenski, Greek Archdiocese Insurance Committee Chairperson; Archpriest Michael Ellias, Antiochian Archdiocese Department of Insurance and Retirement; Archpriest Eric G. Tosi, Secretary, Orthodox Church in America; and William Casey, Director of Finance and Administration, Diocese of the Armenian Church (Eastern).