The objective of the Fellowship Group Insurance Plan is two-fold. First, to ensure that the Plan will meet the needs of its members while maintaining cost effectiveness; and secondly, to design a Plan that will be available to all Regions and provide uniformity of coverage in each Region.
Note that the Plan must be taken in its entirety. (Some exceptions may apply.)
When a new pastor or staff member becomes an employee of the church they need to apply for coverage as soon as possible. The coverage takes effect on the first of the month, so if their start date is the first of the month, they need to take coverage on that date. If their start date is after the first, the coverage would begin the first of the next month. If they do not take the coverage right away, they would have to apply as a late applicant.
Late applicants would be required to complete the Evidence of Insurability form. This would be mailed to the Fellowship National office and would then be submitted to Great-West Life for approval from the underwriters. In most cases completion of this form will be sufficient for the insurer to approve coverage. In rare instances more information, or examination by a doctor, might be required. The Fellowship is required to abide by the ruling of the Insurer regarding admissibility of Plan applicants. As a late applicant, there would be a limit of $100 per insured person available for dental reimbursement during the first twelve months (thereafter the normal Plan maximums would apply). No benefits for major coverage would be available for the first twelve-month period.
The Plan has two tiers to choose from. One is the complete Plan including dental coverage. The other is the complete Plan without dental coverage. Once a tier is chosen you are locked into that tier for a period of three years unless you have a life-changing event such as marriage or birth of a child.
Premiums will be collected by means of preauthorized chequing on the first day of each month. It is important that adequate funds are maintained in the bank account to ensure payment of the premiums due. Your bank will charge you a service charge if there are not sufficient funds to pay the preauthorized payment.
