Eligibility for the UUA Health Plan

The Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA) Health Plan offers coverage to:

  • Ministers under 65
  • Staff members under 65
  • Ministers and staff members over 65, who are enrolled in Medicare Parts A and B (Please visit our Medicare page for more information)
  • Interns in candidate status (paid or unpaid)
  • Other employees of affiliated Unitarian Universalist (UU) organizations
  • Self-employed UU community ministers
  • Community ministers who work for an organization that does not offer health benefits

Participants must be scheduled to work at least 750 hours per year (rounded to 15 hours per week for convenience).

We cannot accept applicants who work fewer than 750 hours per year (15 hours per week), persons who are volunteers, or members of congregations who are not paid staff.

Dependents

Eligible dependents include:

  • Spouse/Domestic Partner
    • Eligibility/Definition
      • Domestic partner must have 3 of the following:
      • Domestic partner agreement or proof of registry with a domestic partner registry
      • Joint mortgage or lease
      • Designation of one of partners as beneficiary in other partner's will
      • Durable property and health care powers of attorney
      • Joint title to an automobile or joint back account or credit account
      • Such other proof as is sufficient to establish economic interdependency under the circumstances of the particular case
    • These must also be true:
      • Unmarried, at least 18 years of age, resides with the other partner and intends to continue to reside with the other partner for an indefinite period of time
    • Is not related to the other partner by adoption or blood
    • Is the sole domestic partner of the other partner and has been a member of this domestic partnership for at least 6 months
    • Agrees to be jointly responsible for the basic living expenses and welfare of the other partner
    • Meets the requirements of any applicable federal, state or local laws or ordinances for domestic partnerships which are currently enacted, or which may be enacted in the future
    • To be eligible for dependent coverage, proof that dependents meet the above criteria may be required. We do not usually request the actual documents
  • Children under age 26 including children of spouse or partner

Qualifying Events

Enrollment is open at any time for:

  • new hires,
  • newly added dependents,
  • people whose hours have increased so that they meet the 750 hours per year threshold (15 hours per week or more),
  • people who have lost coverage they had though a spouse or partner,
  • people whose congregation does not renew an existing group plan, and
  • people whose benefits change for individual plans or for coverage under a spouse/partner's or parent's plan.

Enrollment applications must be submitted within 30 days of the date of hire, date of loss or change in status. Proof of loss of other coverage is required for qualifying events.

Congregations

If a congregation participates in the UUA Health Plan, all eligible employees (those who work at least 15 hours per week and receive a W-2) must be offered coverage. Congregations are not required to contribute the same percentage of premium for employees, but should review the UUA Compensation Standards to see what is recommended.

Coverage for Retired Employees

Retired Ministers and staff are eligible for the health benefits available under this Plan in either of the following circumstances:

  • You are under age 65, and you retire from a Subscribing Employer after performing services as a Minister; or
  • You are age 65 or older, you are enrolled in Medicare Parts A and B, you retire from a Subscribing Employer after performing services in any capacity and you worked at least 750 hours per calendar year for a Subscribing Employer in five of the ten calendar years preceding the year in which you retire.

Coverage is available to employee and dependent(s). Children may be carried on the plan as dependents until their 26th birthday.

UUA logo in rainbow colors, PNG format
young children in a UU RE group
The greenery and shadows in the background frame the family and increase the sense of forward motion in this photograph.