The Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA) Employee Benefits Trust, through its Board of Trustees and Health Plan staff, operates a self-funded health plan built on partnership.

• The Board of Trustees:

  • Determines the benefits.
  • Sets the rates.
  • Determines eligibility.
  • Oversees all operations.
  • Chooses the companies that provide administrative services (for example, claims payments and billing and collection).

• By owning and controlling our own plan we can:

  • Tailor our benefits to fit our own vision of affordable health care.
  • Respond to member requests to consider changes in the plan.
  • Have the flexibility to make important improvements to benefits and eligibility.

• We have chosen to contract with Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield (BCBS) of Pittsburgh, PA, for administrative services.

  • Members have access to the services of over 720,000 doctors, hospitals, and other providers nationwide.
  • Members around the country have access to a uniform benefit plan.

• Benefits to a UUA-owned, self-funded plan with deep discounts on a not-for-profit basis include:

  • Significant reduction in total outlays for payment of claims and administration.
  • No compensation for high-level marketing people.
  • No expensive occupancy costs.
  • No advertising campaigns to inflate our expenses.
  • Yearly rate increases lower than average market rate increases.
  • Finances of the Health Plan are kept separate from the UUA's financial structure. All plan resources are dedicated to the benefit of plan members.

• Congregations and other UU organizations:

  • Identify their eligible staff, who complete the UUA Health Plan Enrollment Application.
  • The only cost to congregations is for their share of the premiums.
  • There is no cost for submitting an enrollment application.
  • We use the online application to enroll people in the UUA plan, generate ID cards, and issue invoices.

• Providers submit their claims to their local BCBS plan.

  • Highmark approves and pays the claims.
  • Members are responsible only for deductibles and coinsurance amounts, some out-of-network charges, and services not covered by the plan.

• Highmark maintains a state-of-the-art website where enrollees can:

  • Find a provider their area.
  • Check on claims status.
  • Handle many routine transactions.
  • Access a broad range of health information and wellness tools.