New insurance plan for retirees:
CANCELLED

The Board of Pensions has stopped the implementation of a new health insurance plan scheduled to go into effect on Jan. 1, 2007. The plan would have affected 650 retirees, mostly clergy, on Holston Conference's health insurance plan.

In a letter mailed to retirees last week, Board of Pensions leaders stated that "new information came to light that prevented the Board of Pensions from proceeding" with the plan.

According to the letter, "Although the new plan would have saved retirees and Holston Conference over 50 percent in premium costs, the Board decided on [Oct. 23] to step back and allow time for further study." The letter was signed by Charles Harr, Board of Pensions chair, and Patty Muse, chair of the Board of Pensions' Retiree Health Insurance Task Force. The new insurance plan was announced in the Oct. 20 edition of The Call and in the Oct. 18 edition of the weekly e-mail newsletter, "Wednesday on the Web." Retirees were requested to call an 800- number to make reservations for one of 10 conference-wide meetings scheduled to help explain the insurance changes, but were then informed that retirees would be staying on the current plan.

"Please be advised that the meetings scheduled across the conference have been postponed," the letter stated, "but the Board of Pensions will continue its work in researching your insurance plan."

For more information, call Patty Muse at (423) 929-0432. The letter mailed to retirees is available online at http://retireeinsurance.holston.org.

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