Church Pension Group : A Growing Financial Burden for Episcopal Employers

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A Growing Financial Burden for Episcopal Employers

In 2008, the cost to The Episcopal Church as an employer for employee healthcare benefits is expected to increase by 10.5%.
Total spending on employee healthcare benefits by domestic U.S. congregations, dioceses and official agencies of The Episcopal Church in 2008 is projected to be $133.7 million, or $10,237 per employee.
Our analysis suggests that total annual spending on employee healthcare benefits in 2008 could represent approximately 10% of plate and pledge income.
Left unchecked, spending on employee healthcare benefits could increase at similar levels for the next two triennia, reaching $250.4 million in 2015, potentially 15% of our projections of plate and pledge income.
The 2008 increase of 10.5% is more than three times the rate of inflation and approximately four times the rate of average clergy salary increases.
This situation is not unique to the Episcopal Church. According to the Kaiser Family Foundation and the Health Research and Educational Trust, premiums for employer-sponsored health insurance in the U.S. have been rising four times faster, on average, than workers' earnings since 2000.