Earlier this week, MCC sent a customer satisfaction survey by email to all benefit-eligible employees. This is our annual effort to ask you how we’re doing and how we can be of greater service.

Please take a few minutes to participate, and if you have already taken the survey, thank you! If you have not yet seen it, please check your spam folder.

Three months into a new benefits year, do you know how much of your deductible you have paid? How about your out-of-pocket maximum?

You can keep track through the Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan/Blue Care Network Member Portal where you can see exactly what’s been billed, how much was approved, and how much was paid or applied toward your deductible.

Among the benefits that reset each year on January 1 are your medical deductibles and out-of-pocket maximums. If you’ve never acquainted yourself with these terms, here’s a quick guide:

• Deductible: The amount you must pay for non-routine services before insurance pays any amount, typically 70 to 80%.
• Coinsurance: The remaining amount you must pay for a service—if you have already reached the deductible—typically around 20-30% of the amount.
• Copayments: Payments you are responsible for that are connected to certain services, such as office visits.
• Out-of-pocket maximum: The limit of what you pay—which includes copayments and coinsurance—in a calendar year before 100% of covered services are paid for the rest of the year.

It’s also important to note that when it comes to preventative services, all MCC medical plans cover them at 100%, with no calendar year deductible required.

Regarding your prescriptions

If you haven’t already, now is a good time to check the list of prescription drugs covered by your current medical plan to see whether there have been any changes to the classification of the medications you take since the new year began.

If you find you are paying a different amount for the same medicine, it may be because it has been reclassified. If this happens, you may wish to discuss it with your prescribing physician.

If you are receiving your prescription medications by mail order, some auto-renew prescriptions may need to be resubmitted to the mail order pharmacy for you to continue to receive a smooth auto-ship via the U.S. Postal Service.

For questions about any of these items, reach out to the MCC Benefits team at the contact information at the bottom of this email, or contact BCBSM/BCN at the number listed on the back of your insurance card.

Amy B. of the Diocese of Gaylord is the recipient of this quarter’s $2,000 grand prize which she won through a recent raffle drawing held by HOPE Wellness. You do not have to be a participant in any MCC benefits (medical, dental, or vision) to access HOPE, which is the employee assistance program offered for free to all benefit-eligible employees at no cost.

How did Amy and the other 17 cash-prize winners from across Michigan qualify for the raffle? It was as simple as completing wellness activities available on the HOPE platform, such as taking a health assessment, participating in daily goal tracking, initiating a spiritual direction session, and more.

Each quarter, HOPE will hold a raffle drawing to award gift card prizes starting at $100, with a grand prize of $2,000. Entries into the sweepstakes are earned by completing eligible HOPE activities. Each activity is assigned a certain number of points, and every 100 points equals one entry for that individual into the sweepstakes.

‘Life-changing’: What others are saying about HOPE

In past email communications, MCC shared the numerous resources and services available in the HOPE program, which is rooted in the Catholic vision of supporting individuals in their physical, mental, and spiritual health.

Below, hear from individuals working for the Church in Michigan, like you, who have interacted with HOPE:

If you are an MCC medical plan participant with diabetes, prediabetes, or any form of hypertension, you have free access to the Chronic Conditions Management Plus (CCM+) program through Teladoc Health.

Through CCM+, participants acquire Bluetooth-enabled condition management tools and supplies that provide real time feedback from Teladoc Health after each test or reading, including:

• Blood pressure cuffs
• Glucose monitors with an unlimited supply of lancets and test strips
• Digital scales

To learn more about the Teladoc CCM+ program, please visit Teladoc Health, or call (800) 835-2362 and use registration code MICATHOLIC.

Next week is Holy Week, in which Catholics and all Christians are invited to contemplate the sacred mysteries of the Passion, Death, and Resurrection of Our Lord Jesus Christ.

One of the best ways to prepare fully for the joyful celebration of Christ’s triumph on Easter Sunday is to participate—to the extent you are able—with the Church’s liturgies on the evening of Holy Thursday, the afternoon of Good Friday, and the Easter Vigil celebration on Saturday evening.

If that isn’t possible, consider other opportunities to meditate on the Passion and Death of Our Lord, such as praying the Stations of the Cross on Good Friday.

Holy Week is an opportunity to step away from the demands and distractions of the world and to fully embrace the events that are central to our faith.

May your prayerful preparation during Holy Week renew your faith and hope in the Resurrection of Our Lord that we celebrate with joy on Easter Sunday and in the season to follow!

Not sure if you want to enroll in the 403(b) Retirement Savings Plan? Don’t know where to begin? CAPTRUST provides free financial planning to all regular employees of employers that participate in the 403(b) Retirement Savings Plan.