Diocesan Insurance Program
Province 1 Property and Casualty Insurance
and links to diocesan medical and dental benefits information
2008 medical and dental insurance benefits information
2008 Insurance Premiums
Property/Casualty Insurance
Named Insured
How can we help keep the cost of the program as low as possible?
Sexual Misconduct & Safe Church Training
Who to contact for questions
What are our deductibles and coverage?
What is the "reserve fund?
Certificates of Insurance and Waiver Forms
Insurance Handbook
Property and Casualty Insurance
Coverage for churches and other institutions in the diocese is through the Province I insurance plan administered by Willis of Massachusetts. This insures that all congregations have adequate and appropriate coverages for any loss that may occur.
The plan covers property, casualty, liability, pastoral counseling, sexual abuse, cemetery, foreign liability, boiler & machinery, Directors and Officers liability including Employment Practices, crime, primary umbrella, Non-Owned and Hired Automobile Liability, automobile and workers compensation coverage to the churches and other institutions of the dioceses of Connecticut, Maine, New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Western Massachusetts.
Named Insured
Property Insurance – Named Insured
"Province I of The Episcopal Church; the Episcopal Dioceses of Connecticut, Maine, New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Western Massachusetts; all parishes, missions and church institutions of the Dioceses which are included in the Schedule of Locations; all deaneries, convocations, commissions, committees, corporations, trusts, and other organizations or entities of the foregoing Province, diocese, parishes, missions and church institutions, including any entity which has ownership interest in any property listed in the schedule of locations; and any Bishop, priest, deacon, seminarian, employee or lay member, volunteers, whether or not compensated, of any entity described herein, including any person serving as director, trustee or member of a vestry, commission, or committee, while acting within the scope of his or her position and duties."
How can we help keep the cost of the program as low as possible?
Criteria used by insurance companies to determine premiums include the amount of claims they pay during the year and property values. Obviously, less losses means that we are a better risk.
Sexual Misconduct & Safe Church Training
In the Diocese of Maine, sexual misconduct in any form is unacceptable behavior. The Diocese affirms the principle that employees as well as members have the right to be free from sexual misconduct including sexual harassment. Any behavior determined to be sexual misconduct will result in appropriate disciplinary action.
The Diocese of Maine requires Safe Church training on issues of child abuse in church settings for all clergy, volunteers who regularly supervise youth activities (excluding unpaid Sunday School teachers) and employees.
In addition, the Diocese of Maine requires Safe Church training on issues of sexual harassment in employment, mentor and colleague relationships and sexual exploitation in pastoral relationships for all clergy and employees.
Safe Church training sessions are offered regularly and all congregations are notified of the place, date and time of these sessions.
All complaints involving Sexual Misconduct by any cleric, lay employee or volunteer affiliated with the Diocese of Maine, or any Parish, Mission, or Institution affiliated with the Diocese of Maine shall be immediately referred to the Bishop of Maine.
A complete copy of the diocesan Policies and Procedures Concerning Allegation and Incidents of Sexual Misconduct and dates for training sessions in 2008 can be found here.
Who to contact for questions
If you have any questions regarding your coverage, please call Melinda DeWolfe (1-800-244-6062, ext. 32; mdewolfe@episcopalmaine.org ), Leah Millett (1-800-343-2896; leah.millett@willis.com).
Whenever you have a question, no matter how small or large, please call one of the people above. It is always better to be safe than sorry and they are there to help in any way.
What are our deductibles and coverage?
Click here for the 2008 deductibles and coverage through Willis.
What is the "reserve fund?" and what is it used for?
A small portion of the premiums you pay is being put aside for two "reserve funds".
One "reserve fund" was established to cover the cost of appraisals for all the congregations. These were completed a couple of years ago. Contributions to build the fund continue, so that an on-going appraisal schedule can be established.
The other "reserve fund" is being established to cover a portion of the larger deductibles in case of a loss. As the fund increases, it is hoped that we can raise deductibles, which would result in lower premiums for all.
If the losses for the Diocese of Maine remain low, this fund could potentially be used for grants to congregations to enable them to purchase more expensive loss control equipment, such as fire alarms connected to local fire stations, etc.
Certificates of Insurance and Waiver Forms
A request for a Certificate of Insurance can be obtained through Willis at www.intellicerts.com.
A sample "waiver" that can be used for organizations that use your facilities and are unable to provide you with a Certificate of Insurance naming your church as an additional insured can be found here. Please Note: All requests should reference "Province I" as the account name.
Insurance Handbook
Each congregation is annually provided with an "Insurance Program Handbook". Included in this handbook is contact information, reporting a claim, claim checklist, claim incident report, information on when to notify Willis of additions/deletions/changes in value/special events/etc., sample waiver of insurance; certificate request form; automobile change form and property change form.
If you have misplaced this handbook, contact Melinda (1-800-244-6062, ext. 32; mdewolfe@episcopalmaine.org) at the diocesan office and she can provide you with another copy.
2008 medical and dental insurance benefits information
Diocesan medical insurance is provided by an Aetna HMO or a Cigna HMO policy through The Medical Trust.
For a summary of coverage for the 2008 Aetna HMO program, click here.
For a summary of coverage for the 2008 Cigna HMO program, click here.
A provider directory for Aetna can be found at www.aetna.com and a provider directory for Cigna can be found at www.cigna.com.
Dental coverage is provided through Northeast Delta Dental. Click here for a summary of coverage and general information.
For more information on these plans and current monthly rates, contact Tom Sumner (772-1953, ext. 38; 1-800-244-6062 [in Maine]; tsumner@episcopalmaine.org ) or Melinda DeWolfe (772-1953, ext. 32; 1-800-244-6062 [in Maine]; mdewolfe@episcopalmaine.org
