You've accepted a new call and are planning your move to shepherd a different church. There is a lot for you to coordinate: housing, relocation, family transitions, goodbyes, and hellos.
Insurance is probably somewhere on that list of things you'll need to figure out. Medical expenses are not cheap, and a gap in coverage could be costly. But there is less to worry about than you might think.
If you're moving between churches that already work with RBA, or if your new church works with RBA, the coverage transition is straightforward. If you aren’t already part of the RBA family, there are a couple of steps, but nothing that should cause you stress.
Understanding how it works helps everyone move through it with confidence and avoid or work around costly gaps.
RBA coverage begins on the first of the month following your hire date. If you start on August 15th, coverage kicks in on September 1st. If you start on the first, coverage begins that same day.
This timing isn't negotiable, but being aware will help you plan for any period of time you and your family might not have coverage.
Most pastors assume coverage is automatic when they change churches — it's not. If you wait until your first day at your new church to think about insurance, you may have to pay full price for prescriptions or pay completely out of pocket for medical services during the gap. Planning ahead means you know exactly when coverage starts and can prepare accordingly.
What happens next depends on where you're coming from and whether your new church already works with RBA. But the process itself is simple.
This is the easiest path. You already have RBA coverage. Your new church already works with us. We simply shift who gets billed for your existing coverage.
If you want to keep your current plan as-is, nothing changes on your end. If you want to adjust coverage, you log into the bswift enrollment portal just like during open enrollment.
If your new church already works with RBA but you don't have RBA coverage yet, they will need to complete your enrollment form so RBA can set you up in the system.
Once those forms come back to us, we will send you login credentials for the bswift portal. You select your coverage. Then your insurance cards and plan information will be mailed directly to you.
This one involves one small, but important extra step: getting your church set up with RBA for the first time. Your church will need to complete enrollment forms to establish billing and get added to our system.
Once the church is set up, your personal enrollment follows the same process as Path 2.
This may take a few extra minutes of your time, but the process is still straightforward. The earlier your church reaches out once they know they'll need coverage, the more time there will be for setup and your enrollment without rushing.
If you're the pastor preparing for a move, encourage your new church to reach out to us early. The sooner they connect with us, the more time you have to review options and make informed decisions about your coverage.
When your church reaches out, we send the benefits guide, current rates, and enrollment forms. You have time to review options, ask questions, and select coverage without scrambling in the final days before your start date.
Getting enrollment forms completed and returned at least 2-3 weeks before the start is ideal. You can make benefit selections without feeling rushed.
Insurance during a pastoral transition doesn't need to be a stress point. The process is designed to be straightforward. Coverage starts on a predictable schedule. There are no enrollment windows to miss.
Reaching out early means you can move through the steps calmly. Major transitions in life are stressful enough, and this is an easy one to check off your to-do list.
If you've been called to a new church and are planning to work with RBA, we're here to help. Contact us as soon as you know a transition is coming. We'll send you everything you need and walk you through the process step by step.