Petitions to General Conference for submission by Baltimore Washington Annual Conference
Approved by Joint Committee on Clergy Medical Leave, Tuesday December 2, 2014
Approved by Commission on Disability Concerns, Monday, December 8, 2014
Petition to General Conference Regarding Employee DisabilityInsurance in the United Methodist Church
Amend: ¶806 to add a new paragraph following paragraph 8. It shall be responsible for ensuring that no United Methodist board, agency, or other entity shall provide to their own agency, other agencies or to annual conferences disability compensation insurance for clergy or laity which offers different levels of protection based on whether or not the diagnosis is for a mental-nervous condition.
Rationale: The “industry-standard” in commercial disability insurance is to terminate disability compensation after two years when the disability is based on a mental or nervous diagnosis, regardless of the continuing presence of disability. Such a policy unjustly discriminates against some employees compared to others and violates the trust employees have that their employer will provide adequate assistance for them if they become disabled. Such a policy violates United Methodist Social Principle ¶162X and is counter to the principles of Resolution 3303, Ministry in Mental Illness. Some employers which object to this discrimination, however, have been able to negotiate non-discriminatory disability policies. The General Council on Finance and Administration is entrusted with many related manners and is the logical entity to enforce a policy of non-discrimination across the denomination. Currently, disability policies for General Agencies are provided by GCFA and policies for Annual Conferences and all clergy are offered by the General Board of Pension and Health Benefits.
Petition to General Conference for a Resolution on Disability Compensation
Long term disability insurance protects employees around the world by providing continuing compensation in lieu of salary when an accident or illness prevents an employee from continuing their service to their employer. Ideally, such insurance provides for compensation based purely on the existence of a disability that prevents continuing employment, and continues for the duration of that disability.
In many countries such insurance is often subject to a limitation for disabilities based on “mental and nervous conditions.” The primary reason offered for such a discrimination between disabilities is the comparative difficulty of validating disabilities whose evidence relies on self-reporting. Other reasons may include the belief that mental and nervous conditions are more likely temporary in nature and therefore a time limitation, typically two years, is appropriate. The limitation therefore places the administrative needs of insurers over the wellbeing of the persons they are committed to insure. In the United States, courts have held that discrimination in disability insurance is not addressed by non-discrimination provisions of either the Americans with Disabilities Act or the Affordable Care Act. In the United States, disability insurance is generally regulated at the state level.
The United Methodist Church affirms its long standing support for persons with mental illness and their families. Jesus Christ made no distinctions in his healing ministry between persons with physical disabilities and those which we might today call mental illnesses. We call upon the General Board of Church and Society to advocate globally on behalf of non-discriminatory long-term disability insurance for workers, and to support and encourage the work of Annual Conference Boards of Church and Society in such advocacy at state and regional legislative bodies.
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