Portico

Spring 2018

We are church together.

This call from ELCA Presiding Bishop Elizabeth Eaton is at the core of Portico’s identity: We serve those who serve the church, so they can serve others. Ecclesiastes 4:12 reads, “a three-fold cord is not easily broken.” Imagine, then, the resilience that comes from a community more than 50,000 strong that includes:

• Active and retired rostered ministers, lay employees, and family members
• Congregations, synodical and churchwide ministries, and social ministry organizations
• The dedicated and talented staff at Portico Benefit Services
  Together, we pool our resources and carefully steward our gifts, leveraging our collective strength to provide the care our members need. Together, we walk the path toward financial, emotional, and physical well-being, so all might experience God’s abundant life. Together, we are church.
  

In 2017, our community’s size and scope allowed Portico to:

Deliver personalized support that helps our members live well.

• Skillful Portico Care Coordinators by Quantum Health helped more than 70% of members with ELCA-Primary health coverage navigate the complex world of health care.
• More than 400 members enrolled in Livongo’s innovative diabetes management program to make living with diabetes easier and more cost-effective.
• 35% of our sponsored members used Portico’s Retirement Planning Tool to get a comprehensive picture of how much they’re saving, and how it might last in retirement.
• 3,500+ members gained a better understanding of their financial picture after talking with our new in-house team of credentialed Portico Financial Planners.
  

Exceed our goals for practicing good financial stewardship.

• Over and above a record-breaking year for the markets, the expertise of our investment management team demonstrated our commitment to a long-term, diversified approach to investing.
• For the second year in a row, administrative efficiencies and innovative plan adjustments allowed us to hold our baseline increase for ELCA-Primary health benefits to 5% — below the national trend of 6.5%.
• Benefiting from the run of growth in the markets and strategic fund management, we announced a 4.0% increase in the ELCA Participating Annuity payments for 2018, the sixth consecutive annual increase.
  

Speak with one voice on behalf of those who serve the church.

As part of the Church Alliance, Portico joined with 37 other denominations to advocate for legislation to protect 403(b)(9) plans designed to help churchworkers save for retirement.

• On behalf of ELCA investors, our shareholder advocacy team championed a history-making climate-change resolution at a major energy-producing company.
• The church is a shining example of what happens when we come together to care for one another. Lives are changed, hearts are touched, hurts are healed, hope is shared. We are grateful to lead the ELCA in the good work of wellness, and thankful for your partnership that makes this possible.
  

We are church together — and together, in Jesus’ name, we are creating abundant life for those who serve.

In Christ,

The Rev. Jeffrey D. Thiemann
President and CEO