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Portico Benefit Services says, "As an ELCA ministry, Portico offers health, flexible spending, retirement, disability, and survivor plans to help rostered leaders and lay employees strengthen their well-being." (See here) In a questionnaire, Portico asks ELCA employees "How do you describe yourself?" The first two choices are "Man" and "Woman." The next choice is "Transgender" and the forth choice is "Do not identify as man, woman or transgender." Seriously? What is going on with this denomination? See the screenshot below.  Since we are talking about Portico Benefit Services, if you haven't heard before, this ministry of the ELCA "will cover services including . . . hormone therapy, and sex reassignment surgery..."  What about abortion? In the following email sent by Portico Benefit Services they say "the ELCA health plan does cover a range of procedures that includes those for abortion, up to 20 weeks gestation." Portico also states they cover abortions that fall after 20 weeks of pregnancy, "when the life of the mother is threatened; or...when the fetus has lethal abnormalities indicating death is imminent." 
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I, and many others, have been saying for years that the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America pays for abortions of those who are covered by the ELCA health insurance plan (ELCA employees and their families). It is truly horrific that a church, claiming to be followers of Christ, would willingly participate in the killing of an unborn child. It is unfathomable that a pro-life person would be part of that church. In order to shed more light on the vile policy and support of abortion happening in the ELCA, I wrote Portico Benefit Services, an ELCA ministry who administers the ELCA's health insurance, asking them about their coverage of abortions. Below is their response:  As you can see "the ELCA health plan does cover a range of procedures that includes those for abortion, up to 20 weeks gestation." Portico also states they cover abortions that fall after 20 weeks of pregnancy, "when the life of the mother is threatened; or...when the fetus has lethal abnormalities indicating death is imminent." It has been said that the ELCA health plan will pay for abortions no matter the reason. If you look at the email you will see that "Portico Benefit Services does not collect data related to abortion claims." That seems to confirm the belief that all abortions, including sex-selection abortion and those because of Down syndrome, would be covered. You can also find much of this same information stated in their 2013 ELCA Health Benefits Plan ELCA-Primary Coverage document. (see here, page 14) Portico Benefit Services, "a ministry of the ELCA," announced "Effective Jan. 1, 2016, ELCA-Primary health benefits will cover services including mental health therapy, hormone therapy, and sex reassignment surgery..." The ELCA health plan covers employees of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America which includes "rostered leaders, lay church workers, retirees, and family members..." (see below)  The money which members give to their local ELCA church, intended for God's use, will now be used to pay for the sex-change operations of ELCA employees and their family members who want to change their gender. (a desire that is medically impossible) Instead of helping struggling people embrace the way God made them, the ELCA wants you to pay the bill so a man can try to look like a woman, and a woman try to look like a man. Mutilating and abusing their body on your/God's dime. Don't forget that the ELCA health insurance also covers abortions for ELCA employees and family members, a fact that has upset thousands upon thousands of members. Forcing Bible-believing ELCA members to pay for sex change surgery, etc. should do the same. (Update: Below you will see a Portico Benefit Services document for 2017 stating more details of their transgender related coverage.)  Here is a closeup of the highlighted section about gender reassignment surgery that is covered:  Also, you can view the Executive Director of Extraordinary Lutheran Ministries comments about ELCA/Portico's decision here. |
Prove all things; hold fast that which is good.
1 Thessalonians 5:21 Dan Skogen
Former ELCA seminary student and former ELCA member who is fed up with the ELCA's consistent mockery of God's Word. If you have been helped and blessed by Exposing the ELCA's ministry, please help us continue to proclaim the truth of God's Word to ELCA members who need to hear it.
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