“The Church Leadership Literally Is Their Family”: An Insurer Redesigns Its Plan for Nearly 300 Churches

• Sagicor Life expanded its Church Mate plan into Church Mate Plus in December 2023
• Just under 300 churches were enrolled in the original Church Mate
• The new plan is sold as individual policies, so members need not wait for a minimum group
• Cover includes life insurance of $500,000 to $2 million, critical illness, accident and hospital cash

Churches in Jamaica can end up carrying costs when members fall ill or die without savings. In December 2023 the Jamaica Observer’s business reporter Codie-ann Barrett reported that Sagicor Life was expanding its Church Mate plan, used by just under 300 churches, into a new product called Church Mate Plus.

The biggest change was the move from a group model to individual policies. “With Church Mate Plus, it’s sold as an individual-type policy, and so one person from a church will be able to purchase this as opposed to them having to wait until they have the minimum number of people to participate,” said Sean Edwards, director of sales at Sagicor Life. Churches already in Church Mate were expected to move to the new plan on renewal.

Cover options include life insurance from $500,000 to $2 million, critical illness, personal accident and hospital indemnity. The hospital benefit is triggered by confinement after 24 hours, for up to 10 days. “Unlike the traditional hospitalisation major medical coverage where you would be required to show a diagnosis, there are all those different eligibility criteria for coverage; this plan is triggered by hospital confinement,” Edwards explained. Dependent children up to age 26 can be covered, and enrolment is open to people aged 18 to 70. Members pay the premiums, with the church playing a facilitating role.

Edwards explained the thinking behind a church-focused product. “We have recognised that the church, being a charitable organisation, relies on the contributions of others, and also that churches have a lot of members who may not have families, and the church leadership literally is their family,” he said.

Insurance is part of stewardship. When a member dies uninsured, the congregation may help pay for the funeral; when a breadwinner is hospitalised, the family may lose its rent or mortgage payments. Church-based insurance schemes can protect both members and church finances. For Jamaicans overseas with elderly parents in Jamaican congregations, it is worth checking whether they have cover of this kind, and whether their church’s own buildings are properly insured.

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