LCBA Medicare Review

With more than one hundred years of service, the Loyal Christian Benefit Association (LCBA) is a fraternal organization with an unusual history. Today the faith-based organization provides supplemental and life insurance products to its members in many states.

About LCBA

Unlike most fraternal organizations which were founded by groups of men – and indeed unlike most insurance companies as old as this one – LCBA was founded by a women’s group in 1890 to serve women. The Ladies Catholic Benevolent Association was the original name, and it was created by a group of Catholic women in Titusville, Pennsylvania to provide financial assistance to women in the community. The association was the first of its kind to be founded by women for women, and the second to be incorporated.

By 1910, the LCBA boasted 117,000 members, and continued to grow, expanding into a variety of insurance products. In the 1960s the group opened membership to both genders and changed the name to Loyal Christian Benefit Association, keeping the LCBA acronym intact.

Today LCBA offers life insurance, annuities, funeral pre-planning, and Medicare Supplement insurance to members in 35 states and the District of Columbia – although not all products are offered in every state.

Membership is automatic when any LCBA product is purchased, or by joining as an Associate Member directly without purchase. Although it is a Christian organization and members are expected to be of that faith, we found no specific requirements for joining in terms of denomination or church membership. Members receive a long list of benefits including available scholarships, discounts, and bereavement, orphan, and newborn benefits, among others.

Medicare Supplement Plans

LCBA currently offers only Medicare Supplement, and not Advantage or Part D Prescription Drug coverage. Medicare isn’t available in all states, but the company plans expansion in the future.

LCBA writes four of the most popular standard Medicare Supplement plans. These are A, G, F, and N. Plan A is offered by all providers, as required, and covers basics. These are coinsurance costs for medical, hospital, and hospice as well as the first three pints of blood each year.

Each of the other plans expands on this coverage, with Plan F being the highest level available. F covers all of the deductibles, coinsurance, and other costs not covered by Medicare, as well as Foreign Travel Emergency. Plans G and N are popular middle-of-the-road options that fall in between A and F in terms of what is covered. There are many other plans available, but LCBA does not appear to offer them currently.

Medicare Rates

LCBA does not offer online quoting for Medicare Supplement insurance at the time of this review. As a result, we are unable to offer a rate comparison.

In order to obtain a quote or apply for coverage, consumers must either contact an agent over the phone or fill out a contact form on the website. This is not uncommon with smaller, agent-driven insurance companies, although it does mean that personal information must be provided and will likely result in solicitation calls or future contact.

While it’s not surprising to see that this organization doesn’t do online quoting, it is something that consumers in this day and age have come to expect, and we’d like to see that change in the future.

Ratings and Reviews

Our research turned up very little in terms of ratings and reviews for LCBA. We were not able to find a Better Business Bureau (BBB) page for the company.

While there is a Yelp page for LCBA, there are currently no reviews there.

It is typical to have difficulty finding reviews for smaller insurance companies, and in particular, it is difficult to find reviews for fraternal organizations such as LCBA. Members of such faith-based organizations appear to be less likely to deal with complaints through public forums.

The Bottom Line

LCBA may be a good option for those of the Christian faith who prefer a company rooted in shared values. Without rate quotes, we are unable to determine how LCBA stacks up against similar companies, and it will require contact with an agent to obtain this information. For those who prefer a small non-profit organization this effort may not be bothersome; however, based on past experience it is unlikely that LCBA will offer the lowest rates. As a result, this company is best for those looking for exactly the kind of community approach LCBA offers.

For a list of companies that we recommend, visit our Best Insurance Companies page.

Review Information