Eligibility
Generally, if you are a probationary apprentice, you are eligible for coverage on the first day of the calendar month after you complete 600 hours of employment. Once you are hired, the hours requirement may be met by completing 100 hours in each of six 30-day periods. The six 30-day periods don’t have to be consecutive; however, they must be completed within 18 months of your hire date.
Additional rules apply if you don’t establish initial eligibility, described above, or if you don’t meet the hours requirements. See the SPD and Summaries of Material Modifications.
Who the Plan covers
Active members
Once you meet initial eligibility requirements, you, your spouse, and your children under age 26 are all eligible for Plan coverage.
If your child is not able to support him/herself due to disability, your child’s coverage will continue after he/she reaches age 26 as long as you have coverage. Proof of disability is required. You must submit proof within 30 days of the child’s 26th birthday. See the SPD and Summaries of Material Modifications for details.
To cover your eligible dependents, you must enroll them in the Plan. Complete an enrollment form with documentation for your family.
Enroll Now
Retirees
You are eligible for Retiree coverage under the Plan if you are eligible as an active member when you retire and you have at least 1,700 hours reported to the Plan in the 60 months before you retire.
The health coverage offered to retirees and their eligible dependents is the same as for active members. At the time you retire, you may choose to continue:
- Medical coverage only, or
- Medical, dental, and vision coverage
Dental and vision coverage are offered together—you may not elect just dental coverage or just vision coverage.
If you elect health coverage at retirement, you can drop coverage but you can’t re-enroll at a later date.
If you don’t elect health coverage at retirement, you can’t elect it later. If you decline health coverage under the Plan at retirement, you may continue your active coverage through COBRA.
If you continue health coverage as a retiree, you may make monthly payments to the Benefits Office or through automatic pension payment deductions for the cost of coverage. See the SPD and Summaries of Material Modifications for details on retiree coverage costs and COBRA.
What happens to your other active benefits?
- Your eligibility for weekly income benefits will end when you retire.
- Your life insurance and AD&D insurance coverage will also end.
- You may convert your life insurance to an individual policy.
- If you retire under a Disability Pension, you are eligible under the Plan, and you are under age 65, your life insurance benefits will continue until age 65.
See the SPD and Summaries of Material Modifications for details.
What happens to medical coverage at age 65?
When you reach age 65 or become eligible for Social Security disability benefits, you become eligible for Medicare coverage. At that time, you must enroll in Medicare Parts A and B. Your coverage under this Plan will then become supplemental. This means that Medicare will pay benefits first, and this Plan will process your claims after Medicare pays.
The amount you pay for coverage under the Plan will be reduced once you enroll in Medicare Parts A and B.
