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| SUPPLEMENTAL HEALTH AND WELFARE INFORMATION |
| FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS | Back To Menu | |||
QUESTIONS REGARDING THE BOILERMAKERS
LOCAL 83 SUPPLEMENTAL HEALTH AND WELFARE FUND NOVEMBER 2006 What is the Boilermakers Supplemental
Health and Welfare Fund (Supplemental Plan)? The Fund is
designed to assist Retirees with the costs associated with maintaining health
care coverage. Do I have to pay for the Supplemental Plan? No. The Fund is paid for by Employer
Contributions as determined by the applicable
collective bargaining agreement. Effective with the work month of January 2006, each contributing employer will remit 25˘ per hour in contributions to the SHWF for active employees working within the jurisdiction of the Fund. Effective January 1, 2007, the employer contribution rate will be 50˘ per hour. Is the
money in the Supplemental Plan mine to do with as I please? No, this is not a savings account. These are not vested benefits. The Fund was designed to provide a supplement to eligible participants that will assist them with payment of covered expenses. Who can participate in the Supplemental
Plan? Employees who work within the jurisdiction of
Local 83 on or after January 1, 2006, and are covered under the terms of the
Collective Bargaining Agreement, are participants in the Plan. How do I know if I am eligible for benefits
with the Fund? To be eligible for benefits, you must retire on or after January 1, 2007, must be a minimum of 55 years old, must be receiving a monthly benefit from the Boilermaker – Blacksmith National Pension Trust Fund, must not be eligible for active plan benefits (unless through COBRA) in the Boilermakers National Health and Welfare Plan and must meet the minimum hour requirements. What are the minimum hour requirements? a) You must have at least 500 hours of employer contributions made to the Fund on your behalf since January 1, 2006. b) You must have worked at least 8,000 hours within the jurisdiction of Local 83. (Proof of field construction hours required, as determined by Boilermakers National Pension Fund records, field dues or other appropriate documentation). c) You must have at least 4,000 hours within the jurisdiction of Local 83 in the 10 calendar year period immediately prior to your retirement. When will the Fund begin to reimburse me
for my retiree health care coverage? Participants
may be reimbursed for eligible expenses incurred after January 1, 2007. What benefits are reimbursable? · Self-payments or premiums paid for coverage under a health care policy · Self-payments or premiums paid to the spouse’s employer for your dependent coverage under your spouse’s health plan · Medicare Part D prescription drug premiums · COBRA premiums after retirement Are there expenses that are not
reimbursable? ·
Expenses incurred prior to January 1, 2007 · Premiums paid only for dental or vision coverage · Self-payments or premiums paid only for dependents or surviving spouses · Amounts paid directly to doctors or other health care providers for services · Self-payments or premiums paid for health care coverage prior to retirement · COBRA payments prior to retirement How are the benefit amounts determined? The Trustees determine the Benefit Amounts for each period by reviewing the total Fund assets available for Plan Benefits and the total amount of claims submitted for that period of time. What is a Benefit Period? There are two (2) Benefit Periods each year. The Benefit Periods are January 1st through June 30th and July 1st through December 31st each year. How do I submit a claim? Once you become eligible for benefits, you must submit a claim form for reimbursement which can be obtained from the Fund Office. You can request a claim form by writing to the Fund Office at the following address: Boilermakers
Supplemental Health and Welfare Fund 6405
Metcalf, Suite 200 Overland
Park, KS 66202 You can also call the Fund Office to request a form at (913) 236-5490. Or you can fax a request to (913) 236-5499. Do I need to submit anything in addition to
the Claim Form? Yes. If you maintain retiree health care coverage through the Boilermakers National Health and Welfare Fund, you will also need to submit an Authorization for Release of Protected Health Information, so that we can verify your coverage through that Fund. Claims for all other health care premiums must include copies of the bill and either copies of your cancelled checks or a letter or receipt from the health care provider confirming that the premiums were paid. Claims must include all necessary paperwork
and receipts to be considered timely and paid during the current benefit
period. Claims submitted without
proper documentation will be denied. How often
can I submit claims for reimbursement? Twice each year When does
my claim need to be submitted? Claims must be submitted within 60 days
following the end of each Benefit Period to be included in the current benefit
distribution. Claims submitted more
than 60 days, but less than 6 months after the end of the Benefit Period will
be considered for payment in the next
benefit period. Are there
time limits for filing my claim? Yes.
Claims must be submitted within 6 months after the end of the benefit
period. Claims submitted more than 6
months after the end of the benefit period will be denied. When can I expect to receive a check? Benefits are paid semi-annually within a reasonable period of time after the end of each Benefit Period. Checks will generally be issued in April and October of each year for the preceding Benefit Period. Do I have to claim benefits from the
Supplemental Plan as taxable income? No. Benefits are not treated as income since
they are reimbursements for health care expenses. For additional information you should consult with your tax
advisor. Can I have additional contributions added
to the Supplemental Plan? No. Contributions are based upon the actual
number of hours worked and remitted by each employer for active employees. |
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