Plan FAQs

You become eligible for benefits from this Trust Fund when you work for an Employer who is required to make hourly contributions to this Trust Fund on your behalf. New Employees become eligible for benefits on the first day of the second calendar month following the calendar months in which you worked at least 130 hours for one or more Contributing Employers.

You will need to work a minimum of 130 hours per month in order to receive 100% employer paid coverage.

To obtain complete eligibility rules for bargained, non-bargained, dependents, and retiree employees, refer to the Summary Plan Description (SPD)/Plan Document.

Your monthly eligibility will be determined by hourly cash contributions made by your employer during each month you work.  If you work 130 hours or more in a month, your employer hourly cash contributions will pay 100% of the cost of your monthly health care contribution. If you work less than 130 hours in a month, you will need to make up the dollar shortfall. The shortfall will first be withdrawn from your Cash Bank (if funds are available).  If any shortfall remains, the balance may be made up through a participant self-payment directly from you.  You are only allowed to make a self-payment as long as you have worked at least one (1) hour within that month, but fell short of 130 hours.  The amount of the shortfall you will need to make up in the months you work less than 130 hours will be the difference in the actual hours you worked and 130 hours at your Employer’s contribution rate.

Your self-payment is due on or before the 20th of the month following the month you worked less than 130 hours in order to count towards the subsequent month of eligibility.

If you participate in the Smart Choices/Health Rewards Program, when you complete the required action steps, you become eligible for the program’s Healthy Rewards including additional contributions to your cash bank and a Health Reimbursement Arrangement (HRA). The Health Reimbursement Arrangement (HRA) is a notional account set up by the Fund that can be used to reimburse eligible employees for a variety of out-of-pocket medical expenses. The HRA is intended to comply with the requirements of IRS Notice 2013-54 and shall be interpreted to accomplish that objective.

• You can bank an additional three months of excess contributions in your cash bank, for up to six months total.
• After reaching that six-month maximum, you can bank up to 20% of contributions in excess of 130 hours per month into a Health Reimbursement Arrangement (HRA). You can use your HRA funds to pay for eligible health care expenses, as explained in more detail below

You will be allowed one month of extended coverage under your Cash Bank after your Active benefits expire under the Active Plan eligibility lag. After that time, you will need to begin self-payments in order for coverage to continue. All cash accumulation in excess of the allowed one-month extension will be permanently cancelled at retirement.

There may be some Retirees who are not eligible for Retiree health coverage.  In that case, you will also be allowed to continue your Active Plan coverage for one month by using your Cash Bank Accumulation when you retire. To continue coverage after the Cash Bank is exhausted, you would need to elect continuation coverage under COBRA Continuation. Please refer to the COBRA Continuation Coverage section for information on your self-payments.

Please notify the Trust Fund Office in writing promptly if you change your home address by completing a Change of Address form.

To change a dependent, complete a new Enrollment form and return it to the Trust Fund Office with required documentation.