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2/3/2010 - New Employee Health Plan Booklet
A revised Employee Health Plan booklet was completed and printed in December 2009 and mailed to participants and dependents who have eligibility based on employment with a covered employer. The new booklet provides details about dollar bank eligibility, new benefits such as bariatric surgery and the improved physical examination benefit for participants, spouses and domestic partners, and the new retiree health reimbursement accounts. The Employee Health Plan booklet is also for participants who were previously covered under the Carpenters-Employers Health and Security Plan of Washington-Idaho.
Click here for the full article.
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9/17/2009 - Carpenters Care September Newsletter
Effective October 1, 2009, the Carpenters Health and Security Plan of Western Washington (the Employee Health Plan) will begin using a “dollar bank” system to determine current and future eligibility for participants in this plan.
Click here for the full article.
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4/9/2009 - Mayo Clinic Health Assessment
It's time to take the annual online Mayo Clinic Health Assessment. The Mayo Clinic Health Assessment is an interactive, internet questionnaire that helps you assess your health strengths and your health risks, as well as what you can do to improve them.
Click here for the full article.
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3/19/2009 - Carpenters Care February Newsletter
This edition of the Carpenters Care Newsletter covers Retiree Health Reimbursement Accounts, Benefit Updates, Rule of 80 and Eastern Washington, and more.
Click here for the full article.
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12/2/2008 - Carpenters Care October Newsletter
This edition of the Carpenters Care Newsletter covers Good Health by the Numbers, the Role of Tobacco in Health Matters, Trust Office Closures and more.
Click here for the full article.
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7/6/2008 - New $4.00 401(a) Supplemental Contribution
The Master Agreement was amended to add a fifth employment classification. The new employment classification provides a $4.00 per hour supplemental contribution to the Carpenters Individual Account Pension Plan. If you qualify, you can apply to change to the new employment classification between July 1, 2008 and August 31, 2008. No other classification changes can be accepted at this time, except to Class 0.
Click here for Summary of Material Modifications
Click here for Application
Click here for the full article.
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6/3/2008 - Carpenters Care May Newsletter
This edition of the Carpenters Care Newsletter covers Benefit Improvements, Taking the Mayo Health Risk Assessment, New Benefit Statements, the New Pension Estimator, and more.
Click here for the full article.
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4/14/2008 - Pension Estimator Launched!
The trustees are happy to announce the launch of a new interactive pension
estimator. With the new estimator, you will be able to project an estimate of
your pension benefits/balances on any future date to see how much you may receive.
Click here for the full article.
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3/16/2008 - HRA Announcement
The Board of Trustees of the Carpenters Trusts of Western Washington is committed to helping you
and your family improve your health. This commitment is part of a proactive strategy to improve the
overall health of our plan population which can provide immediate results to you and your family,
but can also improve healthcare costs in the future. To do this effectively, we need to make sure
we continue to offer health resources that match your needs. That is why we are offering the Mayo
Clinic Health Risk Assessment (HRA) again this year.
Click here for the full article.
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10/1/2007 - Introducing Cardium Health - Our New Partner For Disease Management
Beginning October 2007, Cardium Health will provide focused counseling and support to carpenters and their spouses who have chronic disease conditions. The new Cardium Health program is part of the trust’s initiative to help improve your health and your life.
Click here for the full article.
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9/13/2007 - Domestic Partner Eligibility for Health Care Benefits
Effective October 1, 2007, qualified domestic partners of eligible Carpenters Health and Security Plan of Western Washington participants may become eligible for health plan benefits, subject to satisfaction of certain enrollment and tax prepayment requirements.
Click here for the full article.
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12/19/2006 - Carpenters Care November Newsletter
This edition of the Carpenters Care Newsletter introduces issues including: Initial Results from the Ask Mayo Clinic, the Great American Smokeout, Free & Clear Program, and more.
Click here for the full article.
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12/19/2006 - Summary of Material Modifications
The Board of Trustees made three changes to the Carpenters Retirement Plan of Western Washington including
an important benefit increase and a one-time bonus check for retirees. These three changes are summarized
in this Summary of Material Modifications.
Click here for the full article.
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12/19/2006 - Annual Funding Notice
This notice, which federal law requires all multiemployer plans to send annually, includes important
information about the funding level of the Carpenters Retirement Plan of Western Washington [EIN
91-6029051, Plan number 001] (Plan).
Click here for the full article.
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12/19/2006 - HRA Announcement
The Board of Trustees of the Carpenters Health and Security Trust of Western Washington is committed to
helping you and your family improve your health. A variety of informational tools have been provided for you
including Ask Mayo Clinic, the 24/7 nurseline, the Mayo Clinic HealthQuest Newsletter, and CarpentersHealth.
org, the interactive website designed speciacally for carpenters and their families.
Click here for the full article.
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11/16/2006 - Carpenters Care June Newsletter
This edition of the Carpenters Care Newsletter introduces issues including: Norman Anderson Transitions As Trust Administrator, an Overview of Wellness and Disease Management Initiatives, and more.
Click here for the full article.
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8/1/2006 - New Mayo Clinic e-Health Program Website Available
The Carpenters Health and Security Trust, in cooperation with Mayo Clinic, has launched a new website specifically for participants and spouses covered under the Carpenters Health and Security Plan. With so much information on healthcare in magazines, on television, and online, it’s sometimes hard to know where to go or just what to believe.
Click here for the full article.
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4/14/2006 - New Website Launched!
Welcome to the new Carpenters Trusts of Western Washington website.
The new website features many items you may already be familiar with such as plan booklets, the various forms used to administer your fringe benefit plans, and links to related websites such as First Choice Health Network, Medco, and Qualstar Credit Union. We have also added summaries for each of the plans in the form of “BenefitTabs” (please see left column). Please take a moment to familiarize yourself with the new website. We hope that it is helpful to you. We also welcome any questions or concerns you may have about the website or your benefits, in general.
Click here for the full article.
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3/27/2006 - Carpenters Care March Newsletter
This edition of the Carpenters Care Newsletter introduces the Carpenters Health and Security Plan's new Wellness Program - an important healthcare intiative designed to provide useful resources to improve the health and lives of carpenters and their families.
Click here for the full article.
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6/1/2004 - National Student Clearinghouse
National Student Clearinghouse
is a way to streamline
verification of student
eligibility status for dependent
children ages 19 through 23.
Click here for the full article.
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6/1/2004 - USERRA
If you are called to active
military duty and are covered
under the Carpenters Health
and Security Plan when called
up, the Uniform Services
Employment and Reemployment
Rights Act of 1994 or
USERRA requires that you also
be covered under the plan
when you return to covered
employment, within specific
guidelines.
Click here for the full article.
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6/1/2004 - Changing Your Information
New guidelines established by
the Privacy Practices of the
Health Insurance Portability
and Accountability Act
(HIPAA) require that you (the
participant) notify the Trust
Office, in writing, of the
following changes.
Click here for the full article.
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6/1/2004 - Is Your Enrollment Card Up-to-Date?
You must keep an up-todate
Enrollment Card
on file at the Trust
Office at all times.
Click here for the full article.
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11/1/2003 - Have You Moved?
Please contact the Trust
Office any time you move.
Your current address is
required for us to process
medical and dental claims,
print Quarterly Benefit
Statements and provide other
materials and information
necessary to administer your
fringe benefits.
Click here for the full article.
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11/1/2003 - Auditing Paid Claims
The Board of Trustees
contracted with HealthCare
Insight to audit outpatient
claims processed by the
Carpenters Health and Security
Plan.
Click here for the full article.
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11/1/2003 - Preexisting Limitation Changes
Effective January 1, 1998, the
Health Insurance
Portability and Accountability
Act (HIPAA) changed the way
a health and security plan can
administer preexisting
condition limitations.
Click here for the full article.
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11/1/2003 - A Look Ahead
The annual cost evaluation and“service-based” subsidy should
help align retiree claim costs
with contributions received. In
addition, July negotiations
added $.15 per hour effective
June 1, 2003 and another $.15
per hour effective June 1, 2004
to retiree medical coverage for
the 2003-2005 bargaining
period.
Click here for the full article.
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11/1/2003 - Rate Increase For 2004 and "Service-Based" Subsidy
To help preserve retiree
coverage as a benefit, the
Board of Trustees elected to
change the way retiree medical
coverage is subsidized.
Click here for the full article.
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11/1/2003 - Medical Inflation
As you may know from
previous issues of Carpenters Care, the Carpenters Health
and Security Plan – For Retired
Carpenters continues to pay
out more in benefits each
month than it receives in
monthly contributions.
Click here for the full article.
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11/1/2003 - Introduction
The Board of Trustees has been
researching ways to keep
retiree health coverage
available to early retirees and to
those of you covered by
Medicare.
Click here for the full article.
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11/1/2003 - New "Service-Based" Subsidy For Retiree Medical Coverage
The last issue of
Carpenters Care
discussed the inflationary
factors that continue to drive
medical costs upward. These
factors affect both working and
retired carpenters and their
families.
Click here for the full article.
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