Self-Contribution
Coverage
Eligibility
Six months of
Self-Contribution Coverage is available if you are a qualified temporarily
disabled or unemployed participant. You must satisfy the following conditions to
qualify for this coverage:
- You
must be unemployed, residing in the geographic area covered by this plan,
actively maintained on the out-of-work list at your Local Union, and not doing
any work for gain or profit, even if on a temporary basis. Or, you must be
employed and recently dispatched to a contributing employer and working to
reestablish eligibility in the Employed Plan; or
- You
must be temporarily
disabled with the
attending physician (MD or DO only) continually certifying the disability;
and
- You
must have been eligible for benefits based on the cast back eligibility formula
for at least three months during each twelve-month period of the thirty-six
months immediately preceding loss of eligibility due to unemployment or
temporary disability.
Special
Eligibility Rights
- If
you are an apprentice, you must have been eligible for benefits based on the
cast back eligibility formula for at least three months during each twelve-month
period you participated in the Apprenticeship Program. You must also be in good
standing with the Joint Apprenticeship Training Committee (JATC).
- If
you are absent from employment because of active duty in the uniformed services
in accordance with the Uniform Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act
(USERRA) and you suspend or terminate coverage, you are eligible to participate
in Self-Contribution Coverage for up to 24
months.
Participation
in Self-Contribution Coverage cannot be used to help establish eligibility in
the Carpenters Health and Security Plan of Western Washington – For
Retired Carpenters.
Notification
Requirements
If you meet the above
requirements and are eligible to participate in Self-Contribution Coverage, the
Trust Office mails an application to you in the month your coverage would
otherwise terminate. If you wish to purchase continued coverage, complete the
application immediately and submit it, with your first month’s payment, to
your Local Union. Please make your check payable to “Carpenters Trusts of
Western Washington.” Your Local Union completes its portion of the
application and forwards it to the Trust Office. Your application must reach the
Trust Office before your eligibility terminates. The Trust Office then notifies
you, in writing, of acceptance or denial of your application.
Cost
and Payment
Once your application has
been approved, coverage is on a month-to-month basis, as long as you continue to
meet the necessary requirements. Dependents are included at no additional
charge. Billings are mailed in the first week of the month for the following
month’s coverage.
Payment is
due upon receipt of the bill but not later than the 25th of the same
month. There is no grace period. Failure
to make the necessary payment terminates coverage. The monthly contribution
rates are established by the Board of Trustees and are subject to
change.
Duration
of Coverage
Self-Contribution Coverage is
available for a six-month period but can be renewed (subject to Board of Trustee
approval) for an additional six-month period if you continue satisfying the
requirements listed above. Once you return to work for a contributing employer,
you can continue self contributions (within the stated limitations) until you
reestablish eligibility in the Employed Plan.
Choice
of Coverage
There are two options to
choose from:
- Self-Contribution
Coverage With Dental. This option is the
same as the regular plan but does not provide time loss benefits.
- Self-Contribution
Coverage Without Dental. This option is
the same as the regular plan but does not provide time loss or dental
benefits.
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