Professional Musicians, Local 47 and Employers’ Health & Welfare Fund

OPEN ENROLLMENT

November 20th – December 20th

Enrollment information has been mailed to all eligible participants. November 20th through December 20th is the Fund’s Open-Enrollment period. This is the time of year to select one of the benefit options if you are newly eligible, and decide to enroll, or to make changes to your benefits if you are already enrolled and remain eligible for the same level of coverage.

Eligible participants will receive an Open Enrollment packet, including benefit summaries for the plans available to them, as well as the co-premium schedule for 2017. All eligible participants who want to continue coverage or newly eligible participants who are enrolling for the first time must complete the enrollment form included with the Open Enrollment packet. If you are already an eligible participant who has re-qualified for coverage and you do not wish to make any changes to the benefit package in which you are enrolled, simply remit the required co-premium and return your enrollment form, indicating “NO CHANGE” and your coverage will continue unchanged for year 2017 (provided you remain eligible for the same level of benefits).

Monthly premium rates and forms are also available on the Fund’s website: www.pacfed-musicians.com

IMPORTANT NOTICE: Coverage for all benefits is effective January 1, 2017. Applications and premiums that are received after December 30, 2016 (for enrollment in the 2017 coverage year) may not be processed and, based on the untimely return of a participant’s enrollment materials and/or premium payment, coverage in any of the benefits sponsored by the Fund may be denied and/or terminated. Additionally, if you are already enrolled, have maintained your eligibility and do not make any changes to the benefit plans you are presently enrolled, but your return the enrollment materials past the due date (December 30th), you will generally not be able to make any changes after the open enrollment period closes for year 2017 coverage.

COBRA CONTINUATION OF COVERAGE

Participants who are currently enrolled in health benefits through the Fund, but who did not have sufficient employer contributions to maintain eligibility for the January 1, 2017 through December 31, 2017 coverage period, will receive a COBRA continuation of coverage notice. Please read the entire COBRA election packet. This packet explains your rights and obligations as a qualified COBRA beneficiary. Please note that the COBRA enrollment period is limited and strictly enforced.

The Fund does not provide coverage to a qualified beneficiary until a timely election is made and the required premiums are timely paid made. Once the Fund has received your timely election and the required premiums are paid timely and in full, coverage will be provided from the date that coverage would otherwise have been lost.
IMPORTANT NOTE: Read each plans Summary of Benefits and Explanation of Coverage (EOC) for the details of covered benefits.
LIFE CHANGES?
Update Your Prudential Life Insurance Beneficiary Form

Have you had a major life change such as new dependent (spouse/child), which would make you want to revisit your life insurance beneficiary designation?

You would not believe how many times an ex-spouse or other unintended beneficiary receives a life insurance payout because the Participant forgot to update their life insurance beneficiary designation form (this is not a specific reference to the Fund, but merely a general observation).

It only takes a few minutes to obtain a beneficiary form, complete it and mail it to the Fund’s Administrative Office. You may obtain a form by going to the Fund’s website www.pacfed-musicians.com – select with “forms” menu on the right and look for the Life Application/Beneficiary Card link.

The complete Life Certificate which explains your benefits under the Fund’s Life and Accidental Death and Dismemberment benefit, underwritten by Prudential, may also be found on the website. Select the “Benefits” menu on the right, then scroll down to the bottom of the page where you will see the Prudential Life Certificate link. Please update your beneficiary designation(s) if life’s changes has made your present one(s) obsolete!