Participant’s Death 
Hospital, medical and Prescription Drug benefits from this Fund will be terminated for your spouse (and/or dependent(s)) on the last day of the month in which your death occurs.

If your surviving spouse (and/or dependent(s)) is not Medicare eligible at the time of your death, a self-pay COBRA policy is offered.  After COBRA coverage terminates, BlueCross BlueShield (BCBS) may offer a continuation policy to widows. Premiums are based upon your geographic location.

If your surviving spouse (and/or dependent(s)) is Medicare eligible at the time of your death, the Pension Fund Office will contact BCBS and notify them of your death. BCBS then offers a conversion self-pay Medicare supplement to your surviving spouse. The type of conversion coverage available depends upon your surviving spouse’s age at the time of your death. No medical examination is required to qualify for the conversion coverage. There is no pre-existing condition exclusion.

It normally takes approximately 3 weeks for a surviving spouse to receive the information from BCBS. It is very important that your surviving spouse respond to BCBS within the time frames specified on the material that they send to your surviving spouse. As long as your surviving spouse provides BCBS with the information they request within their specified time frame, your surviving spouse’s individual self pay policy will begin the first day of the month following your death. Under no circumstances will your surviving spouse be afforded this conversion opportunity if more than six months have elapsed since the date of your death.

Additionally, if your surviving spouse is Medicare eligible at the time of your death, the Pension Fund Office will issue a Prescription Drug “Certificate of Credible Coverage” as required to enroll in a Medicare Part D Prescription Drug Plan following your death.

If your surviving spouse goes 63 days or longer without prescription coverage that is at least as good as Medicare’s prescription coverage, your spouse’s Medicare Prescription Drug Plan monthly premium will increase at least 1% per month for each month that your spouse does not have prescription drug coverage that is at least as good as Medicare prescription drug coverage.

Divorce or Legal Separation
Upon your divorce or legal separation, all benefits will automatically be terminated for your former spouse. It is your responsibility to notify the Fund Office immediately upon your divorce or legal separation so that your former spouse can be terminated from the Retiree Welfare benefit(s). If you fail to do so and your former spouse receives benefits to which he/she is not entitled, you will be responsible for reimbursing the Welfare Fund for any benefits paid for your former spouse after the date of your divorce or legal separation.

If you former spouse is younger than age 65 (not Medicare eligible) at the time of your divorce or legal separation, a self-pay COBRA policy is offered.   If your former spouse is age 65 or older (Medicare eligible) at the time of your divorce or legal separation, a self-pay Medicare supplement is offered.

Additionally, if your former spouse is Medicare eligible at the time of your divorce, the Fund Office will issue a Prescription Drug “Certificate of Credible Coverage” as required to enrol in a Medicare Part D Prescription Drug Plan following your divorce. It is important to note that if your former spouse goes 63 days or longer without prescription coverage that is at least as good as Medicare’s prescription coverage, your former spouse’s Medicare Prescription Drug Plan monthly premium will increase at least 1% per month for each month that your former spouse does not have prescription drug coverage that is at least as good as Medicare prescription drug coverage.

Death of a Spouse or Dependent
Please notify the Pension Fund Office of a spouse or dependent death on a timely basis so that coverage and premiums for the spouse or dependent can be terminated from the retiree coverage. In no event will premiums be refunded for a period exceeding 24 months.

Dependent Coverage
A dependent’s coverage terminates when he /she no longer qualifies as a dependent under the Plan’s definition of dependent. It is your responsibility to notify the Pension Fund Office immediately when a dependent no longer qualifies as a dependent under the Plan rules so that the former dependent can be terminated from the Retiree Welfare benefit(s). If you fail to do so and your former dependent receives benefits to which he/she is not entitled, you will be responsible for reimbursing the Welfare Fund for any benefits paid for your former dependent after the date the dependent no longer qualifies as a dependent.  Upon termination of coverage, your dependent will be offered a self-pay COBRA policy.

Returning to Work
If you return to work, and are no longer eligible for coverage from the Plan, you and your eligible dependents will be offered a conversion policy on a self-pay basis through BCBS. This type of conversion policy is not necessarily the same coverage provided by the Plan. Premiums are paid directly to BCBS and rates are set by BCBS.

Certification of Creditable Coverage
When your coverage ends, you and/or your covered dependents are entitled by law and will be provided with a Certificate of Creditable Coverage that indicates the period of time you and/or they were covered for benefits under the Welfare Fund. The Certificate will be provided to you shortly after the Pension Fund Office knows or has reason to know that coverage for you and/or your covered Dependent(s) has ended. In addition, a Certificate will be provided upon receipt of a written request for such a Certificate by the Pension Fund Office within two years after the date coverage ended.