A. YOUR RIGHTS UNDER ERISA
As a Participant in this Plan you are entitled to certain rights and protections under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (“ERISA”). ERISA provides that all Plan Participants shall be entitled to:
- Examine, without charge, at the Plan Office and at other specified locations such as work sites and the Union office, documents governing the Plan, including Collective Bargaining Agreements and the annual report (Form 5500 series) filed with the Department of Labor;
- Obtain copies of Plan documents and other information (which is required by law to be furnished) upon written request to the Plan. Pursuant to ERISA, the Plan Office may require that you pay a reasonable charge for the copies; and
- Receive a summary of the Plan’s annual financial report, known as a Summary Annual Report (“SAR”). The Plan is required by law to furnish each Participant with a copy of the SAR.
- Continued health care coverage for yourself, spouse or Dependents if there is a loss of coverage under this plan as a result of a qualifying event. You or your Dependents may have to pay for such coverage.
- Review this summary plan description and the documents governing the plan on the rules governing your COBRA continuation coverage rights.
- Reduction or elimination of exclusionary periods of coverage for pre-existing conditions under your group health plan, if you have creditable coverage from another plan. You should be provided a Certificate of creditable coverage, free of charge, from your group health plan or health insurance issuer when you lose coverage under the plan and when you become entitled to elect COBRA continuation coverage, when your COBRA continuation coverage ceases, if you request it up to 24 months after losing coverage. Without evidence of creditable coverage, you may be subject to a pre-existing condition exclusion for 12 months (18 months for late enrollees) after your enrollment date in your coverage.
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