When does my life insurance
become effective?
Your full coverage life insurance becomes effective October 1 of each
contract year provided you earned a minimum of 1000 work hours during
the prior contract year.
When do short term disability
benefits become payable?
The claims administrator approves
payment of a weekly benefit after the end of the elimination period and
only when you and your doctor provide proof that you:
- are disabled due to illness or
injury, and
- are under appropriate treatment
and care of a physician.
What
conditions must be met for disability benefit payments to continue?
You will be paid a weekly benefit as
long as you remain disabled and are under the appropriate treatment and
care of a physician. You will not be paid longer than the maximum
benefit period shown in the Plan outline.
The claims administrator may require
that you be examined by an independent
physician specialist. If you fail to comply with such a request, the
result may be an interruption in or suspension of benefits. Benefits may
also be suspended if the results of the independent examination
determine that you are not disabled under the definition of the Plan.
You will be required to file a claim
with the claims administrator in order to be considered for benefits.
You will also be required to give the claims administrator periodic
proof that your disability continues. Such proof will be provided at
your expense.
How is the short term disability benefit figured?
Based upon your hours during the
previous Contract Year, you will qualify for one of the weekly benefit
levels shown on page 17 of the Welfare Summary Plan Description,
however, your weekly benefit will not exceed 2/3rds of your basic weekly
earnings during the 365 days of employment prior to your injury or
illness. Benefits payable for less than one week will be paid to you at
the rate of 1/7th of the short term disability benefit amount for each
day of total disability.
When do these benefits
stop?
Benefits will stop on the earliest of:
- the date you return to work;
- the date you
are determined to be no longer disabled;
- the end of the
Plan's maximum benefit period;
- the date of
your retirement;
- the date of
your death
What happens if I return to work
after a disability and become disabled again?
If you are disabled, return to work,
and become disabled again due to the same or a related cause, the second
disability will be considered a continuation of the first period of
disability, as long as you had returned to work for less than seven
calendar days.