Life Events

Plans For Life

If there is one thing you can plan for in life, it is change. When a life-changing event comes your way, these action plans can help you manage your benefits and protect your financial security.

Marriage

Participant Checklist: Marriage

• Enroll your new spouse within 90 days of your marriage.
  • If you enroll your spouse within 90 days of the date of your marriage, your spouse's coverage will be effective as of the date of the marriage or qualifying event.
  • If your spouse has other health coverage and loses that coverage, this becomes a qualifying event and you may enroll your spouse within 90 days of the event.
  • If you enroll your spouse more than 90 days after the date of the marriage or qualifying event, coverage will begin on the first of the month in which all required documents for enrollment are received by the Administrative Office.
  • If you or your dependents lose eligibility for Medicaid or Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), or become eligible for a state subsidy (premium assistance program) for enrollment in the Plan under Medicaid or CHIP, you must request enrollment for yourself/your dependents in Plan coverage within 60 days after coverage in Medicaid/CHIP ends or the date you/they became eligible for the subsidy. If you properly enroll yourself and/or your dependents within these periods, coverage will be retroactive to the date the prior coverage ended.
• Obtain the appropriate enrollment change form from the Member Website for the medical plan you are enrolled in. Complete and submit the form and required documentation, including:
  • Copy of Certified Marriage Certificate from the Hall of Records
  • Copy of page 1 and signature page (or certificate of electronic filing) of your most current Federal Income Tax return as filed with the IRS listing the Social Security numbers of your dependents
  • If you are divorced and your ex-spouse has not been removed from coverage, a copy of your final Divorce Decree and all property settlement pages
• To change your address and/or phone number, complete and submit an Address Change Form.
• To update your beneficiary for your life insurance and other forms of insurance, complete and submit a Designation of Beneficiary Form.

Divorce

Participant Checklist: Divorce

• Remove your ex-spouse (and any step-children) from coverage within 30 days of your divorce. Otherwise, you will be responsible for any costs the Trust incurs on behalf of ineligible dependents, including but not limited to your former spouse and any step-children.
  • Obtain the appropriate enrollment change form from the Member Website for the medical plan you are enrolled in. Complete and submit the form and required documentation and a copy of your Divorce Decree and all property settlement pages.
• To change your address and/or phone number, complete and submit an Address Change Form.
• To update your beneficiary for your life insurance and other forms of insurance, complete and submit a Designation of Beneficiary Form.

Domestic Partnership

Participant Checklist: Domestic Partnership

• Effective January 1, 2021, participants in the Southwest Carpenters Health & Welfare Plan who live in a state that recognizes Domestic Partnerships are eligible to enroll a Domestic Partner and their eligible children. Proof of registration is required. The Domestic Partner can be of the same or opposite gender.
• A Domestic Partner must be registered with the local city, county or state government Agency. See https://www.sos.ca.gov/registries/domestic-partners-registry/ for more information regarding registration and the rights and responsibilities of Domestic Partners.
• A Domestic Partner and dependents are eligible to enroll in the same medical, prescription, dental and vision plan as the plan participant.
  The plan participant must return the following forms to the Administrative Office:
  • Completed Domestic Partner Enrollment Affidavit.
  • Completed medical and dental plan enrollment forms
  • Proof of registration with the state or local agency
  • A certified copy of the birth certificate(s) for children of the Domestic Partner provided they meet the eligibility definition of dependent child as stated in the Southwest Carpenters Health & Welfare Trust Summary Plan Description (SPD).
• Once enrolled, if the employee participant later requests to disenroll the Domestic Partner or the Domestic Partnership is legally terminated , the Domestic Partner’s children will also be removed from the Plans.
• The participant must also remit payment for federal taxes due for the first two months of coverage at the time the request for enrollment is made. Payment for taxes must be made monthly thereafter. The IRS requires federal taxes be paid based on the value of the benefit being provided to the Domestic Partner and their children.
  Note: Participants of the Bronze Medical Plan who enroll a Domestic Partner and make self-payments for monthly premiums for dependent coverage, are not required to pay the federal tax.
• Domestic Partners are not afforded the same rights as a legal Spouse under the Southwest Carpenters Pension Trust or the Southwest Carpenters Annuity Plan. See the Summary Plan Description for details. However, a Domestic Partner can be named as a Beneficiary for death benefits.
• To update your beneficiary for your life insurance and other forms of insurance, complete and submit a Designation of Beneficiary Form.

Dependent Changes

Participant Checklist: Adding a Dependent

• Enroll your new child or step-child within 90 days of birth, adoption or marriage.
  • If you enroll your dependent child within the 90 days, your child's coverage will be effective as of the date of the event.
  • If your dependent has other health coverage and loses that coverage this becomes a qualifying event and you may enroll your child within 90 days of the event.
  • If you enroll your dependent child more than 90 days after the date of the birth or qualifying event, coverage will begin on the first of the month in which all required documents for enrollment are received by the Administrative Office.
  • If you or your dependents lose eligibility for Medicaid or Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP), or become eligible for a state subsidy (premium assistance program) for enrollment in the Plan under Medicaid or CHIP, you must request enrollment for yourself/your dependents in Plan coverage within 60 days after coverage in Medicaid/CHIP ends or the date you/they became eligible for the subsidy. If you properly enroll yourself and/or your dependents within these periods, coverage will be retroactive to the date the prior coverage ended.
• Obtain the appropriate enrollment change form from the Member Website for the medical plan you are enrolled in. Complete and submit the form and required documentation, including:
  • Copy of Certified Birth Certificate from Hall of Records. For newborns only, the ornamental birth certificate may be submitted with the enrollment form. A Certified Birth Certificate will be required if the documentation is received after 90 days from the date of enrollment.
  • Copy of page 1 and signature page (or certificate of electronic filing) of your most current Federal Income Tax return as filed with the IRS listing the Social Security numbers of your dependents.
  • Certified copy of the placement for adoption or legal guardianship documents showing your legal responsibility for each applicable child.
• To update your beneficiary for your life insurance and other forms of insurance, complete and submit a Designation of Beneficiary Form.

Participant Checklist: Deleting a Dependent

• Remove dependents from coverage within 30 days of a divorce. Otherwise, you will be responsible for any costs the Trust incurs on behalf of ineligible dependents including but not limited to your former spouse and any step-children.
• Complete and Submit an appropriate enrollment change form from the Member Website and a copy of your Divorce Decree and all property settlement pages.
• To update your beneficiary for your life insurance and other forms of insurance, complete and submit a Designation of Beneficiary Form.

Designation of Beneficiary

Loss Of Coverage

Hours Buy Back

Participants who are scheduled to lose eligibility due to a lack of reported work hours or reserve bank hours have the option to self-pay the amount of contributions needed to meet the minimum amount of reported hours and maintain eligibility for the quarter.

The following conditions apply:

• This provision does not apply to those who are establishing Initial Eligibility.
• You are allowed to pay up to 20 hours multiplied by the current Health & Welfare contribution rate to maintain eligibility.
• This self-payment is offered 3 times per calendar year for no more than 20 hours each time to avoid a lapse in coverage.
• Payment must be received by the Administrative Office within 31 days of receipt of Hours Buy Back Letter.
• You must be eligible in the immediately preceding month.

If you qualify for the Hours Buy Back, a letter will be sent to your address on file with information regarding the amount of hours required to keep eligibility for the next month and the amount due. Payment must by made by cashiers check or money order.

Cobra Continuation of Coverage

COBRA, a federal law, allows covered participants and their dependents to continue health care coverage for a limited period at their own expense under certain circumstances when health coverage would otherwise end under the terms of the Plan because of a qualifying event.

• If you lose your health coverage due to a qualifying event as a carpenter participant, employee, spouse or dependent, you will be offered the opportunity to continue coverage in the same health plans you were enrolled in prior to the loss of coverage, without Life Insurance and AD&D benefits, by making monthly premium payments.
• If you choose to elect COBRA and you are eligible at Open Enrollment, you will be allowed to make plan changes effective January 1st at that time. These changes may affect your premium rates.
• If you elect COBRA, you are allowed to add a newly acquired dependent if they are enrolled within 31 days from the date they became a dependent or they experienced a qualifying event such as loss of other coverage.

Qualifying Events:

• Loss of coverage due to insufficient work hours and/or reserve bank hours
• Loss of coverage due to termination of employment, including retirement and for reasons other than gross misconduct.
• Divorce or Legal Separation.
• The 26th birthday of a dependent child.
• Participant death.

The Administrative Office will mail a COBRA Offering Notification and COBRA Election Form to a participant’s home address within 14 days of a COBRA qualifying event. The COBRA Offering Notification will provide information regarding your rights and responsibilities under COBRA and includes the COBRA premium rates.

To Elect COBRA Continuation of Coverage:

• You have 60 days from the date on the COBRA Offering Notification to return the COBRA Election Form
• You have 45 days from the date you return the COBRA Election Form to submit the first payment.
  • The monthly payment amount is shown on your COBRA Offering Notification.
  • Payment is due for all coverage months beginning with the loss of coverage.
• Continue to submit monthly premium payments by the 20th of the month for coverage in the following month.
• Payments must be made by money order or cashier’s check payable to Southwest Carpenters Health & Welfare Trust.
  • Personal checks are not accepted.
  • Mail payments to the address below and include your member ID on your payment:
    • Carpenters Southwest Administrative Corporation
      533 South Fremont Avenue
      Los Angeles, CA 90071-1706

The Maximum Length of COBRA Continuation of Coverage if Elected:

• 18 Months
  • Loss of employment.
  • Reduction of work hours.
• 36 Months
  • Death of employee/participant.
  • Divorce or Legal Separation.
  • Dependent child no longer meeting the definition of dependent (Age 26)
  • Medicare Eligibility of employee/participant.
• 29 Months
  • If a participant becomes disabled before the 60th day of COBRA Continuation of Coverage an extension of up to 11 months may be available after the first 18 months of coverage.
  • A higher COBRA premium rate will apply during the 11-month extension.

COBRA Coverage will Terminate When:

• The required monthly premium is not received timely
• The Plan ceases to provide health coverage for any employees.
• The COBRA participant becomes covered by another group health plan.
• The last contributing employer of the participant stops contributing to the plan, establishes another group health plan or begins contributing to another multi-employer plan. (Non-Bargaining Employers)
• The Plan would terminate coverage of any participant or beneficiary (such as fraud).

The Health Insurance Marketplace

• If you lose health coverage, you may be able to get coverage through the Health Insurance Marketplace that costs less than COBRA Continuation Coverage.
• Visit www.HealthCare.gov or call 1-800-318-2596 for more information.

For More Information

• Look for detailed information in you Summary Plan Description
• Email questions to COBRA@carpenterssw.org.

Disability

If your ability to work is affected by a Temporary or Permanent Disability, notify the Trust Office immediately!

Health and Welfare Credit

If you become disabled and:

• you are eligible for health benefits at the time of your disability,
• you were eligible for health benefits in the preceding month your disability,
• you received employer reported work hours within 90 days preceding your disability,
• you are not currently receiving a pension benefit from the Southwest Carpenters,

Disability hours may be credited in lieu of work hours at eight hours per day, (excluding weekends and holidays), up to 120 hours per month for a maximum. Credit will be granted for a maximum of 6 consecutive months.

Pension Credit

If you become disabled and:

• You received Workers Compensation benefits for the period of your disability,
  Or
• You were hospitalized,

pension Credit may be granted at 40 hours per week, to a maximum of 1,200 hours per year, for the period of your disability. This additional credit may help you prevent a Break in Service or assist you in qualifying for certain pension benefit types.

Long Term Disability Benefits

If you become Totally Disabled and:

• you have earned at least 5 pension credits under the Southwest Carpenters Pension Plan without a Break in Service,
• you have:
  • worked 350 hours in the 12 months immediately preceding your disability,
    Or
  • earned 3/12 Pension Credit in at least three of the most recent five calendar years preceding the year you became disabled,
• you have been deemed to be Totally Disabled by an independent review organization or the Social Security Administration,

you may be entitled to receive a Long Term Disability Benefit, based upon vested pension credits under the Pension Plan, as partial income replacement due to your disability.

Contact the Trust Office for an Application for LTD Benefits as soon as possible to avoid any delays.

Retirement

Before and after retirement it is important to notify the Administrative Office of any changes to your mailing address, email address and phone number in order receive important Plan communications regarding your Pension benefit.

Participant Checklist: Pension

If you are thinking about retirement:

• Contact the Administrative Office for a pension application at least 3 months before you want to start receiving payments.
• If you earned any Pension credits under other funds you will need to contact those funds and file the necessary applications with them. Be sure to inform the Administrative Office of the names and locations of the other funds to which you apply.
• Complete the application and return it promptly to the Administrative Office with all of the required documents, including:
  • Social Security numbers for your spouse and yourself
  • Proof of age for yourself and your spouse
  • Proof of marriage (acceptable documents can be found on the back of the application).
• If you are married and elect to not have your benefit paid as a Qualified Surviving Spouse Pension, you will be required to provide a notarized consent form signed by your spouse with your application.
• If your spouse is deceased, you will be required to provide a death certificate. If you are divorced, a copy of your divorce decree will be required.
• The signature on your application must be notarized,

Participant Checklist: Annuity

• Contact the Administrative Office for a pension application at least 3 months before you want to start receiving payments.
• Complete the application and return it promptly to the Administrative Office with all of the required documents, including:
  • Social Security numbers for your spouse and yourself
  • Proof of age for yourself and your spouse
  • Proof of marriage (acceptable documents can be found on the back of the application).
• If you are married and elect to not have your benefit paid as a 50% Joint Survivor Annuity, you will be required to provide a notarized consent form signed by your spouse with your application.
• If your spouse is deceased, you will be required to provide a death certificate. If you are divorced, a copy of your divorce decree will be required.
• The signature on your application must be notarized,
• If you elect to receive your benefit by direct rollover to an eligible retirement plan or IRA, you will need to provide the name and address of the financial institution and your account number.

Death of Participant or Dependent

Participant Checklist: Death of a participant

• Complete and submit a Deceased Member Notification Form.
• Submit the participant's Death Certificate. (Note that no benefits can be paid until the Administrative Office receives the original Death Certificate.)

Participant Checklist: Death of a Dependent

• Call the Administrative Office to notify them of your dependent's death. The Administrative Office will mail you a Beneficiary Claim Form and help guide you through the process.
• Submit a photocopy of the Certified Death Certificate to the Administrative Office with your Social Security or UBC number.

Military Service

If you are absent from employment due to Military Service you may be entitled to continue your Health Coverage and/or earn Pension or Annuity credit under the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act of 1994 (USERRA).

Health and Welfare Coverage

If you are absent from employment due to military service your health coverage will cease but you will have the option under USERRA to:

• continue coverage under USERRA for a maximum of 24 months or until you have completed your service and you apply for or return to work, as long as you continue to make the appropriate self-payment.
• And/Or
• Continue your health coverage under the plan when you return to covered employment, even if you did not choose to continue coverage during your service, after receiving an honorable discharge, based on
  • Your reserve bank at the time you began your service,
    or
  • A monthly self-payment until you have again earned coverage through covered employment.

Pension Credit

If you are absent from employment due to military service you are entitled under USERRA to have your service treated as Hours of work in Covered Employment for all purposes under the plan.

Annuity Credit

If you are absent from employment due to military service and you are a participant in the Southern Nevada Carpenters Annuity Plan you are entitled under USERRA to contributions received from your employer added to your individual annuity account.

• Contributions are based on your weeks of qualified military service and the average number of hours worked in covered employment in the 12 months preceding your service.

Contact Us

Monday-Friday 8:00 am to 5:00 pm (PST) at:

• (213) 386-8590

  or

  (800) 293-1370

• info@carpenterssw.org

Carpenters Southwest Administrative Corporation
533 South Fremont Avenue
Los Angeles, California 90071