Welfare Notes - November 2008

Mailings

Active Participants have been sent a notice that Active Plan coverage is creditable coverage and Pensioners have been sent a notice that the Pensioners’ Annual Allowance is non-creditable coverage. These mailings are informational. Please keep the notices for future reference. If you did not receive a notice, please contact the Plan office.

Another notice will be sent to Pensioners requesting a copy of the Medicare letter indicating the amount being paid for the Medicare Part B Premium. Medicare will be sending this letter entitled “Your New Benefit Amount” in December or January. If you and your spouse are receiving reimbursement for Medicare Part B on your pension check, please send the SUP Welfare Plan office a copy of your letter and your wife’s letter.

Pensioners’ Annual Allowance

The Pensioner’s Annual Allowance allows for reimbursement of covered expenses in the fiscal year that runs from August 1 through July 31 of the following year.
The monthly Medicare Part B Premium of $96.40 is reimbursed to Pensioners on the pension check. This amount times 12 months is then deducted from the Pensioners’ Annual Allowance. If the Part B Premium is also being reimbursed for a spouse that amount is also deducted from the allowance. These deductions are applied to the total allowance at the beginning of the fiscal year.

When the remaining balance in the Pensioners’ Allowance reaches $4,000.00 or less the following category maximums are applied to the bills submitted for reimbursement. The maximums are:

$500.00 for medical, dental, and vision co-payments (example $250.00 medical, $100.00 dental, & $150.00 vision would total the $500.00 maximum).
$1,000.00 for prescription drugs
$2,500.00 for premiums (examples Medicare Part D Prescription Drug Premium, supplemental plan premiums such as AARP or Kaiser supplemental plans.)

Michelle Chang, Administrator
Patty Martin
Virginia Briggs, Claims
Michael Jacyna, Eligibility

SUP Welfare Plan

730 Harrison Street, #415
San Francisco, CA 94107

Phone Numbers: 415-778-5490 or 1-800-796-8003
Fax: 415-778-5495
Training Representative Berit Eriksson 415-957-1816
SIU-PD Pension Plan 415-764-4987
SIU-PD Supplemental Benefits Fund 415-764-4991