March 2019 Welfare Notes

March, 2019

Initial Active Eligibility & Coverage
Active members become eligible for coverage in the month after they work 120  mandays within a 12-month period. Once a member becomes eligible, the member must enroll in a plan for coverage. The medical and dental plan choices are dependent upon your residence or the port from which you ship. 
Continuing Eligibility & Coverage for Active Participants
After the initial eligibility requirements have been met, continuing eligibility requires the participant to work at least 60 eligible mandays within the eligibility period. The time worked for continuing eligibility may change the beginning and ending months for the new eligibility period because continuing eligibility is a rolling eligibility period. The new eligibility period starts in the month following the 60th manday worked. Please contact the SUP Welfare Plan office for Eligibility questions, especially if you will not be shipping for an extended period of time.
As an example, if a member with a Group One Eligibility period January 1, 2019 through December 31, 2019 ships 60 Group One Days in June and July 2019, the new Group One Eligibility period will be August 1, 2019 through July 31, 2020. A new rolling eligibility period begins in the month following the 60th Group One Day worked. The time worked does not add 12-months onto his previous eligibility. 
If a member with a Group Two Eligibility period January 1, 2019 through June 30, 2019 works 60 Group Two Days in March and April 2019, the new Group Two Eligibility period will be May 1, 2019 through October 31, 2019. A new rolling eligibility period begins in the month following the 60th Group Two Day worked. The time worked does not add 6-months onto his previous eligibility. 
Group One Mandays can count for Group One, Group Two, or Group Three eligibility. Group Two Mandays can count for Group Two, or Group Three eligibility.
Group Three Mandays can count only for Group Three eligibility.
Group One eligibility is good for 12-months of member and dependent coverage. Group Two eligibility is good for 6-months of member and dependent coverage. Group Three eligibility is good for 6-months of member only coverage.