Retiree Benefits

The privilege of making self-payments by either you or your spouse to maintain eligibility for Retiree Benefits is not an "accrued benefit." The right to change, reduce or eliminate any and all aspects of benefits provided for retirees and their dependents, including the right to increase the retiree self-payment rate, is a right specifically reserved to the Trustees.

Eligibility Requirements for Retiree Benefits

To be eligible to make self-payments for Retiree Benefits, you must meet the following requirements:

Early and Normal Retirements

  1. You must be at least age 55; AND
  2. You must be retired from any and all employment in the electrical industry or any organization affiliated with the electrical industry (does not apply to working as an electrical inspector, or as an instructor in an apprenticeship program recognized by the IBEW or NECA); AND
  3. You must be receiving retirement benefits either from a plan negotiated or sponsored by the IBEW, from a qualified pension plan sponsored by a contributing employer, or from Social Security; AND
  4. You must be eligible on the day immediately preceding the effective date of your Lineco Retiree Benefits; AND
  5. You must have been eligible for coverage under Lineco for 48 of the 60 months preceding the effective date of your Lineco Retiree Benefits (the 48 coverage months do not have to be consecutive). In addition:
    1. No more than 6 consecutive months immediately preceding the effective date of your Lineco Retiree Benefits can be COBRA coverage months; and
    2. Out of the 48 coverage months, no more than 12 can be due to COBRA self-payments, UNLESS you were eligible under Lineco for 96 of the 120 months immediately prior to the start of your Lineco Retiree Benefits.
    If you retire before your employer has participated in Lineco for at least 60 months, the Plan will look at your last 60 months of employment with that employer, including the months prior to the employer's Lineco participation date, in order to determine whether you meet the 48-month requirement.

Disability Retirements

  1. You must be receiving disability retirement benefits either from a plan negotiated or sponsored by the IBEW, from a qualified pension plan sponsored by a contributing employer, or from Social Security; AND
  2. You must be eligible for coverage under Lineco on the day immediately preceding the date your disability pension becomes effective.

Postponing or Suspending Retiree Benefits for Your Spouse

The postponement and suspension rules do not apply to retirees—they are only for spouses. However, if a retiree has a dependent child who is also covered by the spouse's plan, Retiree Benefits coverage for that child can be postponed or suspended, and later reinstated, along with the spouse's.

Dropping Spousal Coverage - Retirees are also permitted to drop spousal coverage. This opt-out for a spouse will be valid only if the spouse signs a written acknowledgement that Lineco coverage will never become available again. Retirees

Eligible for VA Benefits - A retired employee who is eligible for coverage through the Veterans Administration (VA) may opt out of Lineco Retiree Benefits for himself while maintaining Lineco Retiree Benefits for his spouse (at the single coverage rate). The retiree can opt back into the Retiree Benefits program later.

Retiree Benefits Coverage

You have a choice of making self-payments for one of the following Retiree Benefits Options:

Once you select and option you cannot change it except during the first 30 days after your original coverage election. The only exception is that if you originally elect dental and vision coverage, you can later drop those coverages. However, the change will be permanent—if you drop dental and vision coverage you cannot re-elect it at a later date.

Retiree Benefits do not include Weekly Income Benefits, Life Insurance or AD&D Insurance. In addition, you are not entitled to any coverage under the Eligibility During Disability rules once you retire. Otherwise the benefit coverage currently provided for you and your dependents under Option 1 or Option 2 is the same coverage that is provided to active eligible employees and their dependents, except that, as explained above, prescription drug coverage and out-of-pocket limits are different for participants who are eligible for Medicare.

In the event of your death, your spouse may continue making self-payments for the option she is covered under when your death occurs.

The benefits provided to retirees may be changed at any time by the Trustees.

Medicare Part D Prescription Drug Plans - Medicare prescription drug coverage is available to everyone with Medicare. This coverage is separate from any coverage provided by Lineco. You must pay a monthly premium to a private plan approved by Medicare in order to get Part D coverage.

Medicare-eligible retirees (and Medicare-eligible spouses of retirees) have the option of dropping Lineco's prescription drug coverage and switching to a Medicare Part D plan. However, most participants will NOT benefit by doing so, and Lineco is NOT encouraging anyone to switch to a Part D plan.

Please note that Lineco's prescription drug coverage for retirees is at least as good or better than the coverage provided under a standard Part D plan. Because of this you can keep this coverage and not have to pay an extra late enrollment penalty if you later decide to enroll in Medicare Part D coverage. However, the Medicare Part D late enrollment penalties WILL apply if there is a gap of 63 days or more between your termination date under this plan and the start of your Part D plan.

Coordination of Benefits With Medicare - If you and/or your spouse are eligible to participate in Medicare, this Plan's benefits will be calculated as though benefits under Medicare Part A and Part B have been paid, whether or not you are actually enrolled in both Parts. You and your spouse should enroll in both Medicare Part A and Part B when eligible to do so.

Lineco will not coordinate its prescription drug benefits with a Part D plan.

Self-Payment Rules for Retiree Benefits

  1. You must make your first self-payment on or before the date on which a self-payment to maintain continuous coverage is due. There must be no lapse in coverage between active employee coverage and Retiree Benefits coverage.
  2. The amount of the monthly self-payment is determined by the Trustees and may be changed at any time. Self-payment amounts for retirees are based on the retiree's dependent status and whether or not the retiree and/or his dependents are eligible for Medicare.
  3. You must mail your self-payments to the Fund Office. Each payment must be postmarked no later than the 15th day of the month preceding the benefit month for which you are paying in order to be accepted by the Fund Office.

    For Example - To be covered for benefits during the March benefit month, your self-payment must be postmarked no later than February 15th. That self-payment will be credited to your account as hours in the eligibility month of January—the eligibility month corresponding to the March benefit month.

  4. If you fail to make a self-payment on or before the date it is due, your eligibility for Retiree Benefits will terminate at the end of the benefit month for which you have already paid. You will not be allowed to make any future self-payments.
  5. Once a self-payment has been accepted by the Fund Office, it will not be returned.
  6. If you die while making self-payments for Retiree Benefits, your surviving spouse can continue Retiree Benefits coverage for herself and any dependent children by making self-payments as explained in the following section.

You can also make your Retiree Benefits self-payments by automatic withdrawal from your personal bank account. Contact the Fund Office if you would like more information about this service.