May 01, 2003
Changes to Your Benefit Plan
VANCOUVER, B.C. - In response to changing conditions, your Board of Trustees has instituted a number of changes to the Health and Welfare Benefit Plan that will go into effect May 1, 2003.
The Board of Trustees are making these changes to ensure the long-term financial health of the Plan, to make the best possible use of available benefit funds, and to ensure the plan serves those intended. Changes to the plan will affect you in these areas:
- The Plan will no longer pay your Medical Services Plan premiums.
- The length of coverage for dependents of deceased members will be increased.
- The hour bank cap will be restored to 1989 levels providing a full years coverage.
- Eligibility for self-payment packages will change.
- Self-payment packages will change.
- Shortage of hours premiums for self-pay packages will change.
- The Individual Benefit Plan self-payment package will be discontinued.
- Rules for travel assistance will change.
Benefit Plan members will receive a notice in the mail providing full information on these changes. You may also download the notice from our Benefits Publications page.