Here we are in 2026! How lucky are we?
We’re willing to make one cheerful prediction with near-total confidence: almost no one rang in the New Year declaring,
“This is the year I finally understand my benefits.”
And honestly—that tracks.
Benefits don’t glow. They don’t buzz. They don’t congratulate you, vibrate your wrist, or deliver a dopamine hit. They sit quietly in the background—like fire extinguishers, parachutes, or those terms and conditions you absolutely scrolled past—patiently waiting for the precise moment they matter most.
So, in the spirit of fresh starts, we thought we’d offer a little sumptim’, sumptim’ to help you start the year off right. And we’ll do you the courtesy of putting the takeaway right up front—because burying the important part at the end is how certain people end up surprised, confused, and saying things like, “Wait… that was my responsibility?”
So here’s the takeaway—clear, simple, and unapologetically honest:
Your benefits are a quiet superpower.
They won’t excite your dopamine system. They won’t sparkle. They won’t trend. But they will protect you, empower you, and quietly reward you—if you engage.
And here’s the part you should all know and appreciate:
Understanding them is almost entirely within your control. No mystery. No conspiracy. No secret handshake. Just information that works exactly as designed—for those who bother to use it.
The people who do? They tend to be calmer. Better prepared. Financially savvier. The ones who don’t panic while everyone else is scrambling. To that rare and wonderful group: hats off. You’re not flashy—but you’re winning.
So, let’s keep it simple: Read. Learn. Act. Own your future.
That’s the resolution that actually pays dividends.
Now, let’s cut to the chase. You’ve seen this before, but don’t worry, we’ll spare you the fluff—just the essentials, delivered with precision and a dash of flair.
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- All self-payments are due when they are due. The due dates are listed in the Summary Plan Description (SPD). You know, that book you’ve been ignoring. Yes, that one.
- If your family status or a dependent’s insurance status changes, you must notify the Fund—on time. This is not optional, nor retroactive.
- If you have questions, contact the Fund Office or—brace yourself—look it up in the SPD.
- F.A.Q’s exist. We took the time to record them and, crucially, provide answers and make them incredibly accessible on the Funds website. They’re basically a cheat sheet for the lazy or busy—but even if you’re neither, reading it might save you a headache later.
- Stop learning about your benefits from your peers. “Peer” here refers to someone who, like you, did not read—or did not fully read—the SPD, newsletters, Fund correspondence, or attend educational meetings.
- We have a retirement calculator. If this is news to you: congratulations, now you know. Please use it.
- The D.C. Plan offers both Voluntary and Roth options—tools designed to help shape and secure your financial future in a very tax advantaged manner. If you truly have no interest in your financial future or the slightest bit of curiosity, then ignoring them is a valid choice.
- The Emergency Room is for emergencies. Sinus congestion is not one of them. When the ER is used for non-emergent issues, it diverts critical resources from those who truly need them—and yes, claims like that are generally denied by the Plan.
- Beneficiaries. If you’ve got them, keep their contact information up to date. We need digits, emails—basically, ways to reach them when it matters.
Who you list as beneficiaries at the Union, the credit union, or with the International? Totally irrelevant to us. We don’t run those places. Legally, we can’t share your info with anyone else or entity. So, stop imagining we’re secretly sharing this information amongst the various offices or managing a shadow network of your contacts—we’re not.
Do the simple thing: update the Fund Office. It’s like flossing—boring, easy, and keeps catastrophic problems at bay. Then repeat that process with each of the other entitles mentioned above.
- If you don’t provide proper documentation for HRA debit card purchases, the card gets deactivated. Full stop. Want it back? The instructions are in the SPD—yes, that book again. And just so we’re clear, misuse has become bad enough that scraping the cards altogether is being discussed. These cards aren’t a right after all. Don’t say we didn’t warn you.
- Getting divorced? Fantastic… or maybe not. Either way, the Fund Office only needs a fully court-executed Judgment of Divorce and if applicable, a QDRO.
No extra stories, no drama. Just those two things. In other words, handle the situation like responsible adults and leave the Fund Office out of all the particulars.
Here’s a tip: invest in quality legal help. A knowledgeable attorney will save time, stress, and long-term costs—cheapening out is rarely optimal. Then, once the divorce is finalized, update your beneficiary forms accordingly.
- You have telemedicine benefits. And we’ve made accessing it absurdly easy to find. The number and website are on your medical ID card, there’s an app, and like every benefit, the details live on the Fund’s website and in the SPD. This is a classic case of low-effort, high-reward. Using it saves time, money, and frustration. Ignoring it does the opposite—and may result in denied claims and bills sent directly to you.
- Appeals procedures? All in the SPD. Here’s a simple truth: asking the Fund office how that process works—or what to write—often proves you’ve fallen into the very habit that creates most problems in the first place. A tiny bit of effort up front could have avoided the headache entirely.
In fact, in roughly 80% of appeals, it’s exactly this pattern—procrastination, avoidance, and skipping the work—that leads participants to send the proverbial “mea culpa” to the Board of Trustees. Simply put: they didn’t take the time to understand their benefits or the process, and now, may have to pay the price. Literally.
The other 20%? Seventeen percent are cases where people expect the Plan to clean up someone else’s mess. If they’d read the SPD, they’d know the Plan doesn’t do that—you have to deal with the responsible party yourself.
The final 3%? Those are real issues, and working on them actually makes benefits better for everyone. Three percent can make a surprisingly big difference.
- Dues and the Benefit Plans – Have about as much in common as cats and cucumbers. Thinking otherwise? Honestly, that’s adorable. Deeply, deeply incorrect. But still, adorable.
Now, stating that you’re a dues-paying member to the Benefit Office? Changes absolutely nothing. It just makes our eyes roll with the tiniest, most polite hint of... well, disbelief.
Bless your heart. After all these years, and you still don’t know how any of this works? Wow. So, what do we do when this happens? Well, on our better days, we stop listening. On our best days, we politely redirect the conversation. Because, honestly, we can’t really fix embedded cluelessness. Sure, we could—but life’s short. Attention is precious. And some conversations… they just aren’t worth the effort.
- Deductibles and maximum out-of-pocket limits have not changed in decades. If you don’t know what they are or are unsure what “OOP” means, the answer is—once again—in the SPD.
- Are You a Medicare Eligible Retiree? – Here’s a little New Year’s housekeeping for your wallet: on January 1, 2026, it’s time to retire a couple of old friends. Say goodbye to your UnitedHealthcare Medicare Advantage card and the old MagnaCare card with Sav-Rx. Say hello to the new Anthem card you received a few weeks ago… and the updated MagnaCare card — yes, the one boasting a $1,500 dental allowance right on the back. Pop them in your wallet or purse and start 2026 feeling a little lighter, a little smarter, and way more prepared.
- The Plan offers free RIA advice — The same guidance people normally pay 1.0% to 1.5% of the total value of their entire D.C. Fund, just so someone can nod and say “good job” while they move their money elsewhere. Ours? Free. Valuable? Hugely. We’re talking the difference between retiring with 30–50% more in your Fund.
If you never knew… well, that’s on you. If you ignored it… also on you. If you want to retire with less or just plan to “get around to it” later… do what you always do: nothing. Works for you? Fine. Insanely stupid? Absolutely. But, hey, be you.
- Didn’t get credit for work in another Local? When this happens, it’s usually because the other Fund Office didn’t send the contributions. That’s not something this Fund can magically fix. We do not have a big red “undo” button.
But here’s where you come in—this is your moment to take ownership. Call them. Request reciprocity. Ask about any lost interest. If necessary, involve the International. Yes, it’s annoying. No, it’s not optional.
And no, we can’t jump in and fix it for you. We don’t have visibility into another Fund Office’s systems—and if we’d known you were working over there, we would’ve warned you in advance that their operation occasionally resembles a three-ring circus.
If their failure causes a shortage of hours situation, you’ll need to pay the shortage to maintain your eligibility. Think of it as a temporary inconvenience rather than a permanent injustice. Once the Local 697 Benefit Office receives the contributions, your eligibility will be recalculated and if you are owed a refund, you’ll get it.
Not glamourous. Not fun. But it works.
Hate this reality? Don’t work in that Local’s jurisdiction. Seriously, choose a different place to work. By the way, there are plenty of unfilled calls right here in your home Local’s jurisdiction.
Decide to stay? Get comfortable with it— lean in—and appreciate knowing how the system really works. And maybe thank us for the heads-up. Or don’t. Free country.
So, there it is—efficient, if nothing else.
If at this point something feels missing, rest assured: it isn’t. In practice, anything essential has already been covered in the SPD and reiterated across prior Fund communications. Nothing is missing; it’s simply less salient at this moment.
The fastest way to resolve that discomfort - to resolve that uncertainty is to look it up yourself. Taking responsibility for engagement produces better results.
Lastly, experience suggests that those who engage early rarely regret it later. Information, like insurance, works best before you discover you needed it—and tends to produce better outcomes with far fewer surprises.