Are listed:
- Within the Funds website the month in which the payments are due.
- Within the Funds newsletter.
- Within each individuals Create account of those individuals who have a shortage of hours in the form of an explanation of benefits.
- Within the Funds Shortage of Hours’ notice letter that is mailed weeks prior to the payment due date. And let us not forget,
- Within the Plan’s Summary Plan Description Book.
Despite what some think, and as evidenced by the list above, we hate to see anyone lose coverage. Put a different way, if we didn’t have empathic concern for the welfare of you and your family, would the Plan repeatedly provide any of the above?
Now, and make no mistake, the Plan will defend the right of each participant to flex their inalienable right to make decisions and to take action or not to. Because of that, we are totally cool with the fact that some people make the choice not to keep track of the hours they work in a calendar quarter, and/or decide to ignore the aforementioned communications.
However, we become less than “jake” whenever a individuals’ decisions and actions infringe upon or attack the rights of others or an individual attempts to retroactively justify their decision, action, or lack thereof, by placing culpability on anyone or anything but themselves.
Regarding the latter, there is a time for blame, and in our humble opinion, that time is whenever an individual is deprived of their liberties, including the liberty to make their own decision. That is, if they are capable of doing so. However, when no third-party culprit exists, and the individual themselves caused the lapse in coverage, then there should be no legitimate ground in which to complain or cast derisions.
Of course, this realization is lost on the people who do not like being accountable or responsible for their own actions. And guess what? If they need to blame someone else for their mishap and that makes them sleep at night, we’re cool with that as well. Sleep is, after all, important.
But us being ok with that, neither means that blaming others for their mistakes is right, nor will it change the outcome. Further, and whether the individual admits to it or not, both they and we know what the truth is. So, to those who fall into this camp, we like to remind you of Tobias Smollett sentiments on facts:
“Facts are stubborn things; and whatever our wishes, our inclinations, intentions or the dictates of our passions, they cannot alter the state of facts and evidence.”
With that said, and in an effort to forestall anyone losing coverage under the Plan, we are once again providing the self-payment schedule directly below:
|
Quarter of Coverage |
Self-Payment Due Date |
|---|---|
| January, February, March | 12:00 P.M. on the last business day of the month of December that precedes the quarter of coverage |
| April, May June | 4:30 P.M. on the last business day of the month of March that precedes the quarter of coverage. |
| July, August, September | 4:30 P.M. on the last business day of the month of June that precedes the quarter of coverage. |
| October, November, December | 4:30 P.M. on the last business day of the month of September that precedes the quarter of coverage. |
Participants are reminded:
- That because there exists a delay in the reporting of hours and contributions to the Plan, the Fund Office learns that an individual is at risk of losing their eligibility long after this was known by the member or employee. And,
- If there exists any doubt as to whether or not a member or employee has enough hours for continuous coverage in fourth quarter, it can quickly and easily be determined by reviewing the paystubs from the corresponding work quarter.