Nasifund.org

NATIONAL AUTOMATIC SPRINKLER INDUSTRY
WELFARE FUND PENSION FUND
8000 CORPORATE DRIVE LANDOVER, MD 20785 WELFARE FUND TRUSTEES
PENSION FUND TRUSTEES
FRED BARALL, Secretary JOHN D BODINE, SR., Chairman FRED BARALL, Secretary JOHN D. BODINE , SR. , Chairman CORNELIUS J. CAHILL MICHAEL R. MAHLER CORNELIUS J. CAHILL STANLEY M. SMITH RUSSELL P. FLEMING JAMES E . TUCKER RUSSELL P. FLEMING MICHAEL W. JACOBSON, Administrator
To All Participants in the NASI Welfare Fund
From the Board of Trustees
The Board of Trustees of the National Automatic More than 500,000 tobacco users have already been Sprinkler Industry Welfare Fund is pleased to report helped using the Quit For Life® Program. It works. that benefit changes that have been in effect since Jan- Hundreds of NASI Welfare Fund participants and de- uary 1, 2011, along with the additional changes that pendents have used this program and are now tobacco were effective January 1, 2012, have resulted in favor- able financial experience for the NASI Welfare Fund. Also contributing to this positive result was the Janu- Call today for FREE coaching at 1.866.QUIT.4.LIFE ary 1, 2012, hourly contribution increase and excellent (866.784.8454) or visit investment returns on the reserves of the Fund. If you choose to participate, the fact of your participa- Unfortunately, part of the reason the NASI Welfare tion will not be shared with anyone except for Fund Fund is in a better-than-expected financial position is staff and professionals (and, if necessary, Medco) as that there are fewer participants eligible for benefits necessary to follow up on long-term cost benefits of the than in previous years. It is expected that this trend program, in keeping with federal privacy law. will reverse itself once construction picks up. Medco bought by Express Scripts
At this time, the Trustees have decided that there will be no change to the deductibles, co-insurance levels or During this past year, our "pharmacy benefit manager", out-of-pocket maximums for 2013. Medco, was purchased by a firm in that same business, Express Scripts. As a result of the purchase, the two Quit for Life® Program
companies are now one company and will do business under the name of Express Scripts. The Trustees have Tobacco use remains the single largest preventable been advised that there will be no disruption experi- cause of disease and premature death in the United enced by participants of the NASI Welfare Fund. You States. For those who smoke or otherwise use tobacco do not need to take any action; your prescriptions will products, the Fund continues to pay for an opportunity continue to be handled by the merged and now larger for you to "Quit for Life®". company. You should treat contact and information from Express Scripts as you would treat contact and The Quit For Life® Program has resources to help you information from Medco; they are now the same com- quit. The NASI Welfare Fund will pick up the en-
pany. The telephone number and address for Medco tire cost of your participation including the cost of
will continue to be used. There is no plan to reissue certain prescription drugs, like Chantix or Zyban. NASI or Blue Cross ID cards to reflect this name With their counseling, your chances of quitting for life are 8 times greater than trying to quit on your own. Pensioner Medical Coverage
REMINDERS
Some years ago, a goal was announced that pensioners Retiree Benefits and Medicare and beneficiaries would be asked to pay an increasing Medicare is the primary coverage for retirees, depend- portion of the cost of their coverage eventually reach- ents of retirees and beneficiaries. The NASI Welfare ing the goal of retirees paying 50% of the cost of retir- Plan requires that individuals who are eligible for Medicare Part B benefits sign up for those benefits. Additionally, if an individual is not entitled to cost- In keeping with this goal, the Trustees have made free Medicare Part A, that individual must also pur- changes to the monthly self-payment amounts required chase Part A coverage from Medicare when they be- for retiree medical coverage as described below. come eligible to do so at age 65. Pensioners and beneficiaries who do NOT have
Notification Requirement upon Divorce Medicare
Notice of your divorce must be provided to the Fund The monthly self-payment for pensioners or benefi- office within 60 days of your divorce. ciaries who are not yet eligible for Medicare will de-
If notice of your divorce is not provided to the Fund crease from $790 per month to $755 per month begin-
Office in this time frame, and as a result, benefits are ning January 1, 2013. paid to an ineligible dependent, the Fund can recover those benefits by treating such benefits as an advance Pensioners and beneficiaries whose Local Union has a to you, and deducting such amounts from benefits Retired Employee Subsidy Account (RESA) and who which become due to you until the entire amount of are eligible for their local union's RESA will continue benefits erroneously paid is recovered. to benefit from their Local Union's subsidy of the cost of their coverage. If your Local Union plans to change Make Sure Your Beneficiary is Up-to-Date the amount of the subsidy, you will be advised in a separate announcement. Be aware that your divorce does not invalidate your beneficiary designation. Forms to designate a benefi- Pensioners and beneficiaries WITH Medicare
ciary for your NASI Welfare Fund life insurance bene-
In keeping with the policy as stated above, the month-
fit as well as for your NASI Pension Fund death bene- ly self-payment for pensioners or beneficiaries who fit (for active participants) and for your SIS Pension became eligible for Medicare before 2002 will de-
Fund death benefit are available on the Funds' web- crease from $260 per month to $250 per month effec-
site, or by calling the Fund office. tive January 1, 2013. For those pensioners or benefi- ciaries who become eligible for Medicare after 2001, If You Become Entitled to Social Security Dis- the monthly self-payment cost for coverage will de-
ability Benefits crease from $310 per month $300 per month effective
you have to provide the Fund Office with a copy of January 1, 2013. your award within nine months of your receipt in or- der to fully benefit from Plan provisions that can re- Medicare-eligible Pensioners and beneficiaries whose store or continue eligibility for benefits. Local Union has a Retired Employee Subsidy Account (RESA) and who are eligible for their local union's Annual Reminder regarding Women's Health RESA will continue to benefit from their Local Un- and Cancer Rights Act of 1998 ion's subsidy of the cost of their coverage. If your Lo- cal Union plans to change the amount of the subsidy, The NASI Welfare Plan, as required by the Women's you will be advised in a separate announcement. Health and Cancer Rights Act of 1998, provides bene-
Participation Agreement Monthly Cost
fits for mastectomy related services, including all stag- es of reconstruction and surgery to achieve symmetry The premium for the NASI Welfare Fund for those between the breasts, prostheses, and complications participating in the Fund through participation agree- resulting from a mastectomy, including lymphedema. ments (e.g. owner members) will remain $1,347.20 Call the Fund Office at 1-800-638-2603 for more in-

Source: http://www.nasifund.org/PDFs/Welfare_Fund/Wel%20Change%202013.pdf