Northwest Carpenters Health and Security Plan

USERRA 

If you are called to active military duty in the uniformed services covered by the Uniform Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act of 1994 (USERRA), you must notify your employer before taking leave unless precluded by military necessity or other reasonable cause. If you are covered under the Northwest Carpenters Health and Security Plan and you leave employment with a contributing employer for military service, you have the following options:

  • You may elect to run-out your dollar bank. When your dollar bank has less than one month of eligibility, you may elect to extend coverage by making self-payments for USERRA Coverage.
  • You may elect to freeze your dollar bank until you return from military service. If you freeze your dollar bank, you still have the option of electing to self-pay for USERRA Coverage.

Notice of Military Service

You are responsible for notifying Northwest Carpenters Trusts that you are entering military service by providing a copy of your travel orders. If you want to freeze your dollar bank eligibility, you must notify Northwest Carpenters Trusts within 60 days of beginning military service. If you do not provide timely notice, your dollar bank eligibility will be used.

If you want to run-out your dollar bank eligibility, and then elect USERRA Coverage, you must notify Northwest Carpenters Trusts of your military service within 60 days of termination of your dollar bank eligibility. If you fail to notify Northwest Carpenters Trusts within the 60-day time period, you will not be entitled to elect USERRA Coverage.

Election of USERRA Coverage

After timely notification to Northwest Carpenters Trusts of military service, you will be sent an election form to affirmatively elect to freeze your dollar bank eligibility and/or elect USERRA Coverage. Your completed election form must be sent to Northwest Carpenters Trusts and postmarked or received within 60 days from the later of the date coverage would otherwise end, or 60 days from the date the notification is furnished. If you do not return your election form by the due date, you will not be allowed to freeze your dollar bank eligibility or elect USERRA Coverage.

Length of USERRA Coverage

If you provide timely notice and properly elect to freeze your dollar bank eligibility, it will be frozen the first of the month following the month in which you begin military service. If you properly elect to freeze your dollar bank eligibility and elect USERRA Coverage, USERRA Coverage will begin on the first day of the month following the month in which you begin military service, provided the required contributions are made.

If you decide to run-out your dollar bank eligibility before commencing USERRA Coverage, USERRA Coverage will begin immediately following the date dollar bank eligibility ended, provided the required contributions are made.

USERRA Coverage will end on the first of the dates indicated below:

  • 24 months following the month your dollar bank eligibility terminates or is frozen because of your entry into military service.
  • The last day of the month in which you fail to return to employment or apply for a position of reemployment within the time required by USERRA.
  • The last day of the month for which a timely contribution is not received or postmarked.

Available Coverage

You may elect to self-pay for USERRA Coverage for yourself, yourself and your dependents, or only your dependents. You may elect the following coverage options:

  • Medical and dental.
  • Medical only.

Time loss benefits are not available under USERRA Coverage. If you elect medical benefits only, you cannot elect medical and dental benefits at a later date. Benefits are the same as those provided to similarly situated participants. If the plan changes its benefits, USERRA Coverage will also change.

Monthly Contributions

If your military leave is for 31 days or more, a monthly contribution is required for USERRA Coverage. Northwest Carpenters Trusts will notify you of the monthly contribution amount when it sends you the election form.

The initial contribution for USERRA Coverage is due within 45 days from the date Northwest Carpenters Trusts receives a completed election form. The first payment must cover all months for which coverage is sought through the month in which the first payment is made. Eligibility will not commence, nor will claims be processed until the initial payment has been made.

After the initial payment, monthly payments are due on the first of each month for that month’s coverage. USERRA Coverage terminates if a monthly contribution is not postmarked or received by Northwest Carpenters Trusts within 30 days from the beginning of the month to be covered.

USERRA Coverage must be continuous and must immediately follow the date your dollar bank eligibility is exhausted or was frozen.

Reinstatement of Eligibility Following Military Service

You are responsible for notifying Northwest Carpenters Trusts of your discharge from military service and your reemployment with a contributing employer. A copy of your discharge orders is required.

If you properly elected to freeze your dollar bank eligibility when you entered military service, your dollar bank eligibility will be carried over until you are discharged from military service. Your dollar bank eligibility will be reinstated the first of the month in which you are discharged and will continue until exhausted, unless you return to employment with a contributing employer within the time period specified by USERRA, as explained below.

If you return to employment with a contributing employer immediately following military service and within the time period specified by USERRA, your eligibility will be reinstated without waiting periods, and at no cost to you. If you are on the out-of-work list at the Southwest Mountain States Regional Council of Carpenters, it is considered a return to employment with a contributing employer for purposes of reinstatement of eligibility. The reinstated eligibility commences the later of the first of the month in which you return to employment or the first of the month following termination of the previously frozen dollar bank. The reinstated coverage terminates on the earlier of your receipt of four consecutive months of reinstated coverage, or reestablishment of your dollar bank eligibility based upon your hours worked.

Relationship of USERRA Coverage to COBRA Coverage

You may have the right to elect COBRA Coverage in lieu of USERRA Coverage. The length of USERRA Coverage may be different from that of COBRA Coverage. If you have questions regarding election or duration of COBRA Coverage, please see COBRA Coverage or contact Northwest Carpenters Trusts.

Last Updated: 10/31/2023