Sheet Metal Workers' International Association
Local Union No.73
Pension Welfare and Annuity Funds
Benefits are not provided under the Plan for the following:
Any bodily Injury or Sickness
arising out of or in the course of employment or
which is compensable under any Workers Compensation or Occupational
Disease Act or
law.
Any treatment or service not prescribed by the legally qualified
Physician or Surgeon to
be Medically Necessary.
Any charges made by a Hospital
unless the hospitalization is recommended and approved
by a Physician.
Surgery or medical treatment to improve or preserve physical appearance
but not
physical function. Cosmetic Surgery or treatment includes, but is
not limited to removal
of tattoos, breast augmentation, or other medical or surgical treatment
intended to restore
or improve physical appearance. The Plan does cover Medically Necessary reconstructive
procedures which are necessary to correct damage caused by congenital
birth defect or an
Injury, as provided in item 25 under Covered Expenses. The Plan does cover reconstructive surgery after a mastectomy, as provided in item 29 under Cover Expenses.
Dental care and treatment except (a) that necessitated by
bodily Injury to sound, natural teeth, or (b) as specifically
provided under the
Dental Expense Benefits.
Eye examinations and eye glasses except as provided under the Optical
Benefits.
However, the first pair of glasses purchased after cataract surgery
is paid under the Major
Medical Benefit.
Routine physical examinations and immunizations, except as specifically
provided under
the Wellness Benefit for the Employee and spouse, and except for routine child and adolescent exams and
immunizations until
age 16.
An bodily Injury or Sickness caused by war or by any
act of war, declared or
undeclared, or by participating in a riot or as the result of the commission
of a felony by
an eligible person.
Expenses for services provided without charge to the covered individual under
any government-provided
plan or program (including, without limitation, TRICARE (formerly
known as
CHAMPUS) and VA programs) established under the laws or regulations
of any
government, including the federal, state, or local government or the
government of any
other political subdivision of the United States, or of any other
country or any political
subdivision of any country; or under any plan or program in which
any government
participates other than as an Employer, unless the governmental program
provides
otherwise.
Medical expenses incurred by any covered individual arising from an attempt
at suicide or from a
self-inflicted Injury or Sickness, including complications from the attempt, unless the action arises as a result of a physical or mental health condition.
Charges made by a Physician,
Registered Nurse (RN), Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN), Physiotherapist or any other Provider who is related to you or your Dependent or who ordinarily resides with you or your Dependents.
Charges made for Outpatient
treatment of Mental
or Nervous Disorders and/or Substance
Abuse, unless provided by a Psychiatrist, Psychologist, Mental Health
Counselor, Substance
Abuse counselor, or Social Worker with a master's degree or higher
who is
a) Legally licensed or legally authorized to practice or provide care or
treatment for
such conditions under
state law or the jurisdiction where the services are rendered
b) Acting within the scope
of that license, and
c) Not the patient or the parent, spouse, sibling
(by birth or marriage) or
child of the patient.
Charges exceeding the maximums shown in the Schedule of Benefits for Outpatient or Inpatient treatment of Mental
or Nervous Disorders and/or Substance Abuse.
Expenses for naturopathic, naprapathic, and/or homeopathic services
or
treatments/supplies. Expenses for chelation therapy, except as Medically
Necessary for
the treatment of acute arsenic, gold, mercury, or lead poisoning,
and for diseases due to
clearly demonstrated excess of copper or iron.
Expenses for medical or surgical treatment of weight-related disorders
and obesity (except as provided in item 17 under Covered Expenses,
including but not limited to: gastric restrictive procedures, intestinal
bypass and reversal
procedures, weight loss programs, dietary instructions, Prescription
Drugs and any
complications thereof, even if those procedures are performed to treat
a co-morbid or
underlying condition.
Charges for smoking cessation programs, treatments or devices,
except as provided under
the Wellness Benefit.
Medicines or drugs that can be obtained without a Physicians
prescription.
Foods and nutritional supplements including, but not limited to:
home medications, formulas,
foods, diets, vitamins, herbs and minerals (whether over the counter
or prescription)
except when provided during hospitalization.
Expenses related to prevention of pregnancy including but not
limited to: drugs or
medicines such as birth control pills, emergency contraceptives, devices,
such as
condoms, intrauterine device (IUD) or diaphragm, and implantable birth
control devices
such as Norplant. However, Medically Necessary contraceptives may be covered if approved by the Fund's Contracted Medical Claim Review Provider, and if used to treat a specific medical condition.
Any expense or charge for the promotion of fertility, except as
provided in the Schedule
of Benefits item 31. Expenses not covered for the promotion of
fertility include, but are not limited to the following:
Reversal of voluntary sterilization,
Payment of medical services rendered to a surrogate for purposes
of childbirth,
Costs associated with CRYO preservation and storage of sperm,
eggs and embryos.
However, procedures which use the CRYO preserved substance may
not be
excluded,
Selected termination of an embryo. However, if the life of
the mother would be in
danger if all embryos were carried to full term, termination is covered,
Non-medical cost of an egg or sperm donor,
Travel costs not Medically Necessary, or
Experimental infertility treatments. However, if an infertility treatment includes
elements not experimental in nature along with those
which are, the non-experimatal services are covered subject to the limits listed in Item 31 on the Schedule of Benefits.
Genetic testing and counseling, including:
Pre-parental genetic testing intended to determine if a prospective
parent or
parents have chromosomal abnormalities that are likely to be transmitted
to a
child; and
Prenatal genetic testing intended to determine if a fetus has
chromosomal
abnormalities that indicate the presence of a genetic disease
or disorder and
performed using fluid or tissue samples obtained through amniocentesis,
chorionic villus sampling (CVS), fetoscopy and alphafetoprotein
(AFP) analysis
in pregnant women. However, amniocentesis is covered if recommended
by the
patients Physician.
Any expense or charge for orthoptics, eye exercises or vision training
and supplies,
except as provided under the covered expenses.
Vision therapy and orthoptics for perceptual or visual motor coordination
problems due
to conditions such as minimal brain dysfunction, integrative dysfunction,
dyslexia, etc.
and problems with the interpretation of visual input to the brain
and the reaction and
output of the brain in response to such stimuli.
Expenses for memberships in or visits to health clubs, exercise
programs, gymnasiums
and/or facilities for physical fitness programs, including exercise
equipment.
Expenses for construction or modification to a home, residence
or vehicle required as a
result of injury, illness or disability, including, without limitation:
construction or
modification of ramps, elevators, chair lifts, swimming pools, spas,
air conditioning,
asbestos removal, home traction unit, air filtration, handrails, emergency
alert system,
etc.
Any expense for a mechanical heart implant.
Foot care - treatment for:
weak, strained, flat, unstable or unbalanced feet, metatarsalgia
or bunions, except
open cutting operations, and
corns, calluses or toenails, except the removal of nail roots
and routine foot care
from a podiatrist for individuals with diabetes or a neurological
or vascular
disorder affecting the feet.
Rest cures, domiciliary care, convalescent care or custodial care,
which is care provided
primarily for convenience, or to assist the patient in the activities
of daily living, when
the constant attention of trained medical personnel is not required.
Also excluded are
expenses for services of private duty nurses, except when Medically
Necessary.
Acupuncture, acupressure or hypnosis, unless performed by a licensed
physician for a
medically necessary reason.
Non-surgical treatment of the temporomandibular joint (TMJ).
Expenses for hair removal or hair transplants and other procedures
to replace lost hair or
to promote the growth of hair, including prescription and non-prescription
drugs such as
Minoxidil, Propecin, Rogaine, Vaniga; or for hair replacement devices
including, but not
limited to wigs, toupees, and or hairpieces or hair analysis (regardless
of diagnosis).
Rehabilitation therapy expenses including:
expenses for education, job training, vocational rehabilitation,
and/or special
education for sign language,
expenses for massage therapy, rolfing and related services,
expenses at an inpatient rehabilitation facility for rehabilitation
services provided
to an individual who is unconscious, comatose or otherwise incapable
of
conscious participation in the therapy services and/or unable
to learn and/or
remember what is taught including but not limited to: coma stimulation
programs and services,
expenses for maintenance rehabilitation,
expenses for speech therapy, unless it is due to stroke, surgery
on vocal chords or
neurological injury. Speech therapy for functional purposes including,
but not
limited to: stuttering, stammering and conditions of psychoneurotic
origin, or for
developmental speech delays is excluded from coverage, and
expenses for treatment of delays in childhood speech development
unless as a
direct result of an injury, surgery or result of a covered treatment.
Personal comfort items and expenses for patient convenience, including
but not limited
to: care of family members while the covered individual is confined
to a Hospital or
other covered health care facility or in bed at home, including: guest
meals, television,
VCR, telephone, personal hygiene items, barber or beautician services,
house cleaning or
maintenance, shopping, birth announcements, photographs of new babies,
etc.
Expenses for an autopsy and any related expenses.
Expenses for preparing medical reports, bills or claim forms; mailing,
shipping or
handling expenses; and charges for broken/missed appointments, telephone
calls and/or
photocopying fees.
Expenses for educational services, supplies or equipment, including,
but not limited to
computers, software, printers, books, tutoring, visual aides, auditory
aides, speech aids,
programs to assist with auditory perception or listening/learning
skills, programs/services
to remedy or enhance concentration, memory, motivation or self-esteem,
etc., even if
they are required because of an injury, illness or disability of a
covered individual.
Expenses that exceed any Plan benefit limitation, Annual Maximum
Plan Benefits, or
Overall (Lifetime) Maximum Plan Benefits.
Any portion of the expenses for covered medical services or supplies
that are determined
by the Trustees to exceed the Reasonable
and Customary Charge as defined in the
Definitions chapter of this booklet.
Expenses for services or supplies for which a third party is required
to pay because of the
negligence or other tortious or wrongful act of that third party.
See the provisions relating
to subrogation and third party liability on page ____ for an explanation
of the
circumstances under which the Fund will advance the payment of benefits
until it is
determined that the third party is required to pay for those services
or supplies.
Expenses for any medical services, supplies, or drugs or medicines
that are determined to
be Experimental
or Investigative as defined in the Definitions chapter of this
booklet.
Expenses for and related to non-emergency travel or transportation
(including lodging,
meals and related expenses) of a health care provider,
participant or family member of a
covered individual.
Expenses for any Physician or other health care provider who did
not directly provide or
supervise medical services to the patient, even if the Physician or
health care practitioner
was available to do so on a stand-by basis.
Expenses for hypnosis, hypnotherapy and/or biofeedback, except
as determined
to be Medically Necessary and as provided by a licensed physician.
Expenses for behavioral health care services related to: adoption
counseling;
attention deficit disorders (with or without hyperactivity), except
when the
services are for diagnosis and/or prescription of medication as
prescribed by a
Physician or other Behavioral Health Care Practitioner; autism;
court-ordered
behavioral health care services; custody counseling; developmental
disabilities;
dyslexia; learning disorders, family planning counseling; genetic
testing and
counseling (see also the exclusion regarding genetic testing and
counseling in
this section), marriage, couples, and/or sex counseling; mental
retardation;
pregnancy counseling; transsexual counseling; and vocational disabilities.
The following custodial care expenses:
Expenses for care that is custodial in nature, regardless of
where they are
provided, including, without limitation: adult day care, child
day care, services of
a homemaker, or personal care, sitter/companion service.
Services required to be performed by Physicians, or other covered
providers are
not considered to be provided for custodial care services, and
are covered if they
are determined Medically Necessary. However, any services that
can be learned
to be performed or provided by a family member who is not a Physician
or other
covered provider are not covered, even if they are Medically
Necessary.
Pharmaceuticals requiring a prescription that have not been approved
by the U.S. Food
and Drug Administration (FDA); or are not approved by the FDA for
the condition, dose,
route and frequency for which they are prescribed (i.e. are used off-label),
or are
Experimental and/or Investigative as defined in the Definitions chapter
of this booklet.
Take-home drugs or medicines provided by a Hospital, emergency
room, outpatient
surgical center, or other health care facility.
Expenses for and related to the purchase, servicing, fitting and/or
repair of hearing aid
devices, including, implantable hearing devices such as cochlear implants,
except as
provided under the Hearing Aid Benefit, and special education and
associated costs in
conjunction with sign language education for a patient or family members.
Expenses related to cryostorage of umbilical cord blood or other
tissue or organs.
Expenses for all medical or surgical services or procedures, including
prescription drugs
and the use of prophylactic surgery, when the services, procedures,
prescription of drugs,
or prophylactic surgery is prescribed or performed for the purpose
of:
avoiding the possibility or risk of an illness, disease, physical
or mental disorder
or condition based on family history and/or genetic test results;
or
treating the consequences of chromosomal abnormalities or genetically
transmitted characteristics, when there is an absence of objective
medical
evidence of the presence of disease or physical or mental disorder.
Expenses for medical, surgical or prescription drug treatment related
to transsexual (sex
change) procedures, or the preparation for such procedures, or any
complications
resulting from such procedures.
Expenses for surgical correction of refractive errors and refractive
keratoplasty
procedures including, but not limited to, Radial Keratotomy (RK) and
Automated
Keratoplasty (ALK), or Laser In Situ Keratomileusis (LASIK).
Orthokeratology lenses for reshaping the cornea of the eye to improve
vision.