If you enter military service (active duty or inactive duty training) for up to 31 days, your health coverage will continue for the duration of your military leave as long as contributions have been received for your coverage.
If you enter military service for more than 31 days, and you would like to continue your Plan coverage during your service, you have a choice of either: (1) making self-payments for coverage and having your remaining eligibility frozen until your reemployment after service; or (2) using your remaining eligibility for coverage, continuing coverage through self-payments when your eligibility is exhausted, and making self-payments for coverage upon reemployment after service. You may continue your Plan coverage through either of these methods for up to 24 months, or if shorter, the end of the period during which you are eligible to apply for reemployment in accordance with the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act of 1994, as amended (USERRA).
Your coverage under USERRA will continue until the earliest of the following:
- The date you or your Dependents do not make the required self-payments within 30 days of the due date;
- The date you reinstate your eligibility for coverage under the Plan;
- The date you lose your rights under USERRA (for instance, for a dishonorable discharge);
- The end of the period during which you are eligible to apply for reemployment in accordance with USERRA;
- The last day of the month after 24 consecutive months; or
- The date the Fund no longer provides any group health benefits.
You need to notify the Fund Office in writing when you enter the military. For more information about Self-Payments under USERRA, contact the Fund Office. Continuation coverage under USERRA will be administered by the Fund Office in the same way that COBRA continuation coverage is administered, except that coverage may continue for up to 24 months under USERRA. The Trustees will set the amount of your premium payment for continuation coverage under USERRA.
If you do not continue coverage under USERRA, your coverage will end immediately within 31 days of the date you enter active military service. Your Dependents will have the opportunity to elect COBRA Continuation Coverage.
When you are discharged or released from military service, you have up to the USERRA-specified time period to report to work for a Contributing Employer. If you return to work or make yourself available for work during this period, any remaining coverage eligibility that you and your Dependents have will be reinstated on the day you report to work or make yourself available for work. If you do not report to work in Covered Employment within the USERRA-specified period, you will be considered a new Employee and you will need to satisfy the initial eligibility requirements (Initial Eligibility Bargained Member, Initial Eligiblity Non-Bargained Member).