No need to worry. Just contact the Fund Office or send email to customerservice@norcalaborers.org to request a new card. In the meantime, you can still access your health coverage. To do so, you need to know the following:
 
Group Number

•     If you need medication, give the pharmacy your Group Number and your Social Security number.
•     If you are a regular customer, you will probably not need to present a card.
•     The pharmacy should have all the information needed to fill your prescription.

(Note: This is the toll-free number the hospital should call to arrange utilization review for elective and emergency inpatient stays. Utilization review only authorizes the number of days that are medically necessary for a hospital stay; it does not verify eligibility. To verify eligibility, the hospital must contact the Fund Office). Any health care provider or hospital can contact the Fund Office at the above number between the hours of 8:30 AM and 4:00 PM, Monday through Friday to verify eligibility or resolve any benefit matter that may arise.

If you are having a problem accessing your prescription drug coverage, you or your pharmacist can contact Prescription Solutions at 1-800-562-6223 (TDHI 1-800-498-5428). Prescription Solutions’ customer service is available Monday - Friday from 6 AM to 9 PM (Pacific Time) and on Saturday and Sunday from 7 AM to 7 PM (Pacific Time). If Prescription Solutions cannot resolve the problem contact the Fund Office.

You should receive your replacement card within two weeks of the date you order it. If you do not, contact the Fund Office immediately.

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It is vital to always keep your pay stubs with your other employment records. In case a discrepancy occurs between your records and the Fund’s records, which affects your eligibility to a Pension benefit, Vacation benefit and Health & Welfare coverage, your pay stubs will likely determine your eligibility.

Was this answer helful?

Any time you have questions concerning your benefits or eligibility, call the Trust Fund Office at 707-864-2800 or the toll-free number 1-800-244-4530.

Was this answer helful?

Your Statement of Account shows your six-month work period for purposes of establishing health and welfare eligibility, pension benefit accruals and vacation-holiday dollars. The statement lists the names and account numbers of employers reporting hours for you and shows the month and year you worked those hours.

Important Reminders:

• If your employer reported hours but did not pay health and welfare contributions, those worked hours cannot be used for health and welfare eligibility.
• If your employer did not pay for vacation-holiday hours worked, those amounts will remain in suspense and unpaid to you until your employer submits the required payment to the Trust Fund.

Was this answer helful?

COBRA, which stands for Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act, is an important piece of legislation enacted into law which allows employees to continue benefit coverage after employment ceased.

Under the law, COBRA allows an individual whose eligibility terminates to continue health plan coverage under certain circumstances. The key to understanding the provisions of COBRA are the terms Qualified Beneficiary and Qualifying Event.

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As defined under COBRA, a Qualified Beneficiary is an individual who loses coverage under any of the Qualifying Events. A Qualified Beneficiary can be an active employee, his spouse or dependent child.

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If you are the employee, Qualifying Events are:

• Termination of employment, or
• A reduction in hours.

If you are the spouse or dependent child, Qualifying Events are the same as for the Employee, plus:

• The employee's death, or
• Your divorce from the employee, or
• The dependent child no longer meeting the plan's definition of "dependent"

If the Qualifying Event is a termination or reduction of hours, the Trust Fund Office notifies you. If the Qualifying Event is a death, divorce or a child losing dependent status, the qualified beneficiary should notify the Trust Fund Office.

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The monthly premiums are set each March by the Board of Trustees and do not change for 12 months. The cost is determined by the type of coverage you elect and whether you are buying coverage for yourself or for both yourself and your family.

The duration of coverage can be from 18 to 36 months. Generally, coverage is for 18 months, but can be extended to 36 months if a second qualifying event occurs or to 29 months if Social Security determines that a qualified beneficiary is totally disabled.

For more information on your rights to elect COBRA Continuation Coverage, refer to your Plan booklets or contact the Trust Fund Office at 707-864-2800.

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HMO stands for "Health Maintenance Organization." It is a prepaid medical group practice plan which provides comprehensive medical benefits.

Was this answer helful?

PPO stands for "Preferred Provider Organization." It is a group of hospitals and physicians contracting on a "fee-for-service" basis with insurance companies to provide comprehensive medical service. It differs from an HMO in that you are free to choose your own health care provider. The Fund's own Managed Health Care Plan is a PPO.

Was this answer helful?

Coordination of Benefits (COB) is a process designed to eliminate duplicate payments and apply primary and secondary coverage when a participant is insured under two health plans.

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You can print a Pension Application from our website or contact the Trust Fund Office to request a Pension Application be mailed to you.

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You become a participant when the first contribution is made or required to be made by an individual employer covered by the Collective Bargaining Agreement to the Laborers Annuity Plan for Northern California on your behalf.

Was this answer helful?

You or your Beneficiary is eligible to receive the money in your Individual Account when one of the following events occurs:

• Retirement. Once you attain age 65 with no Contributions having been made or required to be made to your Individual Account for at least 3 consecutive months, or you are receiving a benefit from the Laborers Pension Trust Fund for Northern California, you areeligible to receive the money in your Individual Account.
• You Stop Working as a Laborer. Regardless of your age, if you have not worked in employment covered by the Collective Bargaining Agreement for at least 500 hours in each of 2 consecutive years preceding your application for your Accumulated Share, you are eligible to receive the money in your Individual Account.
• Entitlement to a Social Security Disability Benefit. Regardless of your age, if you have established entitlement to a Social Security Disability Benefit based on your total and permanent disability, you are eligible to receive the money in your Individual Account.
• Death. In the event of your death, any money in your Individual Account will be paid to your designated Beneficiary. As a condition to payment of your Individual Account, your Beneficiary must complete an application on a form provided by the Fund Office.

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A Plan Credit Year is the period from August 1 to July 31 of the following year. This 12-consecutive-month period is used to determine Credited Service, Benefit Units and benefit accruals.

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You become a Participant in the Pension Plan when on the February 1 or August 1 after you work for a Contributing Employer for at least 500 hours (or 435 hours for Plan Credit Years before August 1, 2013) in Covered Employment during a 12-consecutive-calendar-month period.

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You earn one (1) year of Credited Service when you work at least 870 hours in Covered Employment in a Plan Credit Year (August 1 - July 31).

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You earn one (1) year Benefit Unit when you work at least 1,000 hours in Covered Employment in a Plan Credit Year (August 1 - July 31).

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If you are a Participant who has worked at least one hour in Covered Employment, after January 1, 1997, you achieve Vested status once you have accumulated 5 years of Credited Service, not counting any Credit Service lost due to a Permanent Break in Service.

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You incur a Permanent Break in Service if you have 5 consecutive One-Year Breaks in Service.

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You can print a Pension Application from our website or contact the Trust Fund Office to request a Pension Application be mailed to you.

Was this answer helful?

A Plan Year is a 12-month period of benefits coverage for a health plan. The Direct Payment Plan's Plan Year is March 1st - February 28th of each year, while the Kaiser Permanente Plan Year is January 1st - December 31st.

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You earn one (1) year of vesting credit when you work at least 1,000 hours in Covered Employment in a Plan Credit Year (July 1 - June 30).

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You achieve Vested status once you have accumulated 5 years of vesting credits, not counting any vesting credit lost due to a Permanent Break in Service.

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Your credit earned from another fund could be counted towards your pension provided the other fund participates in a reciprocal agreement and that you are vested in one fund or the other, or both combined. To participate in a reciprocal agreement, you must have a minimum of one pension credit. Please contact the Trust Fund Office for complete details.

Was this answer helful?

Inactive Members

If you have previously worked as a Laborer, you probably have contributions in your individual Annuity account.  If you haven't worked as a Laborer or participated in your Local Union for an extended period of time, you are entitled to receive a lump sum payout once you meet eligibility requirement of less than 1,000 worked hours in the last 24 consecutive months. If you believe this applies to you, please contact the Annuity Department at the Trust Fund Office.

Laborers Trust Fund Office

Open Monday - Friday, 8am - 5pm

707-864-2800 or 800-244-4530 (toll free)

Was this answer helful?

If your employer has not submitted or paid your contributions, you can assist us by doing the following:

• Submit your check stubs to the Trust Fund Office to the attention of Employer Services
• Provide the Trust Fund Office with a list of projects and locations you are/have worked on for that employer

Completing these steps will assist the Employer Services Department in billing your employer for the hours you have worked.

Was this answer helful?

No need to worry. Just contact the Fund Office or send email to customerservice@norcalaborers.org to request a new card. In the meantime, you can still access your health coverage. To do so, you need to know the following:
 
Group Number

•     If you need medication, give the pharmacy your Group Number and your Social Security number.
•     If you are a regular customer, you will probably not need to present a card.
•     The pharmacy should have all the information needed to fill your prescription.

(Note: This is the toll-free number the hospital should call to arrange utilization review for elective and emergency inpatient stays. Utilization review only authorizes the number of days that are medically necessary for a hospital stay; it does not verify eligibility. To verify eligibility, the hospital must contact the Fund Office). Any health care provider or hospital can contact the Fund Office at the above number between the hours of 8:30 AM and 4:00 PM, Monday through Friday to verify eligibility or resolve any benefit matter that may arise.

If you are having a problem accessing your prescription drug coverage, you or your pharmacist can contact Prescription Solutions at 1-800-562-6223 (TDHI 1-800-498-5428). Prescription Solutions’ customer service is available Monday - Friday from 6 AM to 9 PM (Pacific Time) and on Saturday and Sunday from 7 AM to 7 PM (Pacific Time). If Prescription Solutions cannot resolve the problem contact the Fund Office.

You should receive your replacement card within two weeks of the date you order it. If you do not, contact the Fund Office immediately.

Was this answer helful?

It is vital to always keep your pay stubs with your other employment records. In case a discrepancy occurs between your records and the Fund’s records, which affects your eligibility to a Pension benefit, Vacation benefit and Health & Welfare coverage, your pay stubs will likely determine your eligibility.

Was this answer helful?

Any time you have questions concerning your benefits or eligibility, call the Trust Fund Office at 707-864-2800 or the toll-free number 1-800-244-4530.

Was this answer helful?

Your Statement of Account shows your six-month work period for purposes of establishing health and welfare eligibility, pension benefit accruals and vacation-holiday dollars. The statement lists the names and account numbers of employers reporting hours for you and shows the month and year you worked those hours.

Important Reminders:

• If your employer reported hours but did not pay health and welfare contributions, those worked hours cannot be used for health and welfare eligibility.
• If your employer did not pay for vacation-holiday hours worked, those amounts will remain in suspense and unpaid to you until your employer submits the required payment to the Trust Fund.

Was this answer helful?

COBRA, which stands for Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act, is an important piece of legislation enacted into law which allows employees to continue benefit coverage after employment ceased.

Under the law, COBRA allows an individual whose eligibility terminates to continue health plan coverage under certain circumstances. The key to understanding the provisions of COBRA are the terms Qualified Beneficiary and Qualifying Event.

Was this answer helful?

As defined under COBRA, a Qualified Beneficiary is an individual who loses coverage under any of the Qualifying Events. A Qualified Beneficiary can be an active employee, his spouse or dependent child.

Was this answer helful?

If you are the employee, Qualifying Events are:

• Termination of employment, or
• A reduction in hours.

If you are the spouse or dependent child, Qualifying Events are the same as for the Employee, plus:

• The employee's death, or
• Your divorce from the employee, or
• The dependent child no longer meeting the plan's definition of "dependent"

If the Qualifying Event is a termination or reduction of hours, the Trust Fund Office notifies you. If the Qualifying Event is a death, divorce or a child losing dependent status, the qualified beneficiary should notify the Trust Fund Office.

Was this answer helful?

The monthly premiums are set each March by the Board of Trustees and do not change for 12 months. The cost is determined by the type of coverage you elect and whether you are buying coverage for yourself or for both yourself and your family.

The duration of coverage can be from 18 to 36 months. Generally, coverage is for 18 months, but can be extended to 36 months if a second qualifying event occurs or to 29 months if Social Security determines that a qualified beneficiary is totally disabled.

For more information on your rights to elect COBRA Continuation Coverage, refer to your Plan booklets or contact the Trust Fund Office at 707-864-2800.

Was this answer helful?

HMO stands for "Health Maintenance Organization." It is a prepaid medical group practice plan which provides comprehensive medical benefits.

Was this answer helful?

PPO stands for "Preferred Provider Organization." It is a group of hospitals and physicians contracting on a "fee-for-service" basis with insurance companies to provide comprehensive medical service. It differs from an HMO in that you are free to choose your own health care provider. The Fund's own Managed Health Care Plan is a PPO.

Was this answer helful?

Coordination of Benefits (COB) is a process designed to eliminate duplicate payments and apply primary and secondary coverage when a participant is insured under two health plans.

Was this answer helful?

You can print a Pension Application from our website or contact the Trust Fund Office to request a Pension Application be mailed to you.

Was this answer helful?

You become a participant when the first contribution is made or required to be made by an individual employer covered by the Collective Bargaining Agreement to the Laborers Annuity Plan for Northern California on your behalf.

Was this answer helful?

You or your Beneficiary is eligible to receive the money in your Individual Account when one of the following events occurs:

• Retirement. Once you attain age 65 with no Contributions having been made or required to be made to your Individual Account for at least 3 consecutive months, or you are receiving a benefit from the Laborers Pension Trust Fund for Northern California, you areeligible to receive the money in your Individual Account.
• You Stop Working as a Laborer. Regardless of your age, if you have not worked in employment covered by the Collective Bargaining Agreement for at least 500 hours in each of 2 consecutive years preceding your application for your Accumulated Share, you are eligible to receive the money in your Individual Account.
• Entitlement to a Social Security Disability Benefit. Regardless of your age, if you have established entitlement to a Social Security Disability Benefit based on your total and permanent disability, you are eligible to receive the money in your Individual Account.
• Death. In the event of your death, any money in your Individual Account will be paid to your designated Beneficiary. As a condition to payment of your Individual Account, your Beneficiary must complete an application on a form provided by the Fund Office.

Was this answer helful?

A Plan Credit Year is the period from August 1 to July 31 of the following year. This 12-consecutive-month period is used to determine Credited Service, Benefit Units and benefit accruals.

Was this answer helful?

You become a Participant in the Pension Plan when on the February 1 or August 1 after you work for a Contributing Employer for at least 500 hours (or 435 hours for Plan Credit Years before August 1, 2013) in Covered Employment during a 12-consecutive-calendar-month period.

Was this answer helful?

You earn one (1) year of Credited Service when you work at least 870 hours in Covered Employment in a Plan Credit Year (August 1 - July 31).

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You earn one (1) year Benefit Unit when you work at least 1,000 hours in Covered Employment in a Plan Credit Year (August 1 - July 31).

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If you are a Participant who has worked at least one hour in Covered Employment, after January 1, 1997, you achieve Vested status once you have accumulated 5 years of Credited Service, not counting any Credit Service lost due to a Permanent Break in Service.

Was this answer helful?

You incur a Permanent Break in Service if you have 5 consecutive One-Year Breaks in Service.

Was this answer helful?

You can print a Pension Application from our website or contact the Trust Fund Office to request a Pension Application be mailed to you.

Was this answer helful?

A Plan Year is a 12-month period of benefits coverage for a health plan. The Direct Payment Plan's Plan Year is March 1st - February 28th of each year, while the Kaiser Permanente Plan Year is January 1st - December 31st.

Was this answer helful?

You earn one (1) year of vesting credit when you work at least 1,000 hours in Covered Employment in a Plan Credit Year (July 1 - June 30).

Was this answer helful?

You achieve Vested status once you have accumulated 5 years of vesting credits, not counting any vesting credit lost due to a Permanent Break in Service.

Was this answer helful?

Your credit earned from another fund could be counted towards your pension provided the other fund participates in a reciprocal agreement and that you are vested in one fund or the other, or both combined. To participate in a reciprocal agreement, you must have a minimum of one pension credit. Please contact the Trust Fund Office for complete details.

Was this answer helful?

Inactive Members

If you have previously worked as a Laborer, you probably have contributions in your individual Annuity account.  If you haven't worked as a Laborer or participated in your Local Union for an extended period of time, you are entitled to receive a lump sum payout once you meet eligibility requirement of less than 1,000 worked hours in the last 24 consecutive months. If you believe this applies to you, please contact the Annuity Department at the Trust Fund Office.

Laborers Trust Fund Office

Open Monday - Friday, 8am - 5pm

707-864-2800 or 800-244-4530 (toll free)

Was this answer helful?

If your employer has not submitted or paid your contributions, you can assist us by doing the following:

• Submit your check stubs to the Trust Fund Office to the attention of Employer Services
• Provide the Trust Fund Office with a list of projects and locations you are/have worked on for that employer

Completing these steps will assist the Employer Services Department in billing your employer for the hours you have worked.

Was this answer helful?

No need to worry. Just contact the Fund Office or send email to customerservice@norcalaborers.org to request a new card. In the meantime, you can still access your health coverage. To do so, you need to know the following:
 
Group Number

•     If you need medication, give the pharmacy your Group Number and your Social Security number.
•     If you are a regular customer, you will probably not need to present a card.
•     The pharmacy should have all the information needed to fill your prescription.

(Note: This is the toll-free number the hospital should call to arrange utilization review for elective and emergency inpatient stays. Utilization review only authorizes the number of days that are medically necessary for a hospital stay; it does not verify eligibility. To verify eligibility, the hospital must contact the Fund Office). Any health care provider or hospital can contact the Fund Office at the above number between the hours of 8:30 AM and 4:00 PM, Monday through Friday to verify eligibility or resolve any benefit matter that may arise.

If you are having a problem accessing your prescription drug coverage, you or your pharmacist can contact Prescription Solutions at 1-800-562-6223 (TDHI 1-800-498-5428). Prescription Solutions’ customer service is available Monday - Friday from 6 AM to 9 PM (Pacific Time) and on Saturday and Sunday from 7 AM to 7 PM (Pacific Time). If Prescription Solutions cannot resolve the problem contact the Fund Office.

You should receive your replacement card within two weeks of the date you order it. If you do not, contact the Fund Office immediately.

Was this answer helful?

It is vital to always keep your pay stubs with your other employment records. In case a discrepancy occurs between your records and the Fund’s records, which affects your eligibility to a Pension benefit, Vacation benefit and Health & Welfare coverage, your pay stubs will likely determine your eligibility.

Was this answer helful?

Any time you have questions concerning your benefits or eligibility, call the Trust Fund Office at 707-864-2800 or the toll-free number 1-800-244-4530.

Was this answer helful?

Your Statement of Account shows your six-month work period for purposes of establishing health and welfare eligibility, pension benefit accruals and vacation-holiday dollars. The statement lists the names and account numbers of employers reporting hours for you and shows the month and year you worked those hours.

Important Reminders:

• If your employer reported hours but did not pay health and welfare contributions, those worked hours cannot be used for health and welfare eligibility.
• If your employer did not pay for vacation-holiday hours worked, those amounts will remain in suspense and unpaid to you until your employer submits the required payment to the Trust Fund.

Was this answer helful?

COBRA, which stands for Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act, is an important piece of legislation enacted into law which allows employees to continue benefit coverage after employment ceased.

Under the law, COBRA allows an individual whose eligibility terminates to continue health plan coverage under certain circumstances. The key to understanding the provisions of COBRA are the terms Qualified Beneficiary and Qualifying Event.

Was this answer helful?

As defined under COBRA, a Qualified Beneficiary is an individual who loses coverage under any of the Qualifying Events. A Qualified Beneficiary can be an active employee, his spouse or dependent child.

Was this answer helful?

If you are the employee, Qualifying Events are:

• Termination of employment, or
• A reduction in hours.

If you are the spouse or dependent child, Qualifying Events are the same as for the Employee, plus:

• The employee's death, or
• Your divorce from the employee, or
• The dependent child no longer meeting the plan's definition of "dependent"

If the Qualifying Event is a termination or reduction of hours, the Trust Fund Office notifies you. If the Qualifying Event is a death, divorce or a child losing dependent status, the qualified beneficiary should notify the Trust Fund Office.

Was this answer helful?

The monthly premiums are set each March by the Board of Trustees and do not change for 12 months. The cost is determined by the type of coverage you elect and whether you are buying coverage for yourself or for both yourself and your family.

The duration of coverage can be from 18 to 36 months. Generally, coverage is for 18 months, but can be extended to 36 months if a second qualifying event occurs or to 29 months if Social Security determines that a qualified beneficiary is totally disabled.

For more information on your rights to elect COBRA Continuation Coverage, refer to your Plan booklets or contact the Trust Fund Office at 707-864-2800.

Was this answer helful?

HMO stands for "Health Maintenance Organization." It is a prepaid medical group practice plan which provides comprehensive medical benefits.

Was this answer helful?

PPO stands for "Preferred Provider Organization." It is a group of hospitals and physicians contracting on a "fee-for-service" basis with insurance companies to provide comprehensive medical service. It differs from an HMO in that you are free to choose your own health care provider. The Fund's own Managed Health Care Plan is a PPO.

Was this answer helful?

Coordination of Benefits (COB) is a process designed to eliminate duplicate payments and apply primary and secondary coverage when a participant is insured under two health plans.

Was this answer helful?

You can print a Pension Application from our website or contact the Trust Fund Office to request a Pension Application be mailed to you.

Was this answer helful?

You become a participant when the first contribution is made or required to be made by an individual employer covered by the Collective Bargaining Agreement to the Laborers Annuity Plan for Northern California on your behalf.

Was this answer helful?

You or your Beneficiary is eligible to receive the money in your Individual Account when one of the following events occurs:

• Retirement. Once you attain age 65 with no Contributions having been made or required to be made to your Individual Account for at least 3 consecutive months, or you are receiving a benefit from the Laborers Pension Trust Fund for Northern California, you areeligible to receive the money in your Individual Account.
• You Stop Working as a Laborer. Regardless of your age, if you have not worked in employment covered by the Collective Bargaining Agreement for at least 500 hours in each of 2 consecutive years preceding your application for your Accumulated Share, you are eligible to receive the money in your Individual Account.
• Entitlement to a Social Security Disability Benefit. Regardless of your age, if you have established entitlement to a Social Security Disability Benefit based on your total and permanent disability, you are eligible to receive the money in your Individual Account.
• Death. In the event of your death, any money in your Individual Account will be paid to your designated Beneficiary. As a condition to payment of your Individual Account, your Beneficiary must complete an application on a form provided by the Fund Office.

Was this answer helful?

A Plan Credit Year is the period from August 1 to July 31 of the following year. This 12-consecutive-month period is used to determine Credited Service, Benefit Units and benefit accruals.

Was this answer helful?

You become a Participant in the Pension Plan when on the February 1 or August 1 after you work for a Contributing Employer for at least 500 hours (or 435 hours for Plan Credit Years before August 1, 2013) in Covered Employment during a 12-consecutive-calendar-month period.

Was this answer helful?

You earn one (1) year of Credited Service when you work at least 870 hours in Covered Employment in a Plan Credit Year (August 1 - July 31).

Was this answer helful?

You earn one (1) year Benefit Unit when you work at least 1,000 hours in Covered Employment in a Plan Credit Year (August 1 - July 31).

Was this answer helful?

If you are a Participant who has worked at least one hour in Covered Employment, after January 1, 1997, you achieve Vested status once you have accumulated 5 years of Credited Service, not counting any Credit Service lost due to a Permanent Break in Service.

Was this answer helful?

You incur a Permanent Break in Service if you have 5 consecutive One-Year Breaks in Service.

Was this answer helful?

You can print a Pension Application from our website or contact the Trust Fund Office to request a Pension Application be mailed to you.

Was this answer helful?

A Plan Year is a 12-month period of benefits coverage for a health plan. The Direct Payment Plan's Plan Year is March 1st - February 28th of each year, while the Kaiser Permanente Plan Year is January 1st - December 31st.

Was this answer helful?

You earn one (1) year of vesting credit when you work at least 1,000 hours in Covered Employment in a Plan Credit Year (July 1 - June 30).

Was this answer helful?

You achieve Vested status once you have accumulated 5 years of vesting credits, not counting any vesting credit lost due to a Permanent Break in Service.

Was this answer helful?

Your credit earned from another fund could be counted towards your pension provided the other fund participates in a reciprocal agreement and that you are vested in one fund or the other, or both combined. To participate in a reciprocal agreement, you must have a minimum of one pension credit. Please contact the Trust Fund Office for complete details.

Was this answer helful?

Inactive Members

If you have previously worked as a Laborer, you probably have contributions in your individual Annuity account.  If you haven't worked as a Laborer or participated in your Local Union for an extended period of time, you are entitled to receive a lump sum payout once you meet eligibility requirement of less than 1,000 worked hours in the last 24 consecutive months. If you believe this applies to you, please contact the Annuity Department at the Trust Fund Office.

Laborers Trust Fund Office

Open Monday - Friday, 8am - 5pm

707-864-2800 or 800-244-4530 (toll free)

Was this answer helful?

If your employer has not submitted or paid your contributions, you can assist us by doing the following:

• Submit your check stubs to the Trust Fund Office to the attention of Employer Services
• Provide the Trust Fund Office with a list of projects and locations you are/have worked on for that employer

Completing these steps will assist the Employer Services Department in billing your employer for the hours you have worked.

Was this answer helful?

No need to worry. Just contact the Fund Office or send email to customerservice@norcalaborers.org to request a new card. In the meantime, you can still access your health coverage. To do so, you need to know the following:
 
Group Number

•     If you need medication, give the pharmacy your Group Number and your Social Security number.
•     If you are a regular customer, you will probably not need to present a card.
•     The pharmacy should have all the information needed to fill your prescription.

(Note: This is the toll-free number the hospital should call to arrange utilization review for elective and emergency inpatient stays. Utilization review only authorizes the number of days that are medically necessary for a hospital stay; it does not verify eligibility. To verify eligibility, the hospital must contact the Fund Office). Any health care provider or hospital can contact the Fund Office at the above number between the hours of 8:30 AM and 4:00 PM, Monday through Friday to verify eligibility or resolve any benefit matter that may arise.

If you are having a problem accessing your prescription drug coverage, you or your pharmacist can contact Prescription Solutions at 1-800-562-6223 (TDHI 1-800-498-5428). Prescription Solutions’ customer service is available Monday - Friday from 6 AM to 9 PM (Pacific Time) and on Saturday and Sunday from 7 AM to 7 PM (Pacific Time). If Prescription Solutions cannot resolve the problem contact the Fund Office.

You should receive your replacement card within two weeks of the date you order it. If you do not, contact the Fund Office immediately.

Was this answer helful?

It is vital to always keep your pay stubs with your other employment records. In case a discrepancy occurs between your records and the Fund’s records, which affects your eligibility to a Pension benefit, Vacation benefit and Health & Welfare coverage, your pay stubs will likely determine your eligibility.

Was this answer helful?

Any time you have questions concerning your benefits or eligibility, call the Trust Fund Office at 707-864-2800 or the toll-free number 1-800-244-4530.

Was this answer helful?

Your Statement of Account shows your six-month work period for purposes of establishing health and welfare eligibility, pension benefit accruals and vacation-holiday dollars. The statement lists the names and account numbers of employers reporting hours for you and shows the month and year you worked those hours.

Important Reminders:

• If your employer reported hours but did not pay health and welfare contributions, those worked hours cannot be used for health and welfare eligibility.
• If your employer did not pay for vacation-holiday hours worked, those amounts will remain in suspense and unpaid to you until your employer submits the required payment to the Trust Fund.

Was this answer helful?

COBRA, which stands for Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act, is an important piece of legislation enacted into law which allows employees to continue benefit coverage after employment ceased.

Under the law, COBRA allows an individual whose eligibility terminates to continue health plan coverage under certain circumstances. The key to understanding the provisions of COBRA are the terms Qualified Beneficiary and Qualifying Event.

Was this answer helful?

As defined under COBRA, a Qualified Beneficiary is an individual who loses coverage under any of the Qualifying Events. A Qualified Beneficiary can be an active employee, his spouse or dependent child.

Was this answer helful?

If you are the employee, Qualifying Events are:

• Termination of employment, or
• A reduction in hours.

If you are the spouse or dependent child, Qualifying Events are the same as for the Employee, plus:

• The employee's death, or
• Your divorce from the employee, or
• The dependent child no longer meeting the plan's definition of "dependent"

If the Qualifying Event is a termination or reduction of hours, the Trust Fund Office notifies you. If the Qualifying Event is a death, divorce or a child losing dependent status, the qualified beneficiary should notify the Trust Fund Office.

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The monthly premiums are set each March by the Board of Trustees and do not change for 12 months. The cost is determined by the type of coverage you elect and whether you are buying coverage for yourself or for both yourself and your family.

The duration of coverage can be from 18 to 36 months. Generally, coverage is for 18 months, but can be extended to 36 months if a second qualifying event occurs or to 29 months if Social Security determines that a qualified beneficiary is totally disabled.

For more information on your rights to elect COBRA Continuation Coverage, refer to your Plan booklets or contact the Trust Fund Office at 707-864-2800.

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HMO stands for "Health Maintenance Organization." It is a prepaid medical group practice plan which provides comprehensive medical benefits.

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PPO stands for "Preferred Provider Organization." It is a group of hospitals and physicians contracting on a "fee-for-service" basis with insurance companies to provide comprehensive medical service. It differs from an HMO in that you are free to choose your own health care provider. The Fund's own Managed Health Care Plan is a PPO.

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Coordination of Benefits (COB) is a process designed to eliminate duplicate payments and apply primary and secondary coverage when a participant is insured under two health plans.

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You can print a Pension Application from our website or contact the Trust Fund Office to request a Pension Application be mailed to you.

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You become a participant when the first contribution is made or required to be made by an individual employer covered by the Collective Bargaining Agreement to the Laborers Annuity Plan for Northern California on your behalf.

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You or your Beneficiary is eligible to receive the money in your Individual Account when one of the following events occurs:

• Retirement. Once you attain age 65 with no Contributions having been made or required to be made to your Individual Account for at least 3 consecutive months, or you are receiving a benefit from the Laborers Pension Trust Fund for Northern California, you areeligible to receive the money in your Individual Account.
• You Stop Working as a Laborer. Regardless of your age, if you have not worked in employment covered by the Collective Bargaining Agreement for at least 500 hours in each of 2 consecutive years preceding your application for your Accumulated Share, you are eligible to receive the money in your Individual Account.
• Entitlement to a Social Security Disability Benefit. Regardless of your age, if you have established entitlement to a Social Security Disability Benefit based on your total and permanent disability, you are eligible to receive the money in your Individual Account.
• Death. In the event of your death, any money in your Individual Account will be paid to your designated Beneficiary. As a condition to payment of your Individual Account, your Beneficiary must complete an application on a form provided by the Fund Office.

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A Plan Credit Year is the period from August 1 to July 31 of the following year. This 12-consecutive-month period is used to determine Credited Service, Benefit Units and benefit accruals.

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You become a Participant in the Pension Plan when on the February 1 or August 1 after you work for a Contributing Employer for at least 500 hours (or 435 hours for Plan Credit Years before August 1, 2013) in Covered Employment during a 12-consecutive-calendar-month period.

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You earn one (1) year of Credited Service when you work at least 870 hours in Covered Employment in a Plan Credit Year (August 1 - July 31).

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You earn one (1) year Benefit Unit when you work at least 1,000 hours in Covered Employment in a Plan Credit Year (August 1 - July 31).

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If you are a Participant who has worked at least one hour in Covered Employment, after January 1, 1997, you achieve Vested status once you have accumulated 5 years of Credited Service, not counting any Credit Service lost due to a Permanent Break in Service.

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You incur a Permanent Break in Service if you have 5 consecutive One-Year Breaks in Service.

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You can print a Pension Application from our website or contact the Trust Fund Office to request a Pension Application be mailed to you.

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A Plan Year is a 12-month period of benefits coverage for a health plan. The Direct Payment Plan's Plan Year is March 1st - February 28th of each year, while the Kaiser Permanente Plan Year is January 1st - December 31st.

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You earn one (1) year of vesting credit when you work at least 1,000 hours in Covered Employment in a Plan Credit Year (July 1 - June 30).

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You achieve Vested status once you have accumulated 5 years of vesting credits, not counting any vesting credit lost due to a Permanent Break in Service.

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Your credit earned from another fund could be counted towards your pension provided the other fund participates in a reciprocal agreement and that you are vested in one fund or the other, or both combined. To participate in a reciprocal agreement, you must have a minimum of one pension credit. Please contact the Trust Fund Office for complete details.

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Inactive Members

If you have previously worked as a Laborer, you probably have contributions in your individual Annuity account.  If you haven't worked as a Laborer or participated in your Local Union for an extended period of time, you are entitled to receive a lump sum payout once you meet eligibility requirement of less than 1,000 worked hours in the last 24 consecutive months. If you believe this applies to you, please contact the Annuity Department at the Trust Fund Office.

Laborers Trust Fund Office

Open Monday - Friday, 8am - 5pm

707-864-2800 or 800-244-4530 (toll free)

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If your employer has not submitted or paid your contributions, you can assist us by doing the following:

• Submit your check stubs to the Trust Fund Office to the attention of Employer Services
• Provide the Trust Fund Office with a list of projects and locations you are/have worked on for that employer

Completing these steps will assist the Employer Services Department in billing your employer for the hours you have worked.

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No need to worry. Just contact the Fund Office or send email to customerservice@norcalaborers.org to request a new card. In the meantime, you can still access your health coverage. To do so, you need to know the following:
 
Group Number

•     If you need medication, give the pharmacy your Group Number and your Social Security number.
•     If you are a regular customer, you will probably not need to present a card.
•     The pharmacy should have all the information needed to fill your prescription.

(Note: This is the toll-free number the hospital should call to arrange utilization review for elective and emergency inpatient stays. Utilization review only authorizes the number of days that are medically necessary for a hospital stay; it does not verify eligibility. To verify eligibility, the hospital must contact the Fund Office). Any health care provider or hospital can contact the Fund Office at the above number between the hours of 8:30 AM and 4:00 PM, Monday through Friday to verify eligibility or resolve any benefit matter that may arise.

If you are having a problem accessing your prescription drug coverage, you or your pharmacist can contact Prescription Solutions at 1-800-562-6223 (TDHI 1-800-498-5428). Prescription Solutions’ customer service is available Monday - Friday from 6 AM to 9 PM (Pacific Time) and on Saturday and Sunday from 7 AM to 7 PM (Pacific Time). If Prescription Solutions cannot resolve the problem contact the Fund Office.

You should receive your replacement card within two weeks of the date you order it. If you do not, contact the Fund Office immediately.

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It is vital to always keep your pay stubs with your other employment records. In case a discrepancy occurs between your records and the Fund’s records, which affects your eligibility to a Pension benefit, Vacation benefit and Health & Welfare coverage, your pay stubs will likely determine your eligibility.

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Any time you have questions concerning your benefits or eligibility, call the Trust Fund Office at 707-864-2800 or the toll-free number 1-800-244-4530.

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Your Statement of Account shows your six-month work period for purposes of establishing health and welfare eligibility, pension benefit accruals and vacation-holiday dollars. The statement lists the names and account numbers of employers reporting hours for you and shows the month and year you worked those hours.

Important Reminders:

• If your employer reported hours but did not pay health and welfare contributions, those worked hours cannot be used for health and welfare eligibility.
• If your employer did not pay for vacation-holiday hours worked, those amounts will remain in suspense and unpaid to you until your employer submits the required payment to the Trust Fund.

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COBRA, which stands for Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act, is an important piece of legislation enacted into law which allows employees to continue benefit coverage after employment ceased.

Under the law, COBRA allows an individual whose eligibility terminates to continue health plan coverage under certain circumstances. The key to understanding the provisions of COBRA are the terms Qualified Beneficiary and Qualifying Event.

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As defined under COBRA, a Qualified Beneficiary is an individual who loses coverage under any of the Qualifying Events. A Qualified Beneficiary can be an active employee, his spouse or dependent child.

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If you are the employee, Qualifying Events are:

• Termination of employment, or
• A reduction in hours.

If you are the spouse or dependent child, Qualifying Events are the same as for the Employee, plus:

• The employee's death, or
• Your divorce from the employee, or
• The dependent child no longer meeting the plan's definition of "dependent"

If the Qualifying Event is a termination or reduction of hours, the Trust Fund Office notifies you. If the Qualifying Event is a death, divorce or a child losing dependent status, the qualified beneficiary should notify the Trust Fund Office.

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The monthly premiums are set each March by the Board of Trustees and do not change for 12 months. The cost is determined by the type of coverage you elect and whether you are buying coverage for yourself or for both yourself and your family.

The duration of coverage can be from 18 to 36 months. Generally, coverage is for 18 months, but can be extended to 36 months if a second qualifying event occurs or to 29 months if Social Security determines that a qualified beneficiary is totally disabled.

For more information on your rights to elect COBRA Continuation Coverage, refer to your Plan booklets or contact the Trust Fund Office at 707-864-2800.

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HMO stands for "Health Maintenance Organization." It is a prepaid medical group practice plan which provides comprehensive medical benefits.

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PPO stands for "Preferred Provider Organization." It is a group of hospitals and physicians contracting on a "fee-for-service" basis with insurance companies to provide comprehensive medical service. It differs from an HMO in that you are free to choose your own health care provider. The Fund's own Managed Health Care Plan is a PPO.

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Coordination of Benefits (COB) is a process designed to eliminate duplicate payments and apply primary and secondary coverage when a participant is insured under two health plans.

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You can print a Pension Application from our website or contact the Trust Fund Office to request a Pension Application be mailed to you.

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You become a participant when the first contribution is made or required to be made by an individual employer covered by the Collective Bargaining Agreement to the Laborers Annuity Plan for Northern California on your behalf.

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You or your Beneficiary is eligible to receive the money in your Individual Account when one of the following events occurs:

• Retirement. Once you attain age 65 with no Contributions having been made or required to be made to your Individual Account for at least 3 consecutive months, or you are receiving a benefit from the Laborers Pension Trust Fund for Northern California, you areeligible to receive the money in your Individual Account.
• You Stop Working as a Laborer. Regardless of your age, if you have not worked in employment covered by the Collective Bargaining Agreement for at least 500 hours in each of 2 consecutive years preceding your application for your Accumulated Share, you are eligible to receive the money in your Individual Account.
• Entitlement to a Social Security Disability Benefit. Regardless of your age, if you have established entitlement to a Social Security Disability Benefit based on your total and permanent disability, you are eligible to receive the money in your Individual Account.
• Death. In the event of your death, any money in your Individual Account will be paid to your designated Beneficiary. As a condition to payment of your Individual Account, your Beneficiary must complete an application on a form provided by the Fund Office.

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A Plan Credit Year is the period from August 1 to July 31 of the following year. This 12-consecutive-month period is used to determine Credited Service, Benefit Units and benefit accruals.

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You become a Participant in the Pension Plan when on the February 1 or August 1 after you work for a Contributing Employer for at least 500 hours (or 435 hours for Plan Credit Years before August 1, 2013) in Covered Employment during a 12-consecutive-calendar-month period.

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You earn one (1) year of Credited Service when you work at least 870 hours in Covered Employment in a Plan Credit Year (August 1 - July 31).

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You earn one (1) year Benefit Unit when you work at least 1,000 hours in Covered Employment in a Plan Credit Year (August 1 - July 31).

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If you are a Participant who has worked at least one hour in Covered Employment, after January 1, 1997, you achieve Vested status once you have accumulated 5 years of Credited Service, not counting any Credit Service lost due to a Permanent Break in Service.

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You incur a Permanent Break in Service if you have 5 consecutive One-Year Breaks in Service.

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You can print a Pension Application from our website or contact the Trust Fund Office to request a Pension Application be mailed to you.

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A Plan Year is a 12-month period of benefits coverage for a health plan. The Direct Payment Plan's Plan Year is March 1st - February 28th of each year, while the Kaiser Permanente Plan Year is January 1st - December 31st.

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You earn one (1) year of vesting credit when you work at least 1,000 hours in Covered Employment in a Plan Credit Year (July 1 - June 30).

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You achieve Vested status once you have accumulated 5 years of vesting credits, not counting any vesting credit lost due to a Permanent Break in Service.

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Your credit earned from another fund could be counted towards your pension provided the other fund participates in a reciprocal agreement and that you are vested in one fund or the other, or both combined. To participate in a reciprocal agreement, you must have a minimum of one pension credit. Please contact the Trust Fund Office for complete details.

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Inactive Members

If you have previously worked as a Laborer, you probably have contributions in your individual Annuity account.  If you haven't worked as a Laborer or participated in your Local Union for an extended period of time, you are entitled to receive a lump sum payout once you meet eligibility requirement of less than 1,000 worked hours in the last 24 consecutive months. If you believe this applies to you, please contact the Annuity Department at the Trust Fund Office.

Laborers Trust Fund Office

Open Monday - Friday, 8am - 5pm

707-864-2800 or 800-244-4530 (toll free)

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If your employer has not submitted or paid your contributions, you can assist us by doing the following:

• Submit your check stubs to the Trust Fund Office to the attention of Employer Services
• Provide the Trust Fund Office with a list of projects and locations you are/have worked on for that employer

Completing these steps will assist the Employer Services Department in billing your employer for the hours you have worked.

Was this answer helful?