When Your Coverage Begins

Your retiree coverage begins on the first day of the month following your last month of eligibility under TBT Plans I, III, IV, V, A, I-A, III-A, V-A, III-A-NEWS, V-A-NEWS as long as all the enrollment requirements are met and the appropriate forms and self-payments are received by the TBT Plan Administration Office by the enrollment deadlines noted on pages 3-4 of the Guide To Your Benefits.

Note: If you are a disabled retiree, your coverage begins on the first day of the month after the Certificate Issued date on your Pension Plan certificate or similar notice, as long as the appropriate forms and self-payments are received in a timely manner.

When Coverage Begins for Your Spouse

Coverage begins for your eligible spouse when yours does—as long as all the enrollment requirements are met and the appropriate forms and self-payments are received by the TBT Plan Administration Office by the deadlines noted above. If you do not enroll your spouse for coverage when he or she first becomes eligible (except as noted on page 3 of the Guide To Your Benefits, item no. 2), coverage for your spouse cannot be added at a future date.

HMOs have specific requirements for adding or removing a spouse. See the HMO enrollment material for information about enrolling or stopping coverage for a legal spouse.

Remember, all changes are made through the TBT Plan Administration Office, even if you choose HMO coverage. (See Change in Marital Status on page 8 of the Guide To Your Benefits.)

How Coverage Continues

Once coverage begins, you and your covered spouse continue to be eligible for benefits under the Plan as long as all required self-payments are received by the TBT Plan Administration Office on time and in full. Your eligibility for benefits in any month depends on all required self-payments being received in a timely manner (see When Coverage Ends on page 8 of the Guide To Your Benefits).

If you do not make timely self-payments, coverage ends for you and your covered spouse as of the first day of the month following the month for which the last timely self-payment was made.

Continued eligibility may also depend on your former Employer’s ongoing participation (see When Coverage Ends on page 8 of the Guide To Your Benefits).

Your self-payments provide coverage for the month when they are due. No benefits will be paid for any month for which self-payments are not received by the TBT Plan Administration Office.

After you enroll, you may drop your medical coverage at any time for any reason. However, if you drop your coverage, you may not re-enroll at any time in the future. If you drop coverage for yourself, you must also drop coverage for your covered spouse.

If you divorce after retirement, coverage for your covered spouse ends on the first day of the month following your divorce (even if you have not yet notified the TBT Plan Administration Office). See Change in Marriage Status and When Coverage Ends on page 8 of the Guide To Your Benefits.

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