Health and Welfare Summary Plan Description

4.1 Regular Retiree Eligibility

  1. General Rule. If you are a Retiree, you may commence coverage under the Plan as a Regular Retiree if you have attained age 62, this Plan is your Home Plan for retirement purposes, and you satisfy at least one of the following three rules immediately preceding your first month of coverage as a Regular Retiree:
    1. Non-Continuous Coverage Rule. You have received Active Coverage for at least two periods of 12-consecutive months that do not overlap during the most recent 60 months, and you have had Active Coverage for:
      1. at least 120 of the most recent 180 months;
      2. at least 150 of the most recent 240 months and you have retired under the Pension Plan; or
      3. at least 300 months and you have retired under the Pension Plan.
    2. Continuous Coverage Rule. You have been continuously receiving Active Coverage since the date you began work in the electrical industry (disregarding months you did not receive Active Coverage as a result of a reduced work schedule pursuant to a written agreement between the bargaining parties.

    3. Apprentice Rule. You are an enrolled apprentice in a San Francisco Electrical Industry Apprenticeship program.

      For purposes of this subsection, any Plan-subsidized period of coverage for disability under Section 3.6 will be treated as Active Coverage. In addition, any month of COBRA coverage you receive before you retire under an IBEW qualified retirement plan (including a defined benefit or defined contribution plan) and while you are registered on Local 6's out-of-work list will be treated as Active Coverage.
  2. Home Plan. This Plan is your home plan for retirement purposes if it received more Employer contributions (measured in dollars) with respect to your Covered Employment than the separate health and welfare plan sponsored by IBEW Local 595. For purposes of this section, Active Coverage includes participation in the Electrical Workers Area Health and Welfare Plan (the "Area Plan," which was a predecessor to this Plan that terminated on February 1, 1998). Contributions previously paid to the Area Plan with respect to your Covered Employment will be allocated to the plan in whose jurisdiction your hours of Covered Employment were earned.

  3. Effective Date of Coverage. A Regular Retiree becomes eligible for Retiree coverage effective as of the first of the month following submission of a completed application for enrollment, except that Regular Retiree coverage will not begin until the Retiree's Hour Bank balance is insufficient to support further coverage and any existing No-Cost Disability or Reduced Cost COBRA coverage under Section 3.6 has been exhausted.