1. health and fitness

NOWPLAYING
EQ U I T Y – L E A G U E
If It’s News, It’s In This Issue
NOVEMBER 2007 • VOLUME 14 • NUMBER 2
IT’S A JUNGLE OUT THERE,
especially when it comes to health care
provider data. Follow along as we clear a path through the thicket of provider
information available to you. We’ll also revisit expiring Health Fund transition
rules and check in on our improved online payment system. And if you’re feeling
lost among the many pensioner health care alternatives, stick with us as we
make our way through them.
How to Wade Through
the River of Health Care
Information Available
to You
It matters which doctor—or even more important,
which facility—you go to when you need care. We
understand this on a basic level—we wouldn’t go to a
plastic surgeon for heart surgery, for example, or vice
versa—but now we can and, in fact, we must become
even more sophisticated in our analysis of which
providers to use, especially where hospital care is
concerned. If, say, Springfield Community Hospital
does everything right when it comes to treating a
heart attack and Springfield General Hospital follows
only 80% of the recommended process of care,
Springfield Community will have much lower
mortality rates and complication rates. By choosing
Springfield Community, you increase your chances
of a shorter stay, a better outcome and, ultimately,
lower costs. The opposite may be true for knee
surgery: if Springfield General gets knees right more
often than Springfield Community, that’s the place to
be for knee surgery—even though Springfield
Community did such a fine job treating your heart
problems. With such procedure-by-procedure
variations in care, you have to pick your spots.
See inside for:
■
■
■
■
■
■
■
The end of the Health Fund
transition rules
New, shorter grace period
for self-pay coverage
Website changes
Alternatives to pensioner
health coverage
Self-pay dental coverage
enrollment window, rates
The new Pension Plan SPD
is here
Why you should contribute
to the 401(k)
NOWPLAYING
THERE’S A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF INFORMATION AVAILABLE
to help you make important provider-related decisions, much of it right
at your fingertips. The hard part is knowing what to do with it.
step for you by admitting only those doctors,
hospitals and other providers who have met
certain CIGNA-established standards to the
CIGNA network. This is known as the
“credentialing process.” In order to be accepted
into CIGNA’s network a provider must meet
the following criteria established by CIGNA:
CIGNA also offers helpful tools on its website
(www.mycigna.com), such as Select Quality Care: a
tool to help members identify the hospital in
their area with the highest quality service for a
particular procedure. The program automatically
selects the hospitals that have treated the most
patients with your diagnosis and then considers
the following for each hospital:
■
■
Start with CIGNA. CIGNA takes the first
Like CIGNA, HMOs
also have processes
and resources in
place to help their
members find and
use quality, costeffective providers.
If you’re in an HMO,
check your HMO’s
website or contact
their member
services function to
learn more about
their credentialing
requirements, web
resources, etc.
•2
■
■
■
■
■
■
have an unrestricted state medical license
have full, unrestricted admitting privileges
and be in good standing on the medical staff
at a CIGNA-participating hospital
be board-certified with the American Board
of Medical Specialties (limited exceptions
may apply)
disclose their malpractice claims history
verify their education, training and work
history
have adequate malpractice insurance
pass an on-site inspection by the CIGNA
credentialing committee.
So when you stay In-Network for your care,
you can ensure that you are receiving care from
a doctor who has already been pre-screened
by CIGNA.
Mortality rates: How many people have died
at that hospital while undergoing the specific
treatment?
■
Complications: Do mistakes happen more or
less frequently than at other hospitals?
■
Average length of stay: How long, on
average, are patients hospitalized for the
specific procedure?
■
Average hospital charge: How much does
the hospital charge for the procedure?
Once you have the results of your search,
bring them to your physician, who can help you
decide where to seek care.
On the Health Scene
CIGNA Case
Management is a
voluntary program
designed to assist Health
Fund participants who
need special or extended
care for serious illness
or injuries. Its primary
goal is to ensure that
you (or your enrolled
dependents) receive the
appropriate care in the
most effective setting
(whether that be at
home, in a hospital or in
a specialized facility).
Case management also
can help you and the
Fund save money in the
long run. For more
information, see the
Health Fund Summary
Plan Description or call
CIGNA Member Services
at the number shown
on your ID card.
Help yourself. You can go beyond CIGNA’s
resources by doing your own research. One
item to look for is a “report card” for the
hospitals in your area. For example, if you live
in New York, the New York State Health
Accountability Foundation has made available
online a New York Regional Health Care
Report Card, which presents access, service and
quality data for all hospitals in New York State.
Most states have a similar service. One
centralized resource for report card data is at
www.aarp.org/bulletin/yourhealth/statebystate_guide_
healthcare_provider_performance.html, where
you’ll find a page of links to report cards for
each state that issues them. You can also go to
www.hospitalcompare.hhs.gov, a website
established by the U.S. Department of Health
and Human Services to help patients learn
more about hospital care, specifically which
hospitals follow “Process of Care” guidelines
for patients being treated for a heart attack,
heart failure or pneumonia, or for patients
having surgery.
Another
option to
look into is
using an
independent
health care research
company, many of
which provide
important tools and
information for a fee.
For example, Health
Grades, a health care ratings company,
provides ratings and profiles of over 5,000
hospitals, 650,000 physicians and 16,000
nursing homes around the country on its
website (www.healthgrades.com). They also
offer a medical cost calculator to help you
estimate the cost of procedures and plan for
your future health care expenses.
The information is out there; all it takes is a
little research. It may be as simple as logging on
to CIGNA’s website. Or a Google search. The
end result—quality care, shorter stays, fewer
complications and lower costs—is well worth it.
STUDY FINDS COSTS DRIVEN BY DOCTOR
HABITS, NOT PATIENT HEALTH
Medical care is as much a function of geography as it is of actual
medical circumstances, according to a recent Dartmouth Medical
School study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine.
The study revealed that the discrepancy in health care spending from one part of the
U.S. to another is attributable to physician behavior, not the health of patients.
Physicians practicing in regions of the U.S. where health care spending is high are
more likely to order tests, referrals and treatments for their patients than those in
low spending regions, according to researchers at the VA Outcomes Group (White
River Junction, Vermont) and Dartmouth Medical School (DMS). What makes this most
alarming is that data indicates that health care spending has little relationship to
health outcomes.
•3
NOWPLAYING
TRANSITIONING NO MORE…
The New Rules are Here to Stay
Last fall, when we announced the Health Fund’s new eligibility rules as of January 1, 2007,
we also introduced special rules for making the transition from a two-month to three-month Waiting
Period. These transition rules allowed you to choose an Accrual Period that ended either three months
or two months before the effective date of your next Benefit Period, depending on which worked
best for you.
Effective with coverage starting January 2008, the transition rules will “expire.” All participants must
use Accrual Periods with a three-month Waiting Period. (See The Big Picture, on page 5, for more
information on how—and when—eligibility for coverage is determined.)
Transitioning out of the transition rules. One of the wrinkles in eliminating the transition rules
is that some participants (namely those of you who chose to stick with the two-month Waiting
Periods in 2007) risk coming up short on benefit credits. For example, those of you who already used
benefit credits earned in October 2006 to qualify for 12 months of coverage that started in January
2007 would now have only 11 months (November 2006 to September 2007) in which to earn credits
for coverage starting in January 2008. (That is, the Accrual Period for January 2008 coverage—which,
with the elimination of the transition rules, runs from October 2006 through September 2007—would
really be shortened by a month because you can’t re-use benefit credits earned in October 2006.) To
prevent this problem, we’ll allow you to spend the following benefit credits twice (if needed):
FOR THE BENEFIT PERIOD
THAT STARTS ON…
THE ACCRUAL
PERIOD IS…
THE MONTH YOU MAY
SPEND TWICE IS…
Benefit credits
January 1, 2008
October 2006–September 2007
October 2006
“expire” after
April 1, 2008
January 2007–December 2007
January 2007
July 1, 2008
April 2007–March 2008
April 2007
October 1, 2008
July 2007–June 2008
July 2007
one year. To get or
keep Health Fund
coverage, you can’t
This extension of the transition rules ends with the Benefit Period that starts on January 1, 2009.
use benefit credits
Whether or not you spend benefit credits twice in 2008, you cannot do so in 2009, under any
circumstance.
that are more than
12 months old.
•4
CALENDAR OF KEY DATES FOR ELECTING JANUARY 1 COVERAGE
October 15, 2007
Fund Office sends election notices to all participants who qualify
for coverage as of January 1, 2008, including participants who are
already covered and whose coverage is scheduled to continue after
January 1, 2008.
December 1, 2007
All Health Fund contributions due. You must submit payment with
your completed election form in order for coverage to be in place
on January 1, 2008. DON’T MISS THIS DEADLINE; if you do, you risk
delayed or denied coverage.
December 31, 2007
Last day of Health Fund coverage for any currently-covered participant
who does not send payment by December 1.
January 1, 2008
Coverage continues (current participants) or begins (new participants)
for all participants who submitted their $100 contribution by
December 1.
On the Health Scene
The Big Picture
Here’s a handy summary of the Health Fund eligibility rules and how the Fund will determine
eligibility for 2008 coverage. (You’ve seen it before but we’re bringing it back for an encore!)
Getting coverage. Health Fund eligibility is established by earning enough benefit credits (that is,
working the required number of weeks) during a 12-month period, known as the Accrual Period.
Benefit credits earned in an Accrual Period are what enable you to qualify for coverage for a
corresponding Benefit Period, which begins the next calendar quarter (three months after the Accrual
Period ends). There’s a three-month gap between an Accrual Period and a Benefit Period, known
as the Waiting Period.
ACCRUAL
PERIOD
WAITING
PERIOD
BENEFIT
PERIOD
3 MONTHS
COUNTING FROM:
6 OR 12 MONTHS
OF COVERAGE STARTING ON:
12 MONTHS COUNTING FROM:
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benefit credits to qualify for coverage in the next Benefit Period. For example, for January 1, 2008
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For more detailed
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(Volume 13, No. 2)
or log on to
www.equityleague.org.
BENEFIT CREDITS
HEALTH FUND COVERAGE
20 or more
12 months
At least 12 but fewer than 20
6 months
Fewer than 12
No coverage
Electing coverage. The Fund Office will send you a Health Fund election notice after the end
of each Accrual Period that lets you know whether you qualify for coverage in the next Benefit Period
and, if so, the number of months of coverage for which you qualify. When you receive this notice,
you have a choice: enroll for coverage by paying the $100 per-quarter premium or save your benefit
credits for the future by taking no action (assuming your benefit credits won’t expire by the end
of the next Accrual Period).
•5
NOWPLAYING
Read Our Lips: No More Late Payments—And
a Shorter Grace Period for Self-Pay Coverage
Effective for coverage that begins January 1, 2008, the Health Fund will apply
the following deadlines and grace periods to contributions for coverage:
■
REMINDER:
Credit card payments
are not recurring. You
must initiate a new
transaction each time
you want to make a
payment via credit card.
For your security, the
Health Fund will not
automatically charge
your credit card each
time a contribution
payment is due. And
remember: you can pay
for six or 12 months of
health care coverage
with one transaction.
If you have coverage earned through
employment, all of your Health Fund
contributions are due on the first day
of the month prior to the start of the
quarter. This applies to your $100 premium
payment and to any dental or dependent
coverage you self-pay. For example, for
coverage that starts on January 1, 2008,
your $100 premium payment is due to the
Fund Office by December 1, 2007. If you
make other payments to the Fund (such as
those required for dependent coverage or
for self-pay dental coverage), they are all
due at the same time, so this deadline
would apply to those amounts, as well.
If circumstances prevent you from getting
your payment in to us by the first of the
month, we can accept payments up to the
last day of the month prior to the start of the
quarter (in other words, there’s a one-month
grace period). However, please note that
because we send eligibility feeds to CIGNA
only once a week, we cannot guarantee
coverage as of the first of the month if a
payment is received after the 15th of the
month. There is a very good chance your
coverage won’t be recognized on time if you
don’t get your payment in by the 15th.
■
If you have self-pay coverage only,
your Health Fund contributions are due
on the first day of the quarter. For
example, for self-pay coverage that starts on
January 1, 2008, your premium payment is
due to the Fund Office by January 1, 2008.
This rule applies to all participants whose
only coverage is self-pay coverage (Dental
only, COBRA, Vested Beyond COBRA
or Supplemental Medicare coverage).
If circumstances prevent you from getting
your payment in to us by the first of the
quarter, we can accept payments up to the
last day of the month after the quarter
begins (in other words, there’s a one-month
grace period). However, please note that if
you don’t make your payments until after
the quarter begins, eligibility will be applied
retroactively, which can lead to trouble
with any expenses you incur before you’re
listed on the eligibility feed.
As we told you in the March 2007 issue of Now Playing (Volume 14, No. 1), late payments are bad
for the Fund and legally risky. And since we’ve made it even easier to pay online by credit card (see
page 7), having contributions in on time should be as easy as pie. So for the good of the Fund—and
to guarantee coverage for yourself—please make your payments on time. Thanks for understanding.
•6
On the Health Scene
Website Improvements:
Paying by Credit Card Just Got a Whole Lot Easier
Well over 3,000 participants are using the
online payment system each quarter, leading us
to conclude that you like the flexibility of
paying online. So to make using the system
even easier, we’ve added these new features:
■
FRIENDS, ROMANS,
COUNTRYMEN:
SEND US YOUR
EMAIL ADDRESS!
With many of us away
from home for long
stretches at a time (in
touring productions, for
example), we’ve found
that email is becoming
the preferred way for
staying in touch with the
Fund Office. So if you’re
one of the 34% of
participants whose email
address is not on file,
drop us a line at
Pay For More Coverage With a Single
Transaction. Effective with payments for
January 2008 coverage, you can pay for six or
12 months of health care coverage with one
transaction. (Previously, you had to pay for
one quarter at a time.) This way you don’t
have to worry about missing a future
payment and losing coverage for which you’ve
already qualified.
■
Online Tutorial. If you’re unsure of how
to make payments online, check out the new
online tutorial, which provides detailed
instructions and helpful tips. As always, if
you need additional help or have a question
the tutorial doesn’t address, you can always
call the Fund Office for more information.
Keep in mind that when you pay via the
website, you must pay the full amount and you
must use either Visa or MasterCard. To finalize
any online payment transaction, you must
include your Actors’ Equity member number
(AEA ID number) and your bill number.
Have these numbers handy when you log on
to the site.
[email protected]
and let us know where
we may reach you
electronically (see
“Contacting the Fund
Office,” page 14, for a
longer list of Fund Office
email contacts).
Only Copays for Network Doctors
Some members have reported that their network doctors are asking them to pay the full cost of
eligible services up front and then apply to CIGNA for reimbursement. This is wrong. You are
never required to pay a CIGNA network doctor more than the $25 copay (if applicable) for eligible
services you receive. That’s one of the benefits of using In-Network providers: no claims to file! It is
your doctor’s responsibility to work out payment for his/her services directly with CIGNA.
If your doctor asks you to pay anything other than your copay up front, please inform the Fund
Office and/or CIGNA as soon as possible.
•7
NOWPLAYING
When It Comes To COBRA,
DON’T Just Say “No”
If you lose coverage under the Health Fund,
you and your eligible dependents have the
right to purchase a temporary extension of
health care coverage under the Consolidated
Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act (COBRA).
Your COBRA benefits will be the same as the
coverage you had under the Health Fund, but
you must pay the full cost of coverage plus a
2% administrative fee. Coverage may be
available for up to 18, 29 or 36 months,
depending on your qualifying event.
All COBRA
payments after the
initial payment are
■
The obvious reason: If you have no other
coverage (through your spouse’s plan, for
example), turning down COBRA leaves you
unprotected. You face catastrophic health
care costs should you or a member of your
family become ill or injured.
■
Think before you reject COBRA. COBRA
continuation coverage is expensive, but it
may be money well spent for obvious and
not-so-obvious reasons.
due on a quarterly
The not-so-obvious reason: If you
decline COBRA when it’s offered to you
and go more than 63 days without health
care coverage, you risk having a pre-existing
condition exclusion applied when you
subsequently become covered by another
health plan. (As a reminder, a pre-existing
condition exclusion gives a plan the right to
not pay benefits for a condition you had
before coverage started.) This means that by
trying to save a few bucks now, you could
wind up paying much more later.
basis but can be
made on the first
day of each month
for that month’s
coverage (for
example, by June 1
for June coverage).
Please note that the
Fund Office does
not send monthly
bills for COBRA. It is
your responsibility
to make sure your
payment is at the
Fund Office by the
due date.
Know the COBRA Clock
Ordinarily, the COBRA clock starts ticking on the date your coverage earned through
employment ends. At that point you have 60 days to decide if you wish to continue
coverage via self-pay, which you do by completing the COBRA election form and
submitting it to the Fund Office. After you elect self-pay coverage, you have 45 days
from your COBRA election date to submit the premium for your first quarter of self-pay
coverage. In total, a maximum of 105 days may elapse from the date you first become
eligible for COBRA until the date you must make your first payment. Use this time fully
to evaluate your need for COBRA coverage.
If you do decide to elect COBRA coverage, you make your first payment when you file
your COBRA election form. Your first check will cover the period from the date your group
coverage ended (and COBRA coverage began) through the date you make your first
payment—that is, your payment may be for more than one month, and as many as three
months, of retroactive coverage. Thereafter, payments are due on the first day of each
month for that month’s coverage (for example, by June 1 for June coverage). You can
make COBRA payments on a quarterly basis, if you prefer.
For more information on your COBRA continuation coverage rights or electing COBRA
coverage, see the Health Fund Summary Plan Description or contact the Fund Office.
•8
On the Health Scene
Pensioner Health Coverage:
Self-Pay Is Not the Only Way
APPLYING FOR
MEDICARE
You can file your
application:
■
■
over the phone
by calling
1-800-772-1213
(TTY: 1-800-325-0778)
in person at a
Social Security office
(visit their website
or call their toll-free
number to find the
Social Security office
nearest you).
If you are eligible for Medicare—or will be in the
near future—and you self-pay for health care
coverage through the Health Fund, you may
want to research your other coverage options.
Depending on your individual circumstances,
there may be Medicare supplement programs
available to you that meet your coverage needs
at a much lower cost than the Health Fund’s
self-pay rate (currently $384/month).
Here’s how it works now. Once a
Medicare-eligible self-pay participant signs
up for Medicare, Medicare automatically
becomes the primary coverage, and the
Health Fund becomes the secondary coverage.
That is, Medicare pays covered health care
expenses first, and then the Fund covers
expenses Medicare either does not pay or pays
only partially, within Plan limits. In this case,
coverage under the Health Fund is known as
supplemental coverage. It’s designed to
cover many of the hospital and doctor costs
that Medicare does not, thereby supplementing
your Medicare benefits. (See the Health
Fund Summary Plan Description for more
information on coordination of benefits.)
While rates—and plans—vary by geographic
location, it is very likely that there is a Medicare
supplement plan available to you for less than
the $384/month the Fund requires. Make sure
you consider ALL your options before you elect
self-pay coverage from the Fund.
In general, there are three types of Medicare
supplement plans:
■
Medigaps. Medigap plans typically help
cover Medicare deductibles, coinsurance
and some additional benefits. There are 12
different Medigap plans—letters “A” to
“L”—but not all plans are available in all
areas. Each plan pays for a particular set of
benefits and is priced accordingly, with
Plan A being the cheapest but offering the
fewest benefits. The most popular plans are
Plan C and Plan F because they cover major
expenses and are less expensive than most
of the other Medigap plans. (For comparison
purposes, Plan F usually costs from $140–$220
a month.) Note that Medigap plans generally
do not cover outpatient prescription drugs.
However, they can be paired with stand-alone
Medicare Part D Prescription Drug Plans,
which usually run about $25-$30 a month.
■
Medicare HMOs. Medicare HMOs work
like standard HMOs. You may be required to
choose a primary care physician (PCP).
In most cases, benefits are payable for care
coordinated by your PCP and received from
physicians and hospitals in the HMO
network only. Many Medicare HMOs do not
have deductibles or coinsurance; you pay
a small copay when you see the doctor. They
may also offer additional benefits, such as
prescription drugs, dental care, eyeglasses and
vision care.
■
Medicare PPOs. Unlike the Medicare
HMOs, Medicare PPOs typically do not
require you to choose a PCP and will provide
coverage for care received from non-network
providers. Keep in mind, however, you
will pay more out-of-pocket for care received
from non-network providers. Most Medicare
PPOs require higher monthly premiums
than the Medicare HMOs.
These are the three most common types of
Medicare supplemental plans, but they are
not the only ones. There are also stand-alone
Medicare Part D Prescription Drug Plans,
Private Fee-for-service Plans and State Programs
that may be available in your area.
Keep in mind, supplemental plan designs and
rates vary. Be careful choosing a supplemental
plan as some plans have significant gaps in
coverage or other important restrictions.
For more information on supplemental health
care coverage, contact the Fund Office or one
of the following resources:
■
Actors Fund Health Insurance Resource
Center (HIRC), which offers health
care-related seminars and counseling to
entertainment industry workers.
– Website: www.ahirc.org
– Phone: 1-212-221-7300, ext. 265 (N.Y.)
1-323-933-9244, ext. 32 (L.A.)
■
Medicare Rights Center, which provides
counseling to individuals with Medicarerelated questions.
– Website: www.medicarerights.org
– Phone: 1-800-333-4114.
•9
NOWPLAYING
2008 Self-Pay Dental Coverage Window:
Open Only in November
If you’re eligible for self-pay dental coverage, you can enroll November 1–30, 2007 for coverage that
starts January 1, 2008. There are two options for self-pay dental coverage: the CIGNA Dental PPO
or the CIGNA Dental HMO. Here are the 2008 quarterly premiums for each option:
REMINDER!
QUARTERLY PREMIUM
If you don’t enroll for
self-pay dental coverage
during the November
open enrollment period,
you won’t have another
opportunity until the
November 2008 open
enrollment (in which
case your coverage would
start on January 1, 2009),
or the next time you
become eligible for
health benefits through
employer-paid coverage.
If You Elect to Cover
CIGNA Dental PPO
CIGNA Dental Health (DHMO)
Yourself
$168.30
$77.79
Yourself + 1 dependent
$335.04
$125.79
Yourself + 2 or more dependents
$498.33
$220.62
Please note that while quarterly contribution rates are changing, the DHMO’s Schedule of Covered
Services (a.k.a. the copay schedule) will stay the same.
For information on either of these plans, contact the Fund Office in New York or go to our website
(www.equityleague.org) and click on CIGNA Self-Pay Dental Plan Information on the home page.
Once you’re in the Self-Pay Dental Information section, you can look at (and download) summaries
of both dental options.
Important Reminder About the
Women’s Health and Cancer Rights Act
The Women’s Health and Cancer Rights Act is a federal law that provides
protection for breast cancer patients who elect breast reconstruction in
connection with a mastectomy. All group health plans, including HMOs, that
provide medical and surgical benefits in connection with a mastectomy must
also provide for reconstructive surgery, in a manner determined in consultation
with the patient and attending physician. If you or an enrolled dependent are a
breast cancer patient, you should know that in addition to providing medical and
surgical benefits in connection with a mastectomy, your Equity-League Health Fund
coverage also includes the following:
■
■
■
reconstruction of the breast on which the mastectomy was performed;
surgery and reconstruction of the other breast to produce a symmetrical
appearance; and
prostheses and treatment of physical complications at all stages of
mastectomy, including lymphedemas.
This coverage is subject to applicable copays, referral requirements, annual
deductibles and coinsurance provisions. You should review the provision
of your plan regarding any such restrictions that may apply. If you have any
questions about this coverage, please contact the Fund Office.
• 10
On the Pension Scene
WE’VE MADE THE
LIST BUT YOU NEED
TO CHECK IT TWICE
READ ALL ABOUT IT:
You will soon
receive your “Report
of Covered Earnings
and Pension Accruals
for the Year 2006,”
otherwise known as
the annual earnings
statement. It’s a
good idea to check
it carefully, go
out for a cup of
coffee, and then
check it again.
If you discover any
discrepancies, be
sure to notify the
Fund Office ASAP.
After all, what’s
shown on your
statement now
will determine the
pension you
eventually receive,
and it’s much easier
to clear up earnings
questions sooner
rather than later.
By now, you should have received the new Pension Plan
Summary Plan Description (SPD), which reflects Pension Plan
improvements made as of January 1, 2007. In it you’ll notice
two new forms of payment, available to all pensioners whose
pensions begin on or after September 1, 2007:
the New Pension SPD is Here
■
75% Joint and Survivor Benefit. This
payment method provides reduced monthly
payments for your lifetime. Upon your death,
your spouse (or other designated beneficiary)
receives 75% of the monthly benefit you were
receiving, payable for the rest of his or her
life. Please note if you elect the 75% joint
and survivor benefit and choose a non-spouse
beneficiary, he or she may not be more than
19 years younger or older than you.
■
EQ
U I
T Y
– L
E A
G U
E
SPO
TLIG
HT
…
Your
P
ON
ensio
n Pla
n
Sum
m ar
yP
la n
D es
cr ip
ti o n
100% Joint and Survivor Benefit.
This payment method provides reduced
monthly payments for your lifetime. Upon
your death, your spouse (or other designated
beneficiary) receives 100% of the monthly
benefit you were receiving, payable for the
rest of his or her life. Please note if you elect
the 100% joint and survivor benefit and
choose a non-spouse beneficiary, he or she
may not be more than 10 years younger or
older than you.
For more information on these and other payment options, or the Pension Plan in general, see the
Pension Plan SPD.
Good News! The Pension Application is Online
You can now obtain a pension application online at www.equityleague.org. Please note,
however, that you must obtain a “relative value” statement before signing or dating your
application. Otherwise, the Fund Office cannot accept it. And while we’d love to be able to
make the relative value statement available online as well, legal requirements prevent us
from doing so. You still must contact the Fund Office in writing to receive your relative value
statement. You can, however, request an age-specific relative value statement.
• 11
NOWPLAYING
401(k) Who’s Who & What’s What
There are two types of Equity-League 401(k) plans: one type offers salary deferral only, while the
other offers both salary and employer contributions. The type available to you depends on your
contract, as shown in this chart.
GUIDE TO 401(K) PLAN CONTRIBUTIONS
SALARY DEFERRAL AND EMPLOYER CONTRIBUTIONS
Reminder: Order
the Email Version
of Now Playing
If you prefer electronic
mail over snail mail, just
let us know. The Fund
can send you PDF copies
of our Now Playing
newsletter, which are
identical to what you
normally receive in your
mailbox but don’t take
up any space on your
kitchen counter. If you’d
like to receive your
newsletters via email,
just send your name,
member number and email
address to the Fund at
[email protected]
Contract
Effective Date
Equity/League Production Contract
Equity/Disney Theatrical Ventures, Inc. Production Contract
June 25, 2001
SALARY DEFERRAL ONLY
Contract
Effective Date
Off–Broadway Contract
October 1, 2002
LORT Contract
February 1, 2003
COST Contract
June 1, 2003
WCLO Contract
September 3, 2003
Special Production Contract
Menopause Special Agreements
Mid-Size Theatres
June 28, 2004
February 28, 2005
April 24, 2005
Chanhassen Dinner Theatres–Chanhassen, MN
Beef & Boards Dinner Theatre–Indianapolis, IN
New Theatre Restaurant–Overland Park, KS
Drury Lane Theatre–Oakbrook, IL
May 30, 2005
American Heartland Theatre–Kansas City, MO
Marriott Theatre–Lincolnshire, IL
Casino Contracts
(RMTA) Resident Musical Theatre Association
Chicago Area Theatres–CAT Contract
Musical Stock and Unit Attractions–MSUA Contract
June 7, 2005
June 27, 2005
October 31, 2005
Outdoor Drama Contract
TYA (Theatre for Young Audiences) Contract
December 26, 2005
Business Theatre and Events Contract
March 1, 2006
Second City Agreement (Chicago, Detroit, Denver, Las Vegas)
April 10, 2006
Children’s Theatre Company
June 26, 2006
Bay Area Theatre (BAT)
July 24, 2006
Ellis Island Foundations
March 19, 2007
Lawrence Welk Resort Dinner Theatre
May 21, 2007
Westchester Broadway Dinner Theatre
Alhambra Dinner Theatre (Jacksonville, FL)
(ANTC) Association of Non-Profit Theatre Companies
Walt Disney World–Orlando, FL
May 28, 2007
August 6, 2007
October 15, 2007
As you can see, the list of “salary deferral only” contracts is growing all the time. For the latest list,
check our website.
• 12
On the 401(k) Scene
Why You Should Put Money Into
the 401(k) Even if Your Employer Doesn’t
If you’re in the “salary deferral only” category in the chart on page 12 (as most members
are), participating in the 401(k) is still an opportunity you shouldn’t pass up. Here’s why:
■
contribute to the 401(k),
your contributions go
into your account on a
pre-tax basis—that is,
before taxes are
deducted from your pay.
This means that each dollar
of your pay that you want to
save goes directly into your account, without
stopping for an IRS “shave” first. For
example, if you’re in a 30% tax bracket and
can handle having $200 come out of your
pay each month, that translates into a $200
pre-tax contribution to a 401(k) account or a
$140 after-tax contribution to a conventional
savings account. Assuming your primary
objective is to make the most money for the
long haul, which would you prefer?
2008 401(k)
Deferral Limits
Here are the limits on how
much of your taxable salary
you can defer under the
401(k) Plan in 2008:
Weekly: $4,675
For the year: $15,500
Catch-up: $5,000
Where employer contributions
are concerned, the maximum
amount of annual
compensation per employer
that can be taken into account
for determining contributions
in 2008 is $230,000. For
more information about limits
on 401(k) Plan contributions,
refer to the 2008 Safe
Harbor Notice For Plan
Contributions Under The
Equity-League 401(K) Plan at
www.equityleague.org/401k/
401k_safeharbor.html.
Lower cost. When you
■
Faster growth. Your money figures to
grow faster through the 401(k) than
through a regular savings account. That’s
because 401(k) savings grow on a tax-deferred
basis, so every dollar you save goes to work
for you—and keeps working until you
withdraw from your account. With a regular
savings account, you’re taxed on your
earnings each year, resulting in fewer dollars
that can grow each year. For example,
suppose you contribute $200 a month to a
401(k) account for 20 years, and your
account grows by 5% a year. If you’re in a
30% tax bracket, you’ll have $12,833 more
than you would have had if you put that
money into a conventional savings account
that earned 5% interest a year. Over the
years, the tax difference really adds up.
(And just for the record, over a 20- or
30-year period five percent annual growth
is high for a bank account but low for the
stock market.)
■
Professionally-managed investments.
With 15 investment options to choose from,
the 401(k) plan offers something for
everyone. Whether you want to be aggressive,
conservative or somewhere in between with
your money, the plan’s investment lineup
can accommodate you. Each fund is managed
by professional investors and administered
by MassMutual, under the watchful eye of
the Board of Trustees. If you’re new to the
idea of investing for your future, the 401(k)
plan makes it easy to get started. True,
MassMutual applies an administrative charge
to your 401(k) balance, but you can more
than make up for this with sound investment
choices (and a little luck in the market).
Going forward, the Fund is looking into
reducing the monthly administrative charge
at some point in the not-so-distant future.
For more information
on how to get started in
the 401(k) plan, go to
www.equityleague.org/
401k/index.html or contact
the Fund Office.
• 13
NOWPLAYING
CONTACTING THE FUND OFFICE
Office
■
■
Walk-in: 9:30 A.M.–5:30 P.M. ET, Monday–Friday
Call-in:
– Health Fund Member Services: 9:30 A.M.–8 P.M. ET,
Monday–Friday
– All other: 9:30 A.M.–5:30 P.M. ET, Monday–Friday
Phone
165 West 46th Street
14th Floor
New York, NY 10036-2582
1-212-869-9380 or 1-800-344-5220
Fax
■
Health Fund
1-212-869-3323
■
Pension Fund
1-212-869-1824
■
401(k) Fund
1-212-869-1824
■
For privacy issues or concerns
1-212-869-3323
■
Employer Contributions and Collections
1-212-398-2826 or 1-212-730-6360
■
Executive Director
1-212-391-0371
Email
■
Health Fund
[email protected]
■
Pension Fund
[email protected]
■
401(k) Fund
[email protected]
■
For privacy issues or concerns
[email protected]
■
Employer Contributions and Collections
[email protected]
■
Problems or Suggestions regarding the Website
[email protected]
Complaints, Appeals, Suggestions and
Praise for the Funds
[email protected]
■
• 14
FAQs
How does COB with SAG medical coverage
work with the new eligibility rules?
What do I do to make credit card payments
online?
Coordination of Benefits (COB) is the process
by which we determine which plan pays first
when a participant is covered by two or more
plans—as is the case for those who are eligible
for both Actor’s Equity and Screen Actor’s Guild
(SAG) coverage. SAG has been understanding
of our rule changes and is working closely
with us to make it all work. At last count, 660
participants had coverage under both the
Equity-League Health Care Plan and the SAGProducers Health Plan. SAG’s standard
procedure for coordination of benefits is as
follows: If you are primary in the Equity-League
Plan and have secondary coverage under the
SAG-Producers Health Plan, but then lose
Equity-League coverage by failing to pay the
required premiums, the SAG-Producers Plan
will maintain its secondary position. That is, the
SAG-Producers Plan will not become your
primary plan; it will continue to pay no more
than 20% of the Allowed Amount on your
claims. However, the SAG-Producers Health
Plan will not apply its special coordination of
benefits rule to those Equity-League participants
who don’t pay their premiums because they have
chosen to defer their health care coverage until
they can qualify for 12 months of coverage.
In such cases, SAG will become the primary
plan. For more information about coordination
of benefits under the Equity-League Health
Care Plan, see the Health Fund Summary Plan
Description or contact the Fund Office.
Log on to www.equityleague.org and click on
the “Health Care Payments” link. From there
you can pay for any of the following:
I enrolled in Medicare but am also eligible
for Fund coverage. Which pays first?
If you sign up for Medicare but remain eligible
for Health Fund benefits through employment
(whether or not you pay the required contributions),
the Fund will be the primary payer of your
medical benefits and Medicare will be secondary.
However, if you’re eligible for Medicare and
self-pay for Medicare Supplemental coverage,
Medicare will be the primary payer of your
medical benefits and the Fund will be secondary.
For more information, see the Health Fund
Summary Plan Description.
■
■
■
■
$100 quarterly Health Fund contributions
(individuals)
dependent coverage
self-pay dental coverage under either the
CIGNA Dental HMO or PPO Plans
self-pay COBRA, Vested Beyond COBRA or
Medicare Supplemental Coverage.
To finalize any online payment transaction, you
must include your Actor’s Equity member
number (AEA ID number) and your bill number.
Make sure you have these numbers handy when
you log on to the site. (By the way, if you pay
by check, these numbers must be written on your
check, too.)
What happens if I need medical care when
I’m out of the country?
If you’re enrolled in the CIGNA Medical Plan,
your care will be covered the same way as any
other Out-of-Network expense. This means
that you must pay for care when you receive it
and then file a claim for reimbursement. It
doesn’t matter what language the claim form is
completed in or what currency was used to pay
for the service; CIGNA will do all of the
necessary translations and/or currency conversions.
However, keep in mind that the emergency
notification rules still apply: If you are admitted
to the hospital after getting emergency treatment,
you (or a family member, a friend, or your
doctor) must call CIGNA no later than the
second business day after you are admitted.
If you’re enrolled in an HMO, check with your
HMO to find out how it covers care received
outside the U.S.
Can I get Now Playing electronically?
Yes. If you’d like to receive your newsletters
via email, just send your name, member
number and email address to the Fund at
[email protected].
• 15
Equity-League Pension, Health and 401(k) Funds
165 West 46th Street
14th Floor
New York, NY 10036-2582
NOWPLAYING
This newsletter is a publication of the Board of Trustees of the Equity-League Trust Funds. Additional copies
are available upon request, or online at our website (www.equityleague.org). For any questions about
the newsletter or your benefits, contact The Fund Office, Equity-League Pension, Health and 401(k) Funds,
165 West 46th Street, Suite 402, New York, NY 10036-2582. To call the Fund Office from the NYC area, phone
1-212-869-9380; if you’re calling from outside the NYC area, call the Fund Office toll-free at 1-800-344-5220.
To the extent that any of the information contained in this newsletter is inconsistent with the official
Plan documents (which, of course, includes the Trustees’ rights to amend or modify the Plans at
any time), the Plan documents will govern in all cases. No official (other than the Trustees) has any
authority to interpret the Plans, or other official Plan documents, or to make any promises to you
about them.
standard indicia
goes here