The following clarifies “Eligible Employees” in the Health Care Plans; Disability, Life, and Accident Plans; and
Reimbursement Account Plans summary plan description booklets. In each booklet, the first paragraph of “Eligible Employees” is replaced by the following.
You are eligible for coverage under the plans described in this booklet if you are all of the following: • A union-represented Boeing employee who is regularly scheduled to work 19.1 or more hours a week. • On the active payroll.
• Paid through the Company Payroll Department.
Change in the Beneficiary Designation Process
The following amends “Beneficiary Designation” in your Disability, Life, and Accident Plans summary plan description booklet.
Effective January 1, 2004, the Boeing Service Center maintains records of beneficiaries for all life and accident insurance plans. You can view or modify your beneficiary information at any time on the Your Benefits Resources web site. If no beneficiary is listed or if your designation is not current, you must update your information on Your Benefits Resources or by speaking to a customer service representative at the Boeing Service Center.
If you do not have a beneficiary on file with the Boeing Service Center, claims will be paid according to the terms of the summary plan description for the Plan.
Clarification of How to Convert to Individual Coverage
The following clarifies “Conversion of Your Medical Plan Coverage” in your Health Care Plans summary plan description. That section is changed to read as follows:
If medical coverage terminates for you or a covered dependent, you or your dependent may be able to enroll in an individual group medical policy if the medical plan service representative offers one.
No evidence of insurability will be required. Benefits under the individual policy will not necessarily be the same as those provided under your group medical plan.
To convert to an individual policy, you must contact the service representative and complete the application process within 31 days of the date you are notified your coverage in this plan ended, but not later than 90 days after the date your coverage ended. The service representative will send you monthly bills for your premium payments, which generally are larger than those at the group rate.
Change in the Short-Term Disability Claim Process
The following changes apply to the Disability, Life, and Accident Plans summary plan description booklet and are effective for employees who take a medical leave of absence on or after February 14, 2004. Some or all of these changes do not apply to the groups listed in “Exceptions to the Claim Payment Process,” on page 4.
How to Submit a Claim for Short-Term Disability Benefits
This section amends the information for submitting short-term disability claims described in the February 2002
Benefits Update, “Summary of Benefit Plan Changes and Clarifications,” and the Disability, Life, and Accident Plans summary plan description booklet.
The process for filing short-term disability claims has been improved. Employees who begin a short-term disability period on or after February 14, 2004, can file for short-term disability benefits by telephone instead of filing paper claim forms.
If you experience a disability and you expect that it will last for more than seven consecutive days, you may be eligible for short-term disability benefits. To file a claim, call Boeing TotalAccess, select leave of absence from the menu, and follow the prompts. You should call within (but not more than) 14 calendar days before the date on which you plan to begin your disability leave, or in cases where the absence is unexpected, you should call as soon as possible before your leave begins. After you speak with a Boeing TotalAccess representative, you will be transferred to the service representative (Aetna, Inc.) to provide the following information:
• The reason for your disability.
• The dates that you expect to be absent.
• The name and telephone number of your physician or physicians.
You also should notify your physician’s office that Aetna will be requesting your information. Be sure to complete any release of information forms that your physician requires.
Claim Payment Process
After Aetna receives all of the necessary information from you and your physician and you have begun your disability leave, Aetna will review your claim and contact you with a decision.
If your claim is approved, Aetna will notify the Company Payroll Department. You will begin to receive short- term disability benefits as part of your regularly scheduled payroll check or direct deposit from the Company. (Previously, short-term disability benefits were paid weekly by Aetna.)
If you are a full-time or part-time employee, the amount of your short-term disability benefit will be determined by using your weekly salary as of the date your disability first begins. After disability payments begin, any change in your weekly salary will be reflected in your short-term disability benefit payments.
Your short-term disability benefits are reported to the Federal Government and are considered taxable income to you. Your regular payroll tax rate will apply to your short-term disability benefit payments. Any regular payroll deductions, such as health care contributions, life insurance contributions, or loan repayments, also will apply and will be deducted automatically from your short-term disability payments. Contributions to the Voluntary Investment Plan, however, can be deducted only from regular pay, sick leave pay, or vacation pay; they cannot be deducted from short-term disability benefits. In addition, you may be entitled to receive other income benefits that will reduce your short term disability benefit under the terms of the Plan. See your summary plan description booklet for a specific listing of other income benefits that would reduce your short term disability benefit.
If your claim is not approved, Aetna will notify you in writing of the reasons for the denial, your right to appeal, and your right to obtain copies of all documents related to your claim that were reviewed in making the decision.
The process and time periods for short-term disability claim reviews and appeals are described in your February 2002 Benefits Update, “Summary of Benefit Plan Changes and Clarifications.”
Exceptions to the Claim Payment Process
Exceptions to this claim payment process are as follows:
• Employees in Wichita. All union-represented employees in Wichita continue to file paper claim forms. However, any short-term disability benefits are paid through Boeing payroll (as just described) by check or direct deposit.
• Employees in Hawaii. Because of certain state requirements, employees in Hawaii continue to coordinate short-term disability benefits through local leave of absence contacts, and Aetna continues to send short- term disability payments.