Marriage

So, you're getting married? Congratulations!

Marriage has both legal and financial implications to your health and pension benefits. Please take the time to review these benefit issues. For your convenience, we have itemized issues you need to address to get a good start in your new life so that you can get back to more important things, such as planning your honeymoon!

Forms:

• Health Fund Coordination of Benefits Form
• Health Fund Designation of Beneficiary for Life Insurance Form
• Health Fund Dependent Enrollment Form
• Pension Designation of Beneficiary Form

Additional Information:

Health Benefits

• Eligibility
• Dependent Premium
• Life Insurance

Pension

• Retirement Payment Options
• Surviving Spouse Benefit

Pension SPD

• Retirement Payment Options
• Surviving Spouse Benefit

Benefit Plan Checklist

• You may add your spouse as a Covered Dependent under the Health Fund. There is a quarterly dependent premium payment required by the Health Fund. To add your new spouse as a Covered Dependent, please complete a new Health Fund Enrollment Form .  Attach a certified copy of your marriage certificate, along with your Dependent Premium payment. If you are recently married you must notify the Fund within 30 days of the date of marriage or your request to add your spouse will be delayed until the following Open Enrollment period for an effective date of January 1, unless there is a "Special Enrollment" circumstance.
• You may want to review your beneficiaryThis term means the person or persons whom a Participant last designates to receive benefits in the event of his or her death. However, if you have been married at least one year at the time of your death, your spouse will be your Beneficiary unless you and your spouse select a different Beneficiary. If there is no surviving designated Beneficiary, please refer to Section: NAMING OR CHANGING A BENEFICIARY BEFORE RETIREMENT on page 33 for details about the Plan's rules for designating a beneficiary and for paying benefits to a minor. Beneficiary designation forms are available from the Administrative Office. designation with the Health Fund and the Pension Plan and make any changes you deem appropriate. If you do not fill out a new beneficiary designation with either the Health Fund or Pension Plan, any life insurance that may be due will be paid to the beneficiary listed on the most recent designation and any Pre-Retirement Death Benefit will be paid according to applicable Pension Plan rules. If you would like to change your beneficiary designation for your life insurance, you must complete a Health Fund Life Insurance Beneficiary Form . You should complete a new Designation of Beneficiary Form for the Pension Plan, either to name your spouse as your beneficiary or have your spouse agree to the named beneficiary. Keep in mind that since you are now married, under the Pension Plan, your spouse's notarized signature is required on the Designation of Beneficiary Form if you and your spouse decide to designate a beneficiary other than your spouse as the sole primary beneficiary. To change your beneficiary designation for the Pre-Retirement Death Benefit under the Pension Plan, please complete a Pension Plan Designation of Beneficiary Form . Remember that changing your beneficiary for the Health Fund does not change your beneficiary for the Pension Plan and vice versa. Please see Forms referenced on this page.
• Please be advised that although you are now legally married, your spouse cannot obtain information regarding your benefits unless you have given the Administrative Office such authorization in writing. For the Health Fund, please refer to the Authorization For Release Of Health Information Form , complete this form in its entirety and return it to the Administrative Office. Note: If you would like more than one person to have authorization to speak to the Health Fund on your behalf, you must complete an authorization form for each person you wish to authorize. For the Pension Plan, please refer to the Authorization to Release Information .