WELFARE FUND

The Local 464A UFCW Welfare Service Benefit Fund (“Welfare Fund”) provides medical, prescription drug, dental, vision and legal service benefits to eligible Members and their eligible, enrolled dependents. The Welfare Fund is funded by contributions from employers under collective bargaining agreements with the Union. The Welfare Fund is governed and administered by a Joint Board of Trustees.

The Welfare Fund believes that the plans of benefits it offers are “grandfathered health plans” under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (the Affordable Care Act). Please read the Notice of Grandfathered Status below for additional information.

To maintain its grandfathered status, the Welfare Fund is prohibited from:

• eliminating all or substantially all benefits to diagnose or treat a particular condition
• increasing the coinsurance percentage you pay for covered services
• increasing the deductibles, copayments and out-of-pocket maximums you pay for covered services by more than medical inflation

These important restrictions help reduce the amount that you will pay for covered services. Thus, there are benefits to you when the Welfare Fund maintains its grandfathered status.

NOTICE OF GRANDFATHERED STATUS

 As permitted by the Affordable Care Act, a grandfathered health plan can preserve certain basic health coverage that was already in effect when that law was enacted. Being a grandfathered health plan means that your plan may not include certain consumer protections of the Affordable Care Act that apply to other plans, for example, the requirement for the provision of preventive health services without any cost sharing. However, grandfathered health plans must comply with certain other consumer protections in the Affordable Care Act, for example, the elimination of lifetime limits on benefits if applicable. 

If you should have any questions or need assistance of any kind, do not hesitate to contact the Welfare Fund office at (973) 256-5803 [or (973) 256-6790].

For claim forms, please check the Welfare Fund Forms tab on the website.