FIRST THINGS FIRST
The WGA and the AMPTP agreed to extend health coverage by one quarter as part of the strike settlement terms, and the Board of Trustees has approved the request.
This document will explain how the extension will work, and how it might affect you and your dependents. Paragraph 8 of the Strike Termination Agreement of 2023 as approved by the Board of Trustees shall govern if it conflicts with this FAQ.
DO I QUALIFY FOR THIS EXTENSION?
If you lost or will lose health coverage immediately following an earning cycle that included all (or any) of the strike period, you qualify.
WHAT DATES ARE INCLUDED IN THE STRIKE PERIOD?
If your earned coverage was scheduled to end on September 30, 2023, December 31, 2023, March 31, 2024, June 30, 2024, or September 30, 2024 then you qualify. Participants who are qualified receive an additional quarter of coverage and an additional three months added to their earnings cycle.
If you have a dependent (or dependents), they are covered at no additional cost. The dependent premium is paid as part of this extension.
I HAVE EXTENDED COVERAGE POINTS. DO I QUALIFY FOR THIS EXTENSION?
If you have 0-9 Extended Coverage points, then you qualify for this extension. If you have 10 or more Extended Coverage points then you must use your points. You will not receive free coverage for an additional quarter.
WHAT DO I HAVE TO DO TO GET THIS EXTENSION?
If you qualify, there is nothing you have to do. You will receive a full quarter of coverage, including dependent premiums, automatically. No payment or paperwork is required from you.
The 3-month extension of earned coverage:
- Will not be considered a quarter of earned coverage for the purposes of calculating Certified Retiree Health (CRH) eligibility;
- Will not be considered when determining pension vesting or pension benefits;
- Can only be used to extend a single earnings cycle;
- Will not, in and of itself, be used to earn additional extended coverage points*.
PARTICIPANTS WHO ARE NOT ELIGIBLE TO RECEIVE AN EXTENSION ARE:
- Those Participants losing earned coverage as of September 30, 2023, December 31, 2023, March 31, 2024, June 30, 2024, or September 30, 2024 who have 10 or more extended coverage points;
- Participants who are covered under the Extended Coverage Program as of September 30, 2023, December 31, 2023, March 31, 2024, June 30, 2024, or September 30, 2024 (even if they exhaust their points as of those dates)
- Participants who are on COBRA and are still within their elected COBRA period of 18 or 24 months.
IS THERE ANYTHING ELSE I SHOULD KNOW ABOUT THIS EXTENSION?
If you receive an extra quarter of coverage, or if you have less than 10 Extended Coverage points, you will receive a one-time five quarters earning cycle, meaning you will have an extra quarter in which to earn a year of coverage.
MISCELLANEOUS BUT IMPORTANT FACTS
The 3-month extension of earned coverage:
- Will not be considered a quarter of earned coverage for the purposes of calculating Certified Retiree Health (CRH) eligibility;
- Will not be considered when determining pension vesting or pension benefits;
- Can only be used to extend a single earnings cycle;
- Will not, in and of itself, be used to earn additional extended coverage points.
(Please note: Should the one-time, 5-quarter earnings cycle result in more than the minimum earnings required to earn a year’s health eligibility, extended coverage points will be granted based on those earnings amounts. Also, a 5-quarter earnings cycle that results in a year of earned coverage will also result in 4 quarters toward Certified Retiree Health status.)
In practical terms, it looks like this:
| If your current earnings cycle is: | And you did not earn the minimum required to qualify for another year of eligibility, your current coverage ends: | As part of the settlement of the strike your current coverage has been extended – on a one-time basis – for an additional quarter: |
| June 30, 2023 | September 30, 2023 | October 1, 2023 – December 31, 2023 |
| September 30, 2023 | December 31, 2023 | January 1, 2024 – March 31, 2024 |
| December 31, 2023 | March 31, 2024 | April 1, 2024 – June 30, 2024 |
| March 31, 2024 | June 30, 2024 | July 1, 2024 – September 30, 2024 |
| June 30, 2024 | September 30, 2024 | October 1, 2024-December 31, 2024 |
| No free coverage is available after these dates | ||
CAN I SEE WHETHER OR NOT I AM COVERED BY USING THE HEALTH COVERAGE APP OR GOING TO MY ACCOUNT ON THE WEBSITE?
Yes. The extension information will be available both through the app and on the website.
WHAT IF I AM ON COBRA?
If your COBRA eligibility is exhausted or will be exhausted as of June 30, 2023, September 30, 2023, December 31, 2023, March 31, 2024, or June 30, 2024 you may opt to extend coverage for up to three months, though that will not be subsidized and you will have to pay the full amount due for each additional month you wish to be covered, up to a maximum of three months. If you elect this additional coverage, all you have to do is remit payment.
NOTE: If you paid for COBRA or your COBRA expired on June 30, 2023, July 31, 2023, or August 31, 2023, and you bought another health coverage plan, the Health Fund will reimburse you retroactively for your premium and claims-related out of pocket costs (subject to PWGA health plan coverage rules).
I AM A CERTIFIED HEALTH RETIREE (CRH) BUT I WAS WORKING BEFORE THE STRIKE. DO I QUALIFY FOR THIS EXTENSION?
No. A Participant who goes from CRH Coverage to Earned Coverage, and back to CRH Coverage does not qualify for the extension. The extension only applies when there is no PWGA plan health coverage available to a Participant. When Earned coverage ends – whether because of a strike or for the completion of the writing assignment – the Participant automatically goes back on CRH coverage, with Medicare as primary and PWGA as secondary.
I SIGNED UP FOR MEDICARE WHEN MY WGA INSURANCE RAN OUT. AM I COVERED BY THIS EXTENSION?
The extension only applies to those who would not have Health fund coverage through the Fund. So if you signed up for Medicare as of 10/1/23 but were not a Certified Retiree we would grant the refund based on the extension. However, if you were already in CRH status, the extension would not apply.
The same rule applies for those who have to purchase other insurance due to the strike. For example, a Participant who was on earned coverage or Extending Points and lost coverage 10/1/23 and then signed up for Medicare would qualify for the refund (based on purchase of other insurance). But, if the Participant was on CRH previously, or would have been on CRH 10/1/23, they would not qualify for a refund or extension.
WHO DO I CONTACT IF I STILL HAVE QUESTIONS?
The Eligibility Department will answer any questions you might have. They can be reached at: (818) 846-1015 or via email at: [email protected].