Current Open Enrollment Information

Open Enrollment Period

November 1 through November 30 Annually


Dates to Remember

All Changes, Single with Dependents & Opt-out Elections Due By:

November 30th 2024


Effective Date for Changes:
January 1, 2025

Dear Health and Welfare Participants:


Health and Welfare Participants:

The Open Enrollment period for the IBEW Local No. 43 and Electrical Contractors Health and Welfare Plan is from November 1, 2024, to November 30, 2024, for coverage effective January 1, 2025.


Remember, Open Enrollment is the only time annually (outside of a qualifying life event, like getting married, having a baby or divorced) that you can make changes to your medical plans.

The Open Enrollment instructions and 2025 healthcare premium rates are enclosed.


You are encouraged to carefully review the enrollment instructions, including those related to the Health Reimbursement Accounts (HRA). Specifically, if you are enrolled in single coverage and have dependents or opted-out of medical coverage and want your HRA allocations to be available for qualifying expenses incurred by your eligible dependents, you must provide evidence every year (as indicated on the enclosed forms) that those dependents are enrolled in other employer-sponsored minimum value group health coverage.

You may also obtain Open Enrollment materials by visiting the IBEW Local 43 Website at: www.ibew43.org/OE-2024.aspx


As always, if you have questions or need assistance, please call the Fund Office at (315) 474-5729. We will be glad to be of help.


Very truly yours,

BOARD OF TRUSTEES

INTERNATIONAL BROTHERHOOD OF
ELECTRICAL WORKERS LOCAL NO. 43
AND ELECTRICAL CONTRACTORS
WELFARE FUND

EFFECTIVE JANUARY 1, 2025

HEALTH BENEFIT PREMIUM RATES BY COVERAGE TYPE

Single $600.00

Family: $1,275.00

Opt-Out of coverage: $100.00


The coverage types listed above include the following benefits:

Short-Term Disability for Occupational and Non-Occupational Sickness or Inquiry

Life Insurance: $50,000 Death Benefit

Accidental Death & Dismemberment (AD&D): up to $50,000

Employee Assistance Program (EAP): at no cost to you or your family

Health Reimbursement Account (HRA)


Benefit premium costs ARE NOT deducted from your weekly paycheck.


  1. If you wish to continue your Single or Family coverage election “as is” no further action is required by you. However, if you have Single coverage and have eligible dependents, please see Single Coverage WITH Dependents - Must be renewed annually

  2. If you wish to elect coverage, change coverage, or add an eligible dependent you must act now. If you fail to make your changes on or before November 30, 2023 your next opportunity to do so will be during the next Open Enrollment period November 2024 unless you have a qualifying life event change. Please see Electing Coverage or Making Changes to Your Single or Family Coverage Option

  3. If you wish to opt-out of coverage, please see Opt-Out-Of Coverage - Must be renewed annually1. . Please note If you are enrolled as an Opt-Out-Of Coverage and do not return the Open Enrollment forms, you will be automatically registered for single coverage effective January 1, 2025.

    Dates to Remember:

    Open Enrollment Period:
    November 1, 2024 through November 30, 2024

    All Changes, Single Coverage with dependents & Opt-out Elections Due By:
    Thursday, November 30, 2024

    Effective Date for Changes:
    January 1, 2025

    Send all forms and documentation to:
    IBEW Local Union No. 43 & Electrical Contractors Welfare Fund
    P.O. Box 2218
    Syracuse, NY 13220-2218

If you are electing coverage or changing your coverage option (from Single to Family or Family to Single) or adding/dropping a dependent to or from your medical plan, you must:

  1. Complete and return the IBEW Local No. 43 Health and Prescription Benefit Enrollment Form;

  2. For each new dependent, you must include their name, date of birth, Social Security number, gender, copy of birth certificate and if adding a spouse, a completed Spousal Affidavit form and marriage certificate. If renewing coverage with no changes, you do not need to resubmit birth or marriage certificates.

  1. You must confirm on the Waiver (Opt-Out) of Participation form that your eligible dependents are enrolled in group coverage that meets the Patient Protection Affordable Care Act “minimum value” criteria. To validate that your dependent has group coverage that meets the minimum value criteria you must submit a copy of your spouse’s employer’s current Group Health Insurance Plan’s Summary of Benefits and Coverage (SBC) and a photocopy of the Group Health Insurance ID Card.

  2. If the above documentation is not available, you must submit a letter from the applicable employer confirming the group coverage.

  3. For each dependent for whom you intend to seek reimbursement from your HRA, you must also include their name, date of birth, Social Security number, gender, copy of birth certificate and if adding a spouse, a marriage certificate. If renewing coverage with no changes, you do not need to resubmit birth or marriage certificates.

You may elect the Opt-Out of Coverage (Waiver of Participation) if you have medical coverage through your spouse’s employer or if you have medical coverage through your employment with another employer. In addition, you must confirm and provide the following documentation:


  1. Complete and return the Waiver (Opt Out) of Participation in the IBEW Local No. 43 Welfare Fund Group Health Plan form.

  2. You must confirm you are enrolled in group coverage that meets the Patient Protection Affordable Care Act “minimum value” criteria. To validate that you have group coverage that meets the minimum value criteria you must submit a copy of your spouse’s or your own other employer’s current Group Health Insurance Plan’s SBC and a photocopy of your current Group Health Insurance ID Card. If the above documents are not available, a letter from your spouse’s employer or your own other employer confirming your coverage must be submitted.

  3. For each dependent for whom you intend to seek reimbursement from your HRA, you must include their name, date of birth, Social Security number, gender, copy of birth certificate and if adding a spouse as a dependent, a marriage certificate. You must also submit an SBC and Health Insurance I.D. card establishing each dependent’s other group health coverage. If the SBC and I.D. Card are not available, you must submit a letter from the employer confirming the coverage. If renewing coverage with no changes, you do not need to resubmit birth or marriage certificates.

You may also choose to “Opt-out” of medical coverage and to waive all future reimbursements from your Health Reimbursement Account (HRA) benefits offered through the Fund Office annually. Although “opting-out” of ALL Fund coverage is not recommended, because you will be choosing to decline all medical coverage and Health Reimbursement (HRA) benefits despite the fact that contributions will continue to be made to the Fund for your work in covered employment, the Fund will comply with this requirement as part of implementing the healthcare reform laws. Once such election is made, it is irrevocable and cannot be changed until the NEXT Open Enrollment Period (a year from now). To completely decline Fund benefits, contact the Fund Office for pertinent documents. You should carefully consider the consequences of declining all medical and Health Reimbursement Account (HRA) benefits, and you should discuss any such decision with your tax advisor.

The Fund Office will not process claims for you or your dependents until the Fund receives the necessary enrollment forms. Until the completed forms are received by the Fund Office, the Fund’s Trustees reserve the right to suspend claim payments.

Click here to download the SBC PDF Report.

I.B.E.W. Local 43 and Electrical Contractors Trust Funds
PO Box 2218 - Syracuse, New York 13220-2218
(315) 474-5729 - (800) 474-5744
FAX (315) 474-1588

This notice contains important information regarding your Welfare Fund benefits

Date: October 2024

To: International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local No. 43 and Electrical Contractors
Welfare Fund
Participants and their covered dependents
All retirees and their covered dependents
All COBRA participants

From: The Board of Trustees

Please note that the FUND is working diligently to comply with all provisions of the No Surprises Act. We strive to give you the most up to date accurate information about your Plan Benefits. This means that you will see future communication from the Fund that will modify some if your benefits such as emergency services and air ambulance. Please keep these future communications with your SBC and SPC and contact us if you have any questions.




I.B.E.W. Local 43 and Electrical Contractors Trust Funds
PO Box 2218 - Syracuse, New York 13220-2218
(315) 474-5729 - (800) 474-5744
FAX (315) 474-1588

This notice contains important information regarding your Welfare Fund benefits

Date: October 2024

To: International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local No. 43 and Electrical Contractors
Welfare Fund
Participants and their covered dependents
All retirees and their covered dependents
All COBRA participants

From: The Board of Trustees
Notice of Grandfathered Health Plan

International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local No. 43 and Electrical Contractors Welfare Fund believe this plan is a “grandfathered health plan” under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (the Affordable Care Act). As permitted by the Affordable Care Act, a grandfathered health plan can preserve certain basic health coverage that was already in effect when the 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 plans must comply with certain other consumer protections in the Affordable Care Act, for example, the elimination of lifetime limits on benefits.


Questions regarding which protections apply and which protections do not apply to a grandfathered health plan and what might cause a plan to change from grandfathered health plan status can be directed to the plan administrator at (315) 474-5729. You may also contact the Employee Benefit Security Administration U.S. Department of Labor at 1-866-444-3272 or https://dol.gov/ebsa/healthcarereform. This website has a table summarizing which protections do and do not apply to grandfathered health plans.


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