If you will want to add your new spouse or child to your health insurance, you MUST notify the Fund Office within 60 days of the marriage or birth date. If you do not notify us within the 60-day window, you will not be able to enroll them until the next July 1st open enrollment date. Please see the section titled “Mid-Year Coverage Changes” on the Eligibility and Enrollment page for more specifics.

Also, anytime you have a change in your family, you should consider whether you need to make changes to your pension and annuity beneficiary designations. To get the Pension Beneficiary Designation Form go to the “Pension Forms” page. To get the Annuity Beneficiary Designation Form go to the Annuity Forms” page. If you are married and wish to designate a primary beneficiary other than you spouse, you will need to complete the Spousal Waiver Form located on the Annuity Forms” and “Pension Forms” pages.

If you and your spouse become legally separated or divorced, your spouse’s coverage will terminate at the end of the month in which the separation or divorce is final. You are required to notify the Fund Office promptly regarding any separation or divorce, and if you do not notify the Fund Office, you could be held responsible for the costs of your spouse’s health insurance coverage after the separation or divorce, and coverage for yourself and your other dependents could be terminated.

Also, you should consider whether you need to make changes to your pension and annuity beneficiary designations. To get the Pension Beneficiary Designation Form go to the “Pension Forms” page. To get the Annuity Beneficiary Designation Form go to the Annuity Forms” page. If you are married and wish to designate a primary beneficiary other than you spouse, you will need to complete the Spousal Waiver Form located on the Annuity Forms” and “Pension Forms” pages.

Both the Welfare Plan and the Pension Plan have provisions for crediting you with disability earnings. These earnings credits are used by the Welfare Fund for the purpose of determining future health coverage eligibility, and by the Pension Fund for the purpose of determining whether you are eligible to earn a pension credit in a given year. Please note, however, that each fund limits the number of weeks of disability crediting to a lifetime maximum of 104 weeks in most instances.

For the Welfare Plan, there is also the possibility of a waiver of your self-pay premium if you become eligible for disability earnings credits. However, since there is a lifetime limit of 104 weeks of disability crediting, it may not make sense to use disability earnings credits in order to receive a waiver of your self-pay premium if you do not also need them to meet the earnings requirement for health insurance coverage. If you think that you may be in this situation, please call the Fund Office to discuss your options. You can get more detailed information regarding disability crediting on the Welfare Fund “Disability” page.

Although we strongly encourage Annuity Fund participants to let their employer contributions grow until they are ready for retirement, the Annuity Fund rules regarding distributions recognize that a short-term disability may sometimes create an economic hardship for a participant. You may be able to take a limited distribution from your Annuity account if you are able to provide proof of disability for 45 or more days. Please call the Fund Office for more information if this is your situation.

If you become totally and permanently disabled, you may become qualified for a Disability Pension and a distribution from your Annuity account. If you believe this is your situation, please call Mariann Zappalla in the Fund Office [(212)247-5225, ext. 108] to discuss the requirements for a Disability Pension or a disability distribution from your Annuity account. You can get more detailed information on the “Retirement Types” page in the section titled “Disability Pension”, and on the “Annuity Distribution Types” page in the section titled “Total and Permanent Disability”.

If you are ready to apply for your retirement benefit, congratulations! And if you are just thinking ahead and planning for your future, good for you! It’s never too early to start planning for your retirement, and the Fund Office is here to help you understand your retirement options.

There are many decisions to be made, and things to do before you actually retire. When you are ready to start the process, the first thing you should do is call Mariann Zappalla in the Fund Office [(212)247-5225, ext. 108]. She can talk to you about the specifics of your situation, and get you started on the process of applying for your pension benefit. Many of the forms you will need to apply for your retirement can be found on this web site on the “Pension Forms” page.

If you are just starting to think about retirement, this site and your Summary Plan Document (“SPD”) have a lot of information to help you begin your retirement planning. Read the information on the “Retirement Types” and “Retirement Options” pages of the Pension Section.

Also, review the requirements for retiree medical coverage on the “Retiree Medical/Medicare” page. If you have any questions as to whether you will qualify for health insurance coverage at retirement, please call the Fund Office.

Please accept our condolences for your loss. We know that this is a very difficult period for you, and that there are many things you will need to attend to. Please give us a call and let us help you. We will walk you through the changes that you will need to make with regards to your Welfare coverage, and changes to your Pension and Annuity beneficiary designations and/or benefits. Just call us at (212)247-5225 and ask for Gloria Shea, Mariann Zappalla or Scott Cool.

Please accept our condolences for your loss. If you have health coverage as the dependent of a participant who has passed away, please call Gloria Shea at (212)247-5225, ext. 104.

If you believe that you are the deceased participant’s beneficiary for either the Pension Fund or the Annuity Fund, please call Mariann Zappalla at (212)247-5225, ext. 108.

The Welfare Fund sponsors a Member Assistance Program which is administered for us by The Actors Fund. If you need assistance with a psychiatric or dependency issue, just call the Member Assistance Program line at: (212)221-7300, ext. 119.

If you are working with CIGNA regarding health insurance coverage for treatment of psychiatric and/or dependency problems, The Actors Fund can be a tremendous resource to help ensure that you get the right care for your individual situation. You may also call Gloria Shea in the Fund Office [(212) 247-5225, etc. 104] if you need any help coordinating with CIGNA and The Actors Fund.