Trust Funds Update

The Trust Funds Office is up and running in order to continue providing crucial benefits, and to answer participant and employer inquiries during these tumultuous times. While we are not physically open to the public, for everyone’s protection, our phone lines and website are fully operational. We are working with a very limited staff in order to safeguard everyone’s health, so some questions may take a little longer to answer.

CARES Act Member Impact

Under the CARES Act signed into law on March 27, 2020:

For “qualified individuals”, Deferred Income Fund loan payments, which would have been due between March 27, and December 31, 2020, are deferred for one year. Interest does still accrue during the deferral period. Please contact the Trust Funds Office to determine eligibility and to take advantage of this deferral.

For calendar year 2020, Required Minimum Distributions have been eliminated. This means the Deferred Income Plan won’t be automatically issuing these payments in December.

Expanded Health & Telehealth Opportunities

As noted in our letter of March 20, 2020, Health Plan participants can now take advantage of telehealth benefits in one of 2 networks: Our regular Blue Cross PPO network, or the new Well Connection network.

Through the Well Connection benefit channel, participants can connect with licensed doctors and providers for minor medical, and outpatient behavioral health (1) care, using live video visits on their device. The doctors and providers in the Well Connection network have an average of 15 years of experience and can look up medical history, diagnose and treat symptoms as well as prescribe medication (2), if necessary. To get started, download the Well Connection app or visit WellConnection.com.

As with traditional benefit delivery, copays for telehealth services will be waived for testing, treatment, counseling, vaccination (once available), and other COVID-19 care. Normal copays will apply for all other telehealth services.

1. Modern Assistance Programs remains the sole provider of pre-authorization review for inpatient mental health and substance use admissions, including partial hospitalization and intensive outpatient programs for substance use and mental health.