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Eligibility

TeamstersCareYour eligibility for the Early Retiree Medical Program depends on four factors, which are all related to the date you were last covered by the Active TeamstersCare benefit program.

This eligibility depends on:

  • Your age, as of that date
  • The amount of credited service you have accumulated, as of that date

In addition:

  • You must have been covered by the Active TeamstersCare benefits program for at least 36 months of the past five years (60 months)
  • Your employer must have made contributions to TeamstersCare on your behalf for at least 10 years (120 months)

Important Note: Contributions to the TeamstersCare Dental and Vision Program do not count toward the 120-month requirement.

Eligibility Requirements

You are eligible to participate in the Early Retiree Medical Program if, as of the last day of coverage under the Active TeamstersCare Program, you have:

  • 15+ years of credited service and are age 60 or older
  • 20+ years of credited service and are age 55 or older
  • 30+ years of credited service at any age

This age requirement may be waived if you have 15 or more years of credited service AND are permanently and totally disabled as determined by Social Security.

Years of credited service can include:

  • Your years of pension credit under the New England Teamsters & Trucking Industry Pension Plan or the Central States Pension Fund or
  • Your years of coverage under the Active TeamstersCare Medical Program, or
  • Any combination of separate periods for these two which add up to the required number of years

Dependent Eligibility

Once your own eligibility begins, your dependents also become eligible for medical, prescription drug, dental, vision, hearing and behavioral health benefits. For the purposes of this plan, eligible dependents include:

  • Your current spouse, or an ex-spouse who meets certain criteria. (See the Early Retiree Medical Program Summary Plan Description for full details)
  • Your children, up to the last day of the month the child turns age 26
  • Your unmarried children who are incapable of self care and dependent on you for support because of a physical or mental disability and meet certain other criteria

For full details on dependent eligibility, including the definition of an eligible or disabled child, please see the Early Retiree Medical Program Summary Plan Description.

Your Share of Cost

TeamstersCare partially subsidizes the cost of your Early Retiree Medical Program. You make your own contribution for the balance of your cost through monthly payments. The amount of your contribution depends on your age at retirement and the date of your retirement, as follows:

  • under age 60 and retired on or before April 1, 2002, or
  • age 60 through 64 and retired on or before April 1, 2002, or
  • under age 65 and retired after April 1, 2002

Important Note: The Monthly TeamstersCare Subsidy amount will not change; if costs increase, your retiree contribution amount will change.

The exact dollar amount of your monthly contribution is determined by a number of factors, most importantly the prevailing costs of health care for persons of retirement age. Each year, the Trustees review these external factors as well as the overall financial condition of the Fund and set contribution rates accordingly. When rates change, TeamstersCare advises you by mail. For current contribution amounts, please call Charlestown Member Services.