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| MEDICAL |
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Participating Under Special Circumstances
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If You Are On a Long-Term Disability Leave
If you are receiving long-term disability benefits, you may continue
medical, dental, vision and EAP coverage for yourself and your eligible
dependents for up to 3 months from the transition date to LTD provided
you remain eligible for LTD benefits and:
- You provide satisfactory proof of your disability to Valassis'
disability carrier,
- You participated in the medical, dental, vision and EAP plans on
the date you became disabled, and
- You continue to pay your employee contributions within the timeframes
specified.
Changes to coverage may be made during the annual open enrollment period.
If You Die
After your death, your covered spouse, civil union partner and
eligible dependent children may continue medical (includes prescription
coverage), vision, dental and EAP coverage as well as the Health Care
Flexible Spending Account Plan under COBRA or applicable state regulation.
They must elect to continue your Valassis-sponsored medical plan and
pay any required costs to continue coverage.
If You Are on an Authorized Leave of Absence
If you are on an approved leave through FMLA (Family and Medical Leave
Act of 1993) personal or military leave of absence, you may continue
medical coverage for yourself and your eligible dependents, as described
below.
- FMLA leave. You may continue coverage for up to
12 weeks (16 weeks in some states) by paying your share of the cost
(your current contribution). For additional information, please contact
the HR Solution Center at 1-877-238-6847.
- Personal leave. If you are on an approved personal
leave of absence, you may be able to continue your medical, dental
and vision coverage during the leave, provided you pay your share
of the cost. Payment arrangements must be coordinated through the
HR Solution Center at 1-877-238-6847.
- Military leave. Under the Uniformed Services Employment and
Reemployment Rights Act (USERRA), Associates who are called to national
active military duty (voluntary or involuntary) are entitled to a
leave of absence for military service, with reinstatement rights.
If you are a participant in a Valassis medical plan when you are called
to active duty, you may continue medical coverage for a period of
time. You will need to pay the associate cost of coverage (your current
contribution). Please contact the HR Solution Center at 877-238-6847.
Note: Any medical expenses for
the treatment of an illness or injury that is due to war (declared
or undeclared) will not be covered by an Valassis medical plan.
Generally, contributions during paid leaves are deducted from your
paycheck on a before-tax basis. Contributions during unpaid leaves are
on an after-tax basis.
If you do not return to work when the approved leave ends, you will
become eligible for continued coverage under COBRA.
If You Become Divorced
If you become divorced and your plan covers your former spouse,
you have 31 calendar days to drop coverage for your former spouse. Contact
the HR Solution Center at 1-877-238-6847 to do so. Your former spouse
will then be notified that he or she may continue coverage through COBRA
by contacting the COBRA administrator within 60 days of the qualifying
event. If you fail to drop coverage for your former spouse within the
31-calendar-day time frame, coverage for your spouse will end retroactive
to the date of divorce and your contributions will not be refunded.
(Benefits may continue for dependent children if you have custody of
the children or under the terms of a Qualified Medical Support Order.)
When You Reach Age 65
If you continue to work past age 65, your medical coverage can
continue as long as you remain an eligible associate and pay any required
contributions. The plan you are enrolled in determines whether the plan
or Medicare will be primary.
If You Leave Valassis
If you leave Valassis, your coverage under the medical (including
prescription coverage), vision, dental, EAP plans, as well as your flexible
spending accounts will end, unless you elect to continue coverage under
COBRA. You must elect to continue your Valassis-sponsored medical plan
and pay any required costs to continue coverage.
If a Third Party Is Liable
The medical plans are allowed to recover any claim payments when
a third party, because of the third party's liability, pays the patient
for the injury. In such a situation, the medical plan will pay the benefit
normally payable under the plan, provided you agree in writing to repay
the lesser of:
- The amount paid by the plan for the expenses, or
- The amount received from the third party for the expenses.
For example, let's assume you are injured in an accident where another
person is at fault. Your medical plan pays $500 in medical charges for
your injuries, and you receive $600 from the other person's insurance
company. In this case, you would have to repay the $500 benefit to the
plan. If, however, the other plan only paid you $200, you would have
to repay only $200 to the plan.
For more information about this provision, contact contact your Human
Resources Representative or the HR Solution Center at 1-877-238-6847.
Qualified Medical Child Support Order
You may be required to continue medical coverage for one or more
dependents under a Qualified Medical Child Support Order (QMCSO). A
QMCSO is, generally, any judgment, decree or order issued by a court
that requires a parent to provide health coverage for a child under
the parent's group health plan. If a QMCSO is issued, you will be allowed
to elect coverage for your child at any time, even if it is not an open
enrollment period. Your share of the cost to provide the coverage will
be deducted from your pay.
Whenever a notice of a judgment or decree is received, the plan administrator
will notify each individual named. The notice will contain procedures
used for determining whether the order is a QMCSO. Within a reasonable
amount of time after the notice is received, the plan administrator
will determine whether the order is qualified and, thus, whether it
will be followed. For more information regarding QMCSOs, contact your
Human Resources Representative or the HR Solution Center at 1-877-238-6847.
 
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Summary Plan Description
The legal summary of this benefit will be included in the
2011 Benefits Handbook.
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