The Health Fund will apply the following deadlines and grace periods to contribution payments for those that self-pay for health coverage

• If you have coverage earned through employment, all of your Health Fund contributions are due on the first day of the month prior to the start of the quarter.
  

This applies to your $100 premium payment and to any dental or dependent coverage you self-pay. For example, for coverage that starts on January 1, your $100 premium payment is due to the Fund Office by December 1. If you make other payments to the Fund (such as those required for dependent coverage or for self-pay dental coverage), they are all due at the same time, so this deadline would apply to those amounts, as well. If circumstances prevent you from getting your payment in to us by the first of the month, we can accept payments up to the last day of the month prior to the start of the quarter (in other words, there’s a one-month grace period). However, please note that because we send eligibility feeds to CIGNA only once a week, we cannot guarantee coverage as of the first of the month if a payment is received after the 15th of the month. There is a very good chance your coverage won’t be recognized on time if you don’t get your payment in by the 15th.

• If you have self-pay coverage only, your Health Fund contributions are due on the first day of the quarter.
  

Your health fund contributions are due on the first day of the quarter. For example, for self-pay coverage that starts on January 1, your premium payment is due to the Fund Office by January 1. This rule applies to all participants whose only coverage is self-pay coverage (Dental only, COBRA, Vested Beyond COBRA, or Supplemental Medicare coverage). If circumstances prevent you from getting your payment in to us by the first day of the quarter, (in other words, there’s a one-month grace period – January 31). However, please note that if you don’t make your payments until after the quarter begins, eligibility will be applied retroactively, which can lead to trouble with any expenses you incur before you are listed on the eligibility files. We understand that that this change from a 90 day grace period to a 30 day grace period may pose a hardship on those accustomed to a 90 day period.

Late payments are bad for the Fund and legally risky. And since we have made it easier to pay online by credit card, having contributions in on time should make this process more convenient. So for the good of the Fund, as well as guaranteeing coverage for yourself, please make your payments on time.

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact the Health Department, and a representative will assist you.