Winter 2014

Chicago Regional Council of Carpenters Welfare and Pension Funds

The Road to a Safer DecemberFor the holidays (and every other day of the year) here are a few simple guidelines to keep you and those you love from driving while under the influence.

• Ifyou’reaguestataparty...

• Designate a sober driver before the celebration begins.

• Don’t let your friends drive impaired. Take their keys away.

• If you have been drinking or using drugs, get a ride home or call a taxi.

• Bring your own non-alcoholic beverage.

• Ifyou’rehostingtheevent...

• Never serve alcohol to those under the age of 21.

• Provide non-alcoholic drinks.

• Don’t serve alcohol during the last hour of the gathering.

• Make sure all guests leave with a sober driver.

December is National Impaired Driving Prevention Month

According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), almost 30 people in the United States die every day in motor vehicle crashes that involve an alcohol-impaired driver. This amounts to one death every 48 minutes. Drugs (other than alcohol) are involved in about 18% of motor vehicle driver deaths. The goal of National Impaired Driving Prevention month is to help prevent the loss of life by observing safe driving practices and reminding others to be sober, drug-free, and safe on the road.

With the holiday season comes parties and celebration, but also stress, anxiety and depression. Not surprisingly, drunk/drugged driving crashes are prevalent at this time of year. Even if you’re sober yourself, the roads are filled with others who are driving while impaired. Drugs, including those prescribed by a physician, can impair judgment and motor skills. It is critical to encourage friends, young people and fellow citizens to make responsible decisions when driving or riding as a passenger, especially if drug use is apparent.

Scary Statistics

• In 2012, 10,322 people were killed in alcohol-impaired driving crashes, accounting for nearly one-third (31%) of all traffic-related deaths in the United States.

• Of the 1,168 traffic deaths among children ages 0 to 14 years in 2012, 239 (20%) involved an alcohol-impaired driver.

• Of the 239 child passengers ages 14 and younger who died in alcohol-impaired driving crashes in 2012, over half (124) were riding in the same vehicle as the alcohol-impaired driver.

• In 2010, over 1.4 million drivers were arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol or narcotics. That’s one percent of the 112 million self-reported episodes of alcohol-impaired driving among U.S. adults each year.

Union Trustees Frank T. Libby Jeffrey Isaacson Gary Perinar, Jr. Keith Jutkins Bruce Werning Joseph PastorinoEmployer Trustees J. David Pepper Paul R. Hellermann Gerald W. Thiel, Jr. Mike Forest George Tuhowski

New Prescription Drug Formulary to Take Effect on January 1Important Reminder: Starting January 1, 2015, certain medications will be excluded from the Express Scripts National Preferred Formulary. You should have received notification from Express Scripts if you’re taking a prescription medication that has been removed from the formulary. You will need to switch to an alternate medication, otherwise you will pay the full retail price to receive an excluded medication. Your doctor may request a clinical exception, available for certain conditions, by calling 800-753-2851. If you have any questions about your medications or the new formulary, please contact Express Scripts at 800-939-2089.

The information provided in ontheLEVEL is of a general nature only and does not replace or alter the official rules and policies contained in the official plan documents that legally govern the terms and operation of the Welfare Fund. If this newsletter differs in any way from the official plan documents, the official plan documents always govern. Receipt of this newsletter does not guarantee eligibility for benefits. The Trustees have the right to modify benefits at any time.

Participant ServicesHealth Benefits: Phone: 312-787-9455/Option 3 Fax: 312-951-1515

Retirement Benefits: Phone: 312-787-9455/Option 4 Fax: 312-951-3986

Contributions & Collections: Phone: 312-787-9455/Option 5 Fax: 312-787-3212

Administration: Phone: 312-787-9455/Option 7 Fax: 312-951-2996

Website: www.crccbenefits.org TRADES COUNCILALLI

ED PRINTING

212CHICAGO, IL

® UNIONLABEL

Life and Accidental Death and Dismemberment Insurance: When You Need it MostCompared to health insurance, which you use every time you pick up a prescription, you may not have a reason to think about life or accidental death and dismemberment (AD&D) insurance very often. They are arguably just as important — they provide financial protection when you or your dependents may need it most.

Did You Know?

Your Welfare Plan benefits include life insurance and AD&D insurance. Your life insurance benefit provides a $50,000 lump-sum payment to your designated beneficiary in the event of your death while you are eligible for benefits. If your death is due to an accident, your designated beneficiary will be eligible for an additional $50,000 lump-sum AD&D benefit. Both benefits are provided through Aetna Life Insurance Company. The Low Cost Medical Plan also includes some reduced life benefits for you and your dependents, but no AD&D.

The Plan also provides a life insurance benefit to you in the event of the death of your spouse ($2,500) or your covered child ($2,000).

Filing a Claim

The Health Benefits Department will submit your claim on your behalf to Aetna Life Insurance Company. If Aetna determines that a benefit is payable, they will typically send payment within 30 days of the date the application and death certificate were submitted. In case of a death claim, a certified death certificate will be required to apply for the benefit. Medical records will be required for other losses.

Designating a Beneficiary

Your beneficiary is the person you designate to receive the benefit in the event of your death. You may designate any person (or persons) to be your beneficiary. If you have a life event, such as marriage, divorce or have a child, you may wish to update your beneficiary information. It’s important to make sure your beneficiary is on file and current with the Fund Office.

To designate a beneficiary or make a change, visit www.crccbenefits.org (in “Health Plan” under “Forms”) or call the Health Benefits Department at 312-787-9455, menu option 3, to request an Enrollment and Life Beneficiary Designation form. Your beneficiary designation form does not become effective until the date that a properly completed form is received by the Health Benefits Department.

Is it Depression? Help is Available!Everyone feels down from time to time, but more serious, sustained periods of depression require professional help. According to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders of the American Psychiatric Association, if five or more of the following symptoms persist for a period of two weeks or longer, you may be clinically depressed. • Persistent sad, anxious, or “empty” mood• Loss of interest or pleasure in activities, including sex• Restlessness, irritability, or excessive crying• Feelings of guilt, worthlessness, helplessness,

hopelessness, pessimism• Sleeping too much or too little, early-morning

awakening• Loss of appetite and/or weight loss or overeating and

weight gain• Decreased energy, fatigue, feeling “slowed down”• Difficulty concentrating, remembering, or making

decisions• Persistent physical symptoms that do not respond to

treatment, such as headaches, digestive disorders, and chronic pain

• Thoughts of death or suicide, or suicide attempts

Not everyone with depression experiences each of these symptoms. The intensity of the symptoms also varies from person to person. Fortunately, your Welfare Plan benefits include access to a Member Assistance Program (MAP) through ComPsych, Guidance Resources® that provides support, resources and information to get you through life’s challenges.

MAP services are confidential, free of charge to you and available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Call ComPsych at 1-888-860-1566 to speak to a counselor about your symptoms. You may be eligible for up to five free counseling sessions per issue, (not subject to the Plan’s deductible or co-insurance) with a ComPsych counselor.

Let Us Know If Your Status Changes

The Fund Office is your source for information, so keep us informed, too! Help us keep your information current by calling us at 312-787-9455, option 3, if you:

• Move to a new address, get a new email address or change your phone number

• Need to add or remove a dependent from your coverage

• Need to change your beneficiary information