One-Time Disability Exemption
- Local280
- Jan 7
- 2 min read
If you qualified for the Health & Welfare benefits (insurance) for 2025 but you were unable to qualify for 2026 coverage due to a medical disability or under the Family Medical Leave Act, you may be eligible to receive the One-Time Disability Exemption.
Employees who did not work the required number of hours and, consequently, are ineligible for coverage shall have an opportunity to obtain coverage based upon disability. This exemption shall only apply if the employee did not work the required number of hours because they were disabled and caring for themselves or a family member with a serious health condition. Family member is defined as parent, child, spouse, registered domestic partner, grandparent, grandchild or sibling.
In order to be eligible for this one year of coverage, the following conditions must be met:
a) The member had fulfilled the employment requirements during the year preceding the year in which he/she failed to meet the employment requirements because he/she were caring for themselves or a family member with a serious health condition, and
b) The leave for the serious health condition must be medically necessary, as certified by a physician or surgeon, and
c) The records of the Employers show that he/she would presumably have fulfilled the employment requirements had he/she not been caring for themselves or a family member with a serious health condition.
This “Disability Rule” for coverage shall be available to the employee only once during his/her lifetime. Whether or not an employee is eligible for this one-time disability exemption shall be determined by the Employer and the Union.
If you qualify for the One-Time Disability Exemption, you are still required to make monthly co-payments for your insurance. If you are not working and having the co-payments deducted from your check, you will need to make arrangements to make payments directly to the Employer.
If you believe that you would qualify for the One-Time Disability Exemption, please contact our Secretary-Treasurer, Michelle Rab @ (626) 301-7900 Extension 2.
