Pipe Fitters Welfare Fund">

Pipe Fitters Welfare Fund, Local 597 Eligibility Requirements Initial Eligibility Requirement. You will become eligible for Active Employee Benefits on the first day of the second month after your Accumulation Account is credited with 450 Eligibility Hours.  These 450 Eligibility Hours must be earned within a not longer than a six consecutive months.  Once you become eligible, coverage will continue for the remainder of the current Benefit Quarter and for the entire next Benefit Quarter.  Three hundred seventy five Eligibility Hours will be deducted from your Accumulation Account at the time you become eligible. Continued Eligibility Requirements. Once you meet the Initial Eligibility Requirement, you will continue to be covered for subsequent Benefit Quarters if you have at least 375 Eligibility Hours credited to your Accumulation Account as of the quarterly Determination Date. The Determination Date is January 31, April 30, July 31 or October 31 for the corresponding Benefit Quarter shown in the chart below. On the Determination Date, 375 Eligibility Hours will be subtracted from your Accumulation Account.  If you have more than 375 Eligibility Hours in your Accumulation Account, the excess will be carried forward, up to a maximum of 1,500 hours. The Eligibility Hours subtracted from your Accumulation Account each Determination Date provide coverage as shown in the following chart: Determination Date You must have 375 Eligibility Hours of in your Accumulation Account on: To Be Eligible for Coverage in the following Benefit Quarter: January 31st             April, May and June April 30th             July, August and September July 31st             October, November and December October 31st             January, February and March When Coverage Ends. Coverage for you and your Dependents will end on the March 31st, June 30th, September 30th, or December 31st that you do not have 375 hours in your Accumulation Account on the Determination Date to meet the Continued Eligibility Requirements.  When your Plan coverage ends, your Dependents’ coverage under the Plan also ends.  When coverage ends, the Plan will provide you and your Dependents with certification of the length of your coverage under this Plan.  This will help reduce or eliminate any pre-existing condition limitation under a new group medical plan. If your coverage under the Plan ends, you and/or your Dependents may be eligible to elect COBRA Continuation Coverage.