You and your eligible dependents will become eligible for all benefits except Life Insurance benefits on the first day of the second month following a period of not more than 3 consecutive calendar months during which you have accumulated at least 200 hours in your Hour Bank Account, provided you are actively at work or available for work on the day you would ordinarily become eligible.

For Basic Member Life Insurance, Basic Dependent Life Insurance, Optional Life Insurance and Accidental Death & Dismemberment coverages, you and your eligible dependents will initially become eligible prior to accumulating 200 hours if you are a member in good standing with the Union and hours have been reported on your behalf.

Hours worked for contributing employers by each employee will be credited to the individual's "reserve account". One hundred hours of work credit will be deducted from each eligible employee's "reserve account" for each month of insurance coverage, and employees will continue to remain eligible as long as their reserve accounts contain at least 125 hours of work credit. Employees will be allowed to accumulate excess hours in their reserve accounts up to a maximum of 1250 hours.

NOTE: Each eligible employee is responsible for knowing what his/her reserve account balance is at any time. Please contact the Call Centre to verify eligibility before incurring any expenses.

If your new employer is required to make contributions, your reserve account will continue to be credited with hours reported.

This is an account kept by FAS for each employee who works for a contributing employer. Employers report the number of hours worked by the employee to FAS. The hours are placed in the employee's reserve account. This is similar to a bank account, with hours being deposited instead of dollars. In order to pay for his/her coverage, an employee has hours deducted or withdrawn from his/her account.

For example: Let us look at the way an eligible employee's account would operate if he/she has 180 hours in his/her hour-bank or reserve account at the beginning of the month.

• These are the hours worked two months before the current month. Hours are reported to FAS in the month following the month they were worked. The hours are then credited to the next month. For example, hours worked in January are reported in February and provide March eligibility.

An employee who is in good standing with the Union and whose eligibility terminates may continue coverage for himself and his family from month to month (up to a maximum of 18 consecutive self-payments) by making self-payments. The first payment must be made prior to the termination of eligibility; payments must be continuous so long as the employee is eligible to make them, and must be made in advance of the month for which coverage is desired. Employees who are eligible due to self-payments are NOT eligible for Weekly Disability benefits.

For further information concerning the amount of self-payment, grace periods that may be allowed by the Trustees for such payments, and other requirements which must be met, please contact the Call Centre.

Whenever an apprentice employee attends a recognized trade school related to his/her employment for at least two consecutive weeks in any calendar month, no deduction will be made from his/her reserve account for that month. This will continue until the month following the month in which his/her said classes end, provided, however, that an employee may not obtain a deduction deferment under this clause for any period of school longer than three consecutive months for any one series of apprenticeship classes. The member must complete a Freezing of Hours form and have it signed by the Local Union office. "Freezing of Hours" forms may be obtained from your Local Union Office, from FAS or by clicking on the Freezing of Hours form in the Forms & Documents section.

A "Registration Form" must be completed immediately and sent to FAS. If you delay returning the Registration Form it may impact the reimbursement of claims. Blank Registration Forms are available from your Local Union Office, FAS or in the Forms & Documents section.

Whenever you have an address change or name change you are required to complete the Registration Form in full and return the original document to FAS. Changes may include:

• Change of name or address
• Change of marital/dependent status
• Change of beneficiary
• Change of benefit coverage for dependents

A new Registration Form will be required to have your new dependent(s) added to your benefit plan. The Registration Form must be completed in full again including existing and new dependent information.

Coverage for unmarried dependents may be extended beyond the age of 21 but under 25 years of age if the child is attending an accredited educational institute, college or university on a full-time basis provided they meet the criteria for an Over Age Dependent. Proof of school must be submitted to FAS.

Your eligible dependents become covered for benefits at the same time you become eligible. A Registration Form must be on file for at least one year before your common-law spouse and any children of that common-law spouse (as indicated on the form) are eligible for coverage (unless the Statutory Declaration on the Registration form has been completed). Refer to your Plan Booklet for a description of the benefits your dependents qualify for. A copy of the Booklet can be found in the Forms & Documents section and can also be requested by contacting the Call Centre.

Coordination of Benefits refers to a process wherein reimbursement for claims is coordinated or shared between two or more plans. With Coordination of Benefits, claims could be covered up to 100% depending on the specific provisions of each plan.

• If the claim is for you (the member), your benefit plan is the first-payer and your spouse's plan is second-payer.
• If the claim is for your spouse, your spouse's plan is the first-payer and the member's plan is the second-payer.
• If the claim is for your dependent children, you must first determine which parent's birthday occurs earliest in the calendar year. For example, if the member's birthday is October 19, and the spouse's is October 8, claims for the dependent children would go to the spouse's plan first and the member's plan second.
• If you are separated or divorced, the claim is submitted first to the plan of the parent with custody.

If you become totally disabled due to a non-occupational injury or sickness you will receive a disability benefit, provided you are under the continual treatment of a qualified and licensed physician.

Benefits for any one disability are payable from the 1st day of disability due to a non-occupational accident or sickness. Your benefit will be payable for not more than 104 weeks for any one period of disability.

Weekly Disability benefits will be reduced by any income received from the Alberta Ironworkers Pension Fund.

No benefits are payable during the 15-week period during which Employment Insurance Act benefits are paid or are payable to you. You will only receive benefits under this plan during the 15-week period if you provide proof you are not eligible for Employment Insurance benefits.

This plan pays benefits for the post-natal recovery period of maternity leave.

If you return to active work for at least two weeks following a period of disability, any recurrence of this same disability will be considered a new period of disability.

To apply for benefits complete the Weekly Disability Benefits Form and send it to FAS. In order to be eligible for weekly disability, applications MUST be received within 180 days from the date of disability.

Whenever an eligible employee is disabled and is receiving Workers' Compensation benefits or Weekly Disability benefits from this Fund or Employment Insurance Accident and Sickness benefits for at least two consecutive weeks in any calendar month, no deductions will be made from his/her reserve account for that month. In other words, his/her reserve account will be "frozen". The maximum period for which an employee's hours will be frozen under this rule for any one continuous period of disability is 24 months.

If you receive Workers' Compensation benefits or Employment Insurance Accident and Sickness benefits, you must notify FAS of the duration of your disability so that your reserve account may be frozen for the period described above. "Freezing of Hours" forms may be obtained from your Local Union Office, from FAS or from the Forms & Documents section.

A pre-determination is a proposed course of treatment submitted to FAS by your dentist or orthodontist to determine allowable procedures, the eligible amount payable, and the maximum allowance for the calendar year (January to December).

We strongly recommend you submit a pre-determination well in advance of any proposed treatment if the estimated cost is $300 or more. If necessary, your dentist may be required to submit dental x-rays to support the planned treatment. If so, the x-rays will be promptly returned to your dentist after the review is complete.

Yes, your dentist or orthodontist must submit a pre-determination to FAS prior to the start of the treatment for your expenses to be eligible for reimbursement. Failure to do so will cause unnecessary delays.

Please refer to the Summary of Plan Options or contact the Call Centre for coverage information.

Please refer to the Summary of Plan Options or contact the Call Centre for coverage information.

Orthodontic Claim
When you submit an orthodontic claim without a dentist's or orthodontist's signature, you must attach all necessary original receipts. Monthly adjustments will only be reimbursed once the service has been provided.

Paramedical Practitioner
For paramedical practitioner services such as massage therapy and physiotherapy, please ensure that the practitioner's name and license number are on the receipt. Having the practitioner include their registration and license number will allow for faster payment of your claim. Staple the receipts to the Supplementary Health Claim form along with a letter from your doctor if a doctor's referral is required – refer to your benefits booklet or contact the Call Centre to confirm if a referral is required.

Completed claim forms, original receipts and other supporting documentation should be sent to:

          Funds Administrative Service Inc.
          10154 – 108 Street, NW
          Edmonton, Alberta T5J 1L3

A claim for a waiver of premium benefit must be submitted within 12 months of the date you become disabled.

A claim for disability income benefits must be submitted within 6 months of the end of the Qualifying Disability Period. Refer to your booklet for further details.

All other claims must be submitted within 18 months following the date the loss or expense is incurred. However, in the event of termination of insurance, a claim must be submitted within 90 days following the date of termination.

For dental offices to submit claims electronically they must include the following:

Policyholder - Ironworkers Health & Welfare Trust Fund of Western Canada
Plan Policy Number – 6115
Carrier Identification Number – 610614

Please contact the Call Centre to confirm eligibility.

You should have received a letter in the mail which confirmed your user name and password. If you did not receive this letter, please email us at questions@fasadmin.com to request a new letter with your user name and password. Please include confirmation of your mailing address in your email. You can also call us during regular business hours at 1-800-661-7369.