1. Membership Requirement:

• • • You must be an actively working, full dues-paying Member of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, living in the U.S.

2. Employment and Actively Working Requirement:

• • • You must be employed under a U.S.-Based collectively bargained contract on the effective date of coverage and
    • You must be actively working on or immediately before your effective date of coverage (based on when you enroll) to be eligible. This means performing your job duties for your employer on that specific date. If you are not actively working, your coverage will only start once you return to actively working status.
      • • • Definition of “Actively Working”: The following situations are considered as “actively working” days:
            Days Worked: Any day you work a full day as scheduled by your employer, performing the duties of your occupation.
            2. Scheduled Days Off: Days you are not scheduled to work but are still employed and physically able to work.
            3. Vacation Time: Paid vacation days approved by your employer, when you are still physically able to work.
            4. Paid Time Off (PTO): Any paid leave days granted by your employer, such as sick leave or personal days, when you are still physically able to work.
            5. Periods Between Jobs: Time between assignments or projects, provided you remain employed by the same employer and physically able to work.
    • If you are not currently employed, meaning you do not have an employer, you are not eligible to enroll.

One of the things that makes the Teamsters VIP+ Plan unique is that it is guaranteed approved so that Members do not have to answer medical questions or submit to medical tests to get enrolled. The Plan is able to do that because the insurance carrier (Prudential) underwrites the total Membership, not the individual Member. To protect the plan and ensure its longevity, there are a few parameters that Members must meet to get this guaranteed approved coverage, with the largest one being that you are actively working when you enroll. 

Since the Teamsters VIP+ Plan has a rolling open enrollment that means that once you return to work you can enroll and get protected at that time, so you are not missing out on the opportunity to get protected.

1. Membership Requirement:

• You must remain an actively working, full, dues-paying Member of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters living in the U.S.

2. Maintaining Employment and Working Status Requirement:

• You must remain employed under a U.S.-Based collectively bargained contract and meet the requirements below.
  • Work Hours Requirement: You must work at least: a) 750 hours per year if a part-time employee, or b) 1,000 hours per year if a full-time employee.
  • Continuity Requirement: You must not have a break in active work longer than 6 consecutive months.

No, BLET and BMWED Members are not eligible for the Teamsters VIP+ Plan. Many BLET and BMWED Members already have access to Income Protection Plans through Union One. Most of these plans have been around for many years and have unique differences from other income protection plans, such as no subrogation for FELA claims, 24-hour on-and-off-the-job coverage since railroad workers are not covered by worker’s compensation insurance, and unique policy language specific to the rail industry.

No, if your date of disability is prior to the coverage effective date, it will not be eligible for benefits, and you will not be covered under the policy until you return to active working status.

Yes, after you have been paying premium on the plan for one year, any disabilities that occur after that one-year period that are caused by a pre-existing condition are covered. Any disabilities that occur during the first year, that are caused by a pre-existing condition are not covered. All increases in coverage after initially enrolling will be subject to a separate pre-existing condition clock.

Any disabilities not caused by a pre-existing condition are covered Day One!

Both Short-Term Disability and Long-Term Disability define something as a pre-existing condition if both of the following are true:

• You received medical treatment, consultation, care or service, including diagnostic measures, or took prescription drugs or medications, or followed treatment recommendations for the condition in the 3 months prior to your effective date or coverage (or effective date of an increase in coverage).
• Your disability begins within 12 months of the date your coverage (or increase in coverage) under the plan becomes effective.

Yes, for Life and AD&D Insurance (Member, Spouse, and Dependent), pre-existing conditions are covered from Day One! 

Union One provides full Claims Advocacy Services to help walk you through each step of the process. When you need to file a claim, you simply contact Union One and a dedicated Claims Advocate will be assigned to you for the entirety of your claim. This will be your main point of contact, and your Advocate will help complete and gather all the information needed to submit your claim to Prudential. Once all information is gathered and submitted to Prudential, claims are approved within 5 business days on average.

Since the Teamsters VIP+ Plan rolled out, over $1,000,000 in tax-free benefits have been paid to Members.