SUMMARY PLAN DESCRIPTION (Continued)
What Are Your Rights In The Event Of Policy Termination? Termination of the policy under any conditions will not prejudice any payable claim which occurs while the policy is in force. What Are Your Rights Under ERISA? 1. As a participant in this Plan, you are entitled to certain rights and protection under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA). ERISA provides that all Plan participants shall be entitled to: a. Examine, without charge, at the Plan Administrator's office and at other specified locations, all documents governing the Plan, including insurance contracts, and a copy of the latest annual report (Form 5500 Series) filed by the Plan with the U.S. Department of Labor and available at the Public Disclosure Room of the Employee Benefits Security Administration. b. Obtain, upon written request to the Plan Administrator, copies of documents governing the operation of the Plan, including insurance contracts, and copies of the latest annual report (Form 5500 Series) and updated summary plan description. The Plan Administrator may make a reasonable charge for the copies. c. Receive a summary of the Plan's annual financial report. The Plan Administrator is required by law to furnish each participant with a copy of this summary annual report. 2. In addition to creating rights for Plan participants, ERISA imposes duties upon the people who are responsible for the operation of the employee benefit Plan. 3. The people who operate your Plan, called "fiduciaries" of the Plan, have a duty to do so prudently and in the interest of you and other Plan participants and beneficiaries. 4. No one, including your employer, your union, or any other person, may fire you or otherwise discriminate against you in any way to prevent you from obtaining a welfare benefit or exercising your rights under ERISA. 5. If your claim for a welfare benefit is denied or ignored, in whole or in part, you have a right to know why this was done, to obtain copies of documents relating to the decision without charge, and to appeal any denial, all within certain time schedules. 6. Under ERISA, there are steps you can take to enforce the above rights. For instance, if you request a copy of plan documents or the latest annual report from the Plan and do not receive them within 30 days, you may file suit in a Federal court. In such a case, the court may require the Plan Administrator to provide the materials and pay you up to $110 a day until you receive the materials, unless the materials were not sent because of reasons beyond the control of the Administrator.
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