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Notice

January 2004

Seafarers Health and Benefits Plan Initial Eligibility Rule Change As previously reported, the Seafarers Health and Benefits Plan is about to enter into an agreement with Prescription Solutions to provide a quality pharmacy benefit at a savings to the Plan. In order to help eliminate implementation problems, several rule changes were suggested. The first change was to modify the eligibility requirement as it pertains to the pharmacy benefit. As reported in October, the Trustees of the Plan directed that the eligibility for the drug program be changed so that a participant with at least 90 days of covered employment prior to September 30 be covered for the prescription program from January 1 through June 30 of the following year and that an employee with at least 120 days in a calendar year be covered for the prescription benefit for the entire following year. The one-day-in-six-months requirement was eliminated for the prescription program. The Trustees of the Plan have now directed that the initial 75-day eligibility rule for new employees also be changed. Therefore, please note that effective January 1, 2004, the eligibility rule for new employees has been changed to the following: A new employee reaching his 75th day of employment on or before June 30 of a calendar year will be covered for the remainder of that calendar year. Additionally, any new employee reaching the 75th day of employment between July 1 and December 31 of any calendar year will be covered for the remainder of that calendar year as well as the entire following year. With the exception of the pharmacy benefit, coverage for all other benefits would still require one day of employment in the six month period immediately preceding the date of any claim. Further details on this change will appear in an upcoming issue of the LOG.