LINECO offers a retiree plan similar to our active coverage. A monthly premium is required to enroll and maintain retiree coverage.

For early and normal retirements there are 5 requirements that all must be met. At least age 55; and

• Must be retired from any and all employment in the electrical construction industry; and
• Must be receiving retirement benefits either from a plan negotiated or sponsored by the IBEW, from a qualified retirement plan, or from Social Security; and
• Must be eligible for LINECO benefits on the day immediately preceding the effective date of your LINECO retiree benefits; and
• Must have been eligible for coverage under LINECO due to work hours for 48 of the 60 months preceding the effective date of your LINECO retiree benefits.

Please refer to the Retiree section of the SPD for more information.

Being disabled may qualify you for the Retiree plan. The requirements are:

For disability retirements, you must meet ALL of the following requirements:

• Must be receiving disability retirement benefits either from a plan negotiated or sponsored by the IBEW, from a qualified retirement plan, or from Social Security; and
• Must be eligible for coverage under LINECO on the day immediately preceding the day your disability plan benefits become effective.

Please refer to the SPD for more information.

Yes, there are 2 Retiree plans: Medical only or Medical/Dental/Vision. Click here for rates or contact the Fund office.

Yes, there are different rates. Rates vary according to number of people covered and whether they have Medicare. The following are rates effective March 1, 2023:

No, at this time to enroll in the retiree plan you need to contact the Fund office to enroll.

LINECO members (including dependents) will automatically be enrolled in the LINECO Medicare Part D prescription program when they become eligible for Medicare. LINECO's prescription coverage was designed specifically to bridge some of the unique rules that Medicare Part D plans have so our members are not impacted by them. Although you have the option of dropping your prescription drug coverage through the Fund and switching to another Medicare Part D plan, most participants will not benefit by doing so and LINECO is not encouraging anyone to switch to a Part D plan on their own. If you are enrolled in a Medicare Part D plan other than LINECO's you will no longer be eligible for LINECO's prescription coverage.

Yes, LINECO coordinates its Retiree Benefits with Medicare. If you and/or your spouse are eligible to participate in Medicare, this Plan's benefits will be calculated as though benefits under Medicare Part A and Part B have been paid, whether or not you are actually enrolled in both Parts. To avoid being responsible for higher out-of-pocket costs, youand your spouse should enroll in both Medicare Part A and Part B when eligible to do so.

You may check your eligibility (hours worked and corresponding monthly eligibility) by logging in to your MyLineco Portal on this website.

You can find out the status of your claims by logging in to your MyLineco Portal on this website.

The Plan mails a benefit booklet (SPD) with instructions on how to complete the online enrollment forms to all new employees for whom we have an address. Be sure that the Fund Office has your current address. Click here to be taken to the online enrollment form.

Yes, the plan provides medical and prescription ID cards in the member's name, cards are not issued in the dependents name. The cards are mailed to your home address directly from Blue Cross Blue Shield (medical card) and Express Scripts (drug card). You can access digital copies of your medical ID card in your MyLineco portal. Click here to log in.

The Plan covers legal spouses and eligible children. Please contact the Fund office whenever there is a change in your dependents.

You can find more information in the SPD and Life Events sections of this website.

Eligibility for coverage is dependent upon both hours worked and contributions made by your employer to LINECO. Please refer to the Eligibility benefit tab for more information.

You can change your address with the Plan by logging into your MyLineco portal or contacting the Fund Office. Click here to log in.

The Board of Trustees makes decisions regarding Plan benefits.

You can call the Fund office at 1-800-323-7268 (Monday through Friday, 8:00-5:00 CST).

If you have questions about the way your claim was processed please call the Fund Office. If you still wish to appeal you can request the Claim Review Form to begin the appeal process.

Your coverage is provided through LINECO. LINECO is the Benefit Fund. Blue Cross/Blue Shield is the national provider network. Your provider should bill their local Blue Cross Blue Shield office. Blue Cross Blue Shield in turn works with the LINECO Fund Office, which reviews the claims for final determination of benefits. For coverage details please refer to the relevant Benefit Summary Tab or the SPD.

In the majority of cases your provider will file your claim electronically on your behalf. If your provider is out of network and refuses to bill insurance then you must complete the Member Medical Claim form and include an itemized statement of services rendered and proof of payment. Click here to access that form.

There is no "office co-pay". You are responsible for paying the $400 annual deductible and the 20-30% co-insurance until you have reached your $2,500 out-of-pocket maximum. However, certain preventive services may be covered at 100% with no deductible if a Blue Cross/Blue Shield provider is used. Please refer to the SPD.

Yes, benefits are paid directly to providers for the majority of claims..

In-patient admissions, bariatric surgery and jaw surgery require pre-authorization by the Fund Office. Please call the Fund Office at 1 (800) 323-7268 to start the preauthorization. All services must be medically necessary in order to be considered for benefits. Certain prescription drugs also require pre-approval. The Fund office does not require referrals. Please call the Fund office if you or your provider have any questions.

The Plan benefits would apply if you are outside the US, and the Blue Cross/Blue Shield Network does have a limited international network. However, please note that long distance ambulance transportation is limited to the United States, Canada, Mexico, and the Caribbean Islands assuming all other ambulance criteria are met. See the SPD for more information.

DOT physicals are covered under the preventative care benefit. Please refer to the SPD.

No, the Plan does not cover work-related claims. Refer instead to your employer's worker's compensation program. In addition no benefits are available through LINECO for any injuries sustained while performing any side jobs.

Your Dental coverage is through LINECO. Your dental ID number is the same as medical (found on your BlueCross BlueShield ID card) but we do not use the 3 letter alpha prefix for dental. Dental claims should be mailed to the Fund Office or submitted electronically. Please refer to the SPD for coverage details.

Yes, LINECO has an arrangement with a dental network called Dental Network of America (DNoA). These network dentists have agreed to charge negotiated fees that are lower than what these dentists normally charge. You can reach DNoA by calling 1 (866)-522-6758 or going to www.dnoa.com. Choose the labor + option.

The annual maximum benefit is $2,000 per covered person. The annual dental deductible is $100 per covered person. There is no deductible for covered Diagnostic and Preventive services (such as exams and cleanings).

Your co-insurance is 20%. The Plan coverage is 80% of covered services. Exception: For any covered individual under age 21: Preventative services are covered at 100%.

If the services will exceed $1000 in cost or if dental implants are planned, we strongly suggest that you have your dentist send in a pre-estimate and get the treatment precertified by the Fund Office.

The Plan's Orthodontia benefit is payable up to a $2,000 lifetime maximum per child. There is no orthodontia coverage for an employee or spouse, regardless of their age.

The plan's dental payor ID is LCB01.Your dental ID number is the same as medical (found on your BlueCross BlueShield ID card) but we do not use the 3 letter alpha prefix for dental. Dentist can file your dental claim electronically through our clearinghouse, or by submitting it to the Fund Office directly by mail.

Your coverage is provided through LINECO. LINECO is the Benefit Fund. Blue Cross/Blue Shield is the national provider network. Your provider should bill their local Blue Cross Blue Shield office. For Member Assistance Program benefits see below or the SPD.

Carelon is LINECO's Member Assistance Program (MAP) partner. To contact Carelon call 1-800-332-2191. For more detailed information, please refer to the SPD.

LINECO partners with Carelon to provide the Member Assistance Program (MAP) is a free counseling and referral service available to Plan members. MAP can confidentially help covered employees and their families with all types of personal, emotional, work and family matters as well as financial and legal concerns. You can access the MAP by telephone 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. In addition, you can get up to 6 face to face visits per problem with a professional MAP counselor at no cost to you. You don't have to file a claim with LINECO for your free short term MAP counseling visits. The first step is to call the MAP help line at 1-(800) 332-2191. No benefits are payable unless the treatment/services are authorized by Carelon.

The plan covers Behavioral Health and Substance Use Disorder Benefits the same as other medical conditions, your provider is considered in-network if they are in contract with their local Blue Cross Blue Shield. Pre-certification is required for inpatient, partial hospitalization, or residential services. Contact the Fund office at 1-800-323-7268.

Yes, the Plan does have a Vision benefit. The vision benefit is administered through Vision Service Plan (VSP), a network of vision care providers.

Vision Benefit (See Pages 67-68)

Please refer to the SPD for more detailed information.

You can contact VSP directly at 1-800-877-7195 or at www.vsp.com.

Yes. However, if you use a non-VSP doctor, you will need to pay your provider in full, obtain an itemized receipt, and then file a claim with VSP. You would then be reimbursed according to the out-of-network schedule of benefits, which is less than the Plan would pay for an in-network provider.

Contact VSP directly at 1-800-877-7195 or at www.vsp.com for information on how to file for reimbursement from an out of network vision services.

No, the Plan does not have a benefit for surgery to correct vision.

If you select lenses or frames which cost more than the allowed amount, you will be responsible for the excess cost.

Life insurance is available for eligible employees only (not for retirees, utility employees or dependents). For more detailed information, please refer to the SPD.

You can name a beneficiary by filling out the Death Beneficiary section on the online enrollment form.

Yes, you can change a beneficiary by logging in to your MyLineco Portal. To be valid, the change of beneficiary must be received by the Fund office while you are still living.

If you lose eligibility (except for retirement), you may have the option of continuing Life Insurance coverage under COBRA.

Weekly Income benefits are available for eligible employees only. The benefits are not provided for dependents, utility employees, retirees, or persons making COBRA self-payments. For more information see the SPD.

Weekly Income benefits will begin on the first day of a disability due to an accidental injury. For disabilities due to sickness, benefits will begin on the eighth day of disability if not hospitalized as an inpatient, or on the first day of an inpatient hospital stay if the admission was before the eighth day of sickness. A disability will not be considered to have started until the first day that you are actually examined or treated by a doctor.

You must meet the following requirements:

1. You must be eligible for Plan benefits from worked hours on the date your disability begins. If your disability begins while eligible under the Plan not from worked hours (e.g., if COBRA or self-payments), this benefit will not begin until the date you become eligible due to worked hours. Any applicable waiting period will begin on your disability date; and
2. You must have been actively employed by a contributing employer within 15 days prior to the date your disability began. "Actively employed" means working at a jobsite, not on vacation and not laid off; and
3. A doctor must certify that you are totally disabled as a result of a non-occupational accidental bodily injury or sickness and be completely unable to perform each and every duty of your occupation or employement. LINECO will not consider you to be disabled unless and until you are examined in-person by the doctor; and
4. You must see a doctor and be disabled within 15 days AFTER your last day worked to qualify for benefits.
5. LINECO Will NOT accept disability certifications from Doctors of Chiropractic (D.C.).

If you are injured while working, you will need to file a claim with your Employer's worker's compensation carrier, but you also need to notify LINECO of your disability so that LINECO can determine if you qualify for the Plan's Eligibility Due to Disability provision.

Yes, the prescription drug program is administered by Express Scripts (ESI). There is a mail order program and a retail (drug card) program. For more information please refer to the SPD. You can also contact Express Scripts at 1-(877)-327-0568 (toll free) or www.express-scripts.com.

You can fill up to a 30 day supply of medication when you present your Express-Scripts (ESI) card at a local retail pharmacy.* The benefits share the same deductible, coinsurance, and out-of-pocket as your medical benefits. When you fill a prescription through ESI's mail order program you can getup to a 90 day supply of medication usually for a $10, $20, or $35 co-pay. Deductible does not apply to mail order prescriptions and the use of the mail order program is encouraged for maintenance medications (medication you take on a daily, long term basis.)

*Exception: a 90 day supply of most medications is available exclusively at Walgreens locations, mail order co-pay applies.

*Exception: if you are eligible for Medicare (even if LINECO is your primary carrier the use of the mail order program is mandatory starting with the third fill of each medication.)

1. Present your Express Scripts I.D. card at a participating pharmacy and pay the contracted price for your prescription. You can get up to a 30 day supply at one time at most pharmacies, OR a 90 day supply of non controlled substances at Walgreens.
2. After your calendar year deductible has been satisfied, LINECO covers 80% of the contracted price of your covered prescription drugs.

To use the Mail Order Program, you or your physician submits the prescription to ESI. You can also use ESI's website to request refills after the initial fill. You can pay by check or credit card. The Major Medical regular deductible and payment percentage provisions don't apply to the mail order program. Instead you pay the following co-pays for up to a 90 day supply of your covered medications.

If you choose a brand name drug instead of an available generic, you must pay the difference in cost between the brand name drug and its generic equivalent, in addition to the $10 generic co-payment.

"Preferred" (formulary) prescription drugs are brand name medications that have been evaluated by Express Scripts physicians and pharmacists and determined to be the most effective for treatment of certain conditions for most patients, and which are reasonably priced.

Specialty drugs are high cost injectable, infusion, IV and certain oral medications prescribed for disease such as multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis, and hepatitis C. These drugs require special storage and handling and are not usually stocked in retail pharmacies. These drugs may be for home use or for use in your doctor's office. You are required to use Accredo Specialty Pharmacy for your specialty drug needs. For more information, call Accredo's at 1-877-476-2267.

LINECO member (including dependents) will automatically be enrolled in the LINECO Medicare Part D prescription program when they become eligible for Medicare. LINECO's prescription coverage was designed specifically to bridge some of the unique rules that Medicare Part D plans have so our members are not impacted by them. Although you have the option of dropping your prescription drug coverage through the Fund and switching to another Medicare Part D plan, most participants will not benefit by doing so, and Lineco is not encouraging anyone to switch to a Part D plan on their own. If you are enrolled in a Medicare Part D plan other than LINECO's you will no longer be eligible for LINECO's prescription coverage

Medicare Eligible means LINECO is primary but you are eligible to participate with Medicare.

When using an ESI participating pharmacy, Medicare eligible individuals pay a 20% co-insurance (no deductible) for a 30 day supply of covered medications.

When using the mail order they pay a $10, $20, or $35 co-pay for a 90 day supply of most medications.

The most a medicare eligible participating participant has to pay for covered prescriptions in one calendar year is $1,000 (whether filling at a local pharmacy or through mail order).

Medicare eligible individuals are required to use the mail order program after the 3rd fill of each medication.

When LINECO is secondary to any other group plan that provides coverage for prescription drugs, the person for whom LINECO is secondary must use their primary plan first and then submit a claim to Express Scripts to process as the secondary carrier.

Exception: if LINECO is secondary to another Medicare Part D prescription plan that individual will not have any prescription coverage through LINECO.

You have family coverage. Once you complete the online enrollment process coverage for your dependents will be backdated to your effective date. LINECO does not directly charge members to enroll their dependents. The Plan covers eligible dependents of employees at no difference in the contribution rate.

For more information on eligible dependents, please refer to the Benefit Summary tab or the SPD.

Complete the online enrollment form and upload supporting documentation.

The Plan may require this documentation to properly determine coverage dates and also insurance responsibility for dependents.

Generally children are covered up through age 25.
Exception: If LINECO is covering your grandchild, sibling, niece, nephew. You will be required to submit proof that they are a full time student once they reach the age of 19 to continue their coverage up to age 25.

If your child becomes totally disabled prior to age 26, they may remain covered as long as you are eligible, annual verification is required. Please contact the Fund Office for review of the situation.

Yes, ex-spouses can be entitled to COBRA coverage if the Plan is notified within the proper time frame. (60 days) Please contact the Fund Office when you become legally separated or divorced.

In the majority of cases your provider will file your claim electronically to Blue Cross Blue Shield on your behalf. If your provider is out of network and refuses to bill insurance then you must complete the Member Medical Claim form (available here) and include an itemized statement of services rendered and proof of payment.

Generally, if Medicare is primary for a medical bill, your provider will submit a claim to Medicare. Once Medicare processes they will automatically send the claim to LINECO to process as secondary. On rare occasions you or your provider may be required to send a copy of the Medicare Explanation of Benefits to the Fund Office.

Dental claims can be filed electronically through our clearinghouse. Electronic filing can speed up the submission and processing of your claims. LINECO's payor ID number is LCB01.

Alternatively dental claims can be mailed to the Fund Office.

Line Construction Benefit Fund
821 Parkview Boulevard
Lombard, IL 60148-3230

800-323-7268 8:30 AM - 5:00 PM (CST) Central Standard Time

When you or a dependent need dental or orthodontic care, your dentist may use his own form.

If you receive vision services from a provider who is in network with Vision Service Plan (VSP) the provider submits the claim.

If you've received eye care services from an out-of-network provider, you will need to submit a claim to VSP.

A claim can be submitted on VSP's website or it can be mailed in, you'll need the following:

A readable copy of itemized receipts, invoices, or statements that contain all of the following information:

• Name of provider (ex. doctor, office, website, or retailer)
• Name of patient
• Date service was received (ex. date of exam or date glasses were ordered)
• Complete description and amount paid for each service

You typically have 12 months from the date of service to submit for reimbursement. Failure to submit your out-of-network claim within 12 months of the date of service may cause your claim request to be denied. Please allow up to 20 business days (plus mailing time to and from VSP) for us to process your reimbursement. For more information call VSP at 1-800-877-7195.

REMEMBER: DON'T SEND BILLS FOR VISION CARE TO THE FUND OFFICE!

When Another Plan (Carrier) Is Primary and LINECO is the secondary payer on claims, a copy of the other carrier's Explanation of Benefits form must be submitted with the claim.

To file a claim for weekly benefits you must complete the three part "Initial Application Weekly Income" Form. (Member section, employer section, and physician sections all must be completed). You should submit the completed form to the Fund office as soon as possible for review.

LINECO will coordinate benefits, which allows benefits to be paid by two or more Plans up to but not exceeding 100% of the allowable expenses of the claim. If LINECO is secondary, the bill and the other carrier's explanation of benefits is needed.

Usually the parent whose birthday comes earliest in the year is the primary carrier on the children.

No, the claims must be filed with the primary carrier first and then with the secondary carrier. Please refer to the FAQs section of this website for details as to how to file a COB claim.

Generally, if Medicare is primary for a medical bill, your provider will submit a claim to Medicare. Once Medicare processes they will automatically send the claim to LINECO to process as secondary. On rare occasions you or your provider may be required to send a copy of the Medicare Explanation of Benefits to the Fund Office.

The Health Reimbursement Account (HRA) is funded by employer contributions based on local bargaining agreements; not all employers participate in this program. It can be used to help you pay for unreimbursed qualified medical expenses.

Download the Mobile App (available for download in your app store), log into your MyLineco Portal, or call LINECO 1-800-323-7268.

The HRA can be used to pay for the portion of your healthcare that LINECO does not cover. This includes deductibles and coinsurances, co-pays, and amounts over the maximum benefit that LINECO allows. It can be used to pay for COBRA, Short hours, or your retiree premium. Qualified expenses are costs incurred for unreimbursed medical care as defined under Section 213(d) of the Internal Revenue Code. For more information see the SPD.