Section Contents

• 
  ENROLL IN A HEALTH PLAN
• ENROLL IN THE UFT WELFARE FUND
• WELFARE FUND BENEFITS

Your Health Care

As a UFT member, you have one of the best health benefits packages anywhere.

At a time when many workers have no health benefits and higher costs are leading many employers to reduce existing benefits, the union has maintained the quality of benefits and even made improvements.

As a full-time teacher, you are entitled to:

• A choice of health plans, which city unions jointly negotiate for their members. There is a health plan for every need, from free plans like HIP or basic GHI to a range of plans that allow you to choose your own physicians.
• Supplemental benefits such as dental, optical, hearing and prescription drug coverage that the union provides through the UFT Welfare Fund.
• Optional additional benefits through our state and national affiliates, NYSUT and AFT.

Together, these benefits represent savings to you worth thousands of dollars a year.

Enroll in a Health Plan

Although you are covered from your first day of work, you must enroll in a health plan within 30 days of your first day on payroll. If you are not happy with your health plan, you can switch next year or any other year, usually in the fall. Some key points:

• Your plan provides hospitalization and medical coverage for you, your spouse or domestic partner* and your unmarried dependent children under 19 (full-time students are covered to age 23 with proof of college registration).
• Ask your school payroll secretary for a Department of Education ERB form. Fill it out and attach all required documentation. Keep copies of all of your completed forms in your personal file at home.
• Although the UFT Welfare Fund has no direct responsibility for administering the health plans, its staff will answer your questions and advocate for you if you have difficulties with a claim.

* Ask about tax consequences related to domestic partner coverage.

Enroll in the UFT Welfare Fund

Beyond the medical and hospitalization benefits you receive through the city’s health plans, you also have an array of additional benefits through the UFT Welfare Fund, including dental, optical, hearing and prescription drugs

• You must enroll in the Welfare Fund separately from enrolling in a health plan.
• The fastest and easiest way to enroll is online at www.uftwf.org. This will expedite access to benefits for you and your dependents.
• Alternatively, your UFT chapter leader has Welfare Fund enrollment forms. Mail one directly to the Welfare Fund at the address on the form.
• If your address or marital status changes you can udate them throught the on-line “change of status” process at www.uftwf.org, or ask your chapter leader for a blue “Change of Status” packet or phone the UFT Welfare Fund Forms Hotline at 1-212-539-0539.
• Within two weeks of enrolling, you should receive a UFT Welfare Fund drug card, which is your identification for purchasing prescription drugs. Call the Welfare Fund if your card is delayed. Your name will be the only one listed on the card, although the names of your eligible dependents will appear on the pharmacist’s screen.
• You’ll also receive a booklet called “The Red Apple,” which describes the full range of your benefits. It’s available online.
• You are covered as soon as you enroll and will be reimbursed if you need to fill a prescription before your card arrives.
• You can download Welfare Fund reimbursement, dental and most other forms. Or you can phone the Fund’s Forms Hotline at 1-212-535-0539.
• The Web site also has lists of participating panelists, updates on benefits, links to providers’ Web sites and answers to common questions.

Welfare Fund Benefits

Here are your key benefits through the UFT Welfare Fund:

• Prescription Drug Plan. This plan covers you, your spouse or domestic partner, and your eligible dependents for prescription drugs (but not those sold over the counter).

• Dental plan. Through the Welfare Fund you can choose between two plans:

• Optical plan. You, your spouse or domestic partner, and your eligible dependents qualify for an optical benefit every two years.

• Hearing aid. Members are entitled to one hearing aid every three years with a small deductible.

• Disability insurance. Qualifying pedagogues may be covered for $350 per week for a maximum of 28 weeks. Call the UFT Welfare Fund at 1-212-539-0500 if you need an application or more details.
• Death benefit. When you enroll in the UFT Welfare Fund, you should designate a beneficiary in case of death.

• You can learn about all of your available benefits by reading the Red Apple benefit booklet or on The UFT Welfare Fund website.

Next page (Your Professional Growth)
Back to top
Previous page