The MPI Board of Directors has recently taken further steps to help participants and their dependents deal with the current COVID-19 situation. As this situation is rapidly evolving, the MPI Board of Directors is meeting monthly to review the current state of the COVID-19 pandemic in order to cover as many participants as possible.
Please review the recently released information provided by MPI CEO Dave Asplund below.
No-Cost COBRA for a Certain Benefit Period
Over the past few months, Participants who meet certain conditions have been provided with additional hours to allow them to meet the minimum hours necessary to qualify for eligibility as an Active Participant through the Motion Picture Industry Health Plan (MPIHP). These included providing Participants with eligibility for the following benefit periods: June 1, 2020 through November 30, 2020; July 1, 2020 through December 31, 2020; and August 1, 2020 through January 31, 2021.
The Board of Directors of MPIPHP enacted another measure that provided Active Health Plan eligibility to certain Participants – no-cost COBRA coverage for certain Participants for the benefit periods of September 1, 2020 through February 28, 2021 and October 1, 2020 through March 31, 2021. This no-cost COBRA coverage is now being offered to certain Participants for the benefit period of November 1, 2020 through April 30, 2021 so long as certain conditions are met.
Specifically, for Active Participants in MPIHP (excluding those currently on COBRA) who are currently enrolled and whose benefit period ends on October 31, 2020, MPIHP has granted up to six months of special no-cost COBRA coverage for the benefit period commencing November 1, 2020, provided that such currently enrolled Participant has at least 55 worked and/or banked hours combined, but less than the 400 worked and/or banked hours combined required to gain eligibility for the benefit period commencing November 1, 2020 to and including April 30, 2021. For purposes of this provision, the term “worked and/or banked hours” does not include hours granted under the short-term or long-term disability provisions of MPIHP.
No-cost shall mean that the standard COBRA premiums will be waived during the applicable benefit period; however, payment of the premiums otherwise due under the MPIHP for Active Participants will be required.
All of the Participant’s banked hours and worked hours for the qualifying period from February 23, 2020 to August 22, 2020 will be applied to the benefit period of November 1, 2020 to April 30, 2021 prior to the granting of the special no-cost COBRA coverage, and no hours will be retained in the Participant’s bank of hours.
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Please remember, in order to take advantage of this change you must complete a COBRA election form by October 31st for this special one-time benefit. In order to complete a COBRA election form please reach out to MPI for more information:
EMAIL: service@mpiphp.org
PHONE: (855)-275-4674
For the most updated COVID-19 MPI Update, please click here:
Every person’s circumstances regarding maintaining health benefits will be unique to each of you. We encourage you to make your first call to MPI with any questions or concerns. Should you have further questions, please do not hesitate to reach out to Kenny Farnell: kfarnell@ht399.org or Joshua Staheli: jstaheli@ht399.org, who both sit on the MPI Board of Directors.
