2023 Archdiocese of Atlanta Meritain Group Plan Doc - Manual / Resource - Page 6
ELIGIBILITY AND ENROLLMENT
Employee Eligibility
Priests, Religious and Seminarians:
Priests, Religious and Seminarians who provide services to the Employer will be eligible to enroll for coverage
under this Health Care Plan as of the first day of service upon approval of the Archbishop.
Lay Employees
A full time Employee (including Deacons) who works a minimum of 1500 Hours of Service annually will be eligible
to enroll for coverage under this Health Care Plan once he/she completes a waiting period of 60 days of full-time
employment, from the date such full-time employment begins. The Employee’s eligibility date is the next day
following completion of the waiting period.
Other Employees such as part-time, temporary, or Seasonal Employees will not be eligible to enroll for coverage
under this Health Care Plan.
Part-time Employees working a minimum of 20 Hours of Service per week (but no less than 1000 Hours of Service
per year) immediately preceding the date that they become a full-time Employee may be given credit towards
satisfaction of the waiting period.
Timely Enrollment
All Priests are automatically enrolled in the Premier Medical Plan on their first day of service, upon approval by the
Archbishop, unless they have coverage through another Diocese or order.
Religious and Seminarians are required to complete, sign and return their enrollment form to the Employee Benefits
Department within 31 days of their eligibility date.
All eligible Lay Employees must participate in the Health Care Plan and are required to complete all election and
enrollment forms and submit them to the Employer within 31 days of their eligibility date. If the eligible Lay Employee
fails to submit a completed enrollment form within 31 days of their eligibility date, the Employer will automatically
enroll the Employee in the Medical Value Plan and Group Dental and Vision Plan, with Employee Only Coverage.
As part of the enrollment requirements, you will be required to provide your social security number, as well as the
social security numbers of your Dependents. The Employer may request this information at any time for continued
eligibility under the Health Care Plan. Failure to provide the required social security numbers may result in loss of
eligibility or loss of continued eligibility under the Health Care Plan.
If you decline enrollment for your Dependents, you must provide a written statement to the Employer indicating that
the reason your Dependents are declining enrollment is due to other health coverage. If your Dependent loses such
other health coverage, it may constitute a Special Enrollment Event (described below) that gives your Dependents
a right to enroll in the Health Care Plan mid-year due to such loss of coverage. However, if your Dependent failed
to submit such written statement when initially eligible, your Dependent will lose your right to this special mid-year
enrollment opportunity.
Re-hire Provision
If an Employee who was previously covered by this Health Care Plan is re-hired and eligible for benefits within 6
months after termination of employment, coverage will become effective on the date of re-employment and the
waiting period will be waived.
If an Employee who was previously covered by this Health Care Plan is re-hired more than 6 months after
termination of employment, the Employee will be considered a new Employee and will be subject to all provisions
of this Health Care Plan.
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