Eligibility for Benefits

To Be Eligible as a Member, You Must:

• Work in Covered Employment

You must work in the Hotel Industry as a member of a Union affiliated with the New York Hotel Trades Council or for an employer that is otherwise required to contribute to the Fund. You must work in a job category that contributes to the Health Benefits Fund. Not all New York City Hotel Industry employers contribute to all benefits. For instance, if your employer does not contribute to the Dental benefit, you will not be eligible for Dental benefits.

With some employers, you must have elected to participate in our health plan – or elected to participate in a specific benefit.

• Enroll for Benefits

You must enroll at our Central Administration office (305 W. 44th Street, New York, NY) before you or your dependents are eligible for benefits.

• Meet the Waiting Period Requirement for Each Benefit

See the waiting periods for each benefit.

• Meet the Active Employment Requirement

After your first month, most job categories require that you work 56 hours each month (an average of 14 hours per week) to maintain health eligibility for the next month.

Some job categories have different criteria. Banquet Waiters must work a minimum of one function per month to maintain health eligibility for the next month.

To Be Eligible as a Dependent, You Must:

• Have an Eligible Relationship to a Member

This includes spouses or domestic partners, children, stepchildren, adopted children, disabled children and, for the first thirty days, a member’s newborn grandchildren. The status of these relations may change over time — such as for overage dependents.

• Be Enrolled for Benefits by the Member

Dependents must be enrolled by the member at our Central Administration office (305 W. 44th Street, New York, NY) before becoming eligible for benefits.

• Meet the Waiting Period Requirement for Each Benefit

Dependents are subject to the same benefit waiting periods as members. However, once a member has met a benefit’s waiting period requirement, a dependent will be considered to have met that requirement — even if he or she was enrolled after the member, such as with newborns or new spouses.

• Be a Dependent of an Eligible Member

As a dependent, your eligibility generally depends upon your member’s eligibility status. Exceptions to this rule include:

Summary of Benefits & Waiting Periods