CALIFORNIA FREELANCERS

Work in the following job categories counts towards PHBP eligibility:

Executive Producer

Line Producer

Production Supervisor

Assistant Production Supervisor

Production Assistant

Bidding Producer

Only work in a Covered Job Category for a Participating Employer counts towards eligibility.

Click here for a current list of Participating Employers.

Contributions from covered work for Participating Employers must be timely received by the Plan for the work to be included in eligibility determination.

All eligible Freelance employees will have access to medical and other benefits on an annual basis at no cost. Additional medical plan options may be available for a fee. These benefits include:

Medical and Prescription Drugs

Vision

Dental

Short and Long-Term Disability Insurance

$25,000 Basic Life and Accidental Death & Dismemberment

Employee Assistance Program

Voluntary Benefits are available a la carte to all Freelancers and may be purchased separately and are provided by Anthem. These voluntary benefits include:

Accident

Critical Illness

Hospital Indemnity

Supplemental Life Insurance (Up to $1M in coverage)

Work 80 days per year, including applicable banked days (“day” defined as a minimum of 8 hours, “year” as 12 consecutive months )

— OR —

Earn $45,000 per year (as defined above).

Only commercial work in a covered job category for PHBP Participating Employers, for which contributions have been received, counts towards eligibility.

Music videos, TV, Features, webisodes, etc. are NOT included.

Click here to check your work history.

If you are not currently covered and have a Qualifying Event (the moment you meet one of the eligibility requirements), the month in which you have the Qualifying Event will be the last month of your Initial Qualifying Period, which is followed by a 2 month processing period, after which your 12 month Coverage Period will begin. A new 12 month Qualifying Period, in which you must again earn eligibility for a subsequent 12 month Coverage Period, commences on the first day of the month following the Initial Qualifying Period.

Complete Plan rules can be found in the Summary Plan Description (“SPD”) in the Documents and Resources section of this website. The SPD shall rule in case of conflict.

Working for a non-participating production company? Encourage them to join and share this link!

Once you qualify for coverage, you will be sent an Eligibility Notice with enrollment instructions and a link to the current Enrollment Guide, also available at the top of this page.

Your 12 month Coverage Period will begin on the First of the month following a two month processing period that starts at the end of the Qualifying Period in which you earned eligibility, including the Initial Qualifying Period as described in the “Eligibility Requirements” section above. A new 12 Month Qualifying Period follows each expiring Qualifying Period, during which you must again earn eligibility for the next subsequent 12 month Coverage Period. There is a two month processing period between each 12 month Qualifying and Coverage Period.

Example: If you are not currently covered and you meet one of the eligibility requirements on April 17, April 30 will be the end of your Initial Qualifying Period. May and June are the processing period months and coverage starts the 1st of the following month, in this case, July 1. April 30 will be the end of your subsequent 12 month Qualifying Periods, during which you must again earn eligibility for a subsequent 12 month Coverage Period to begin the following July 1.

All medical plan elections must be made prior to the effective date of coverage.

If you wish to opt out of coverage, you must actively opt out on the enrollment platform.

If you have renewed eligibility for continued coverage but not at the same tier level, you must elect a new medical plan available to your tier. If no plan is selected, you will be auto-enrolled in the default plan for your tier.

Your annual $300 administrative fee must be paid by the due date or coverage will be terminated retroactively to the commencement date.

It may take the carrier up to 30 days from your coverage start date to send you your ID cards. See your Enrollment Guide for details.

Anthem Blue Cross can also be reached at 800-759-3030.

For additional details, see the Summary Plan Description (“SPD”) in the Documents and Resources section of this website. The SPD shall rule in case of conflict.

Once you have qualified for coverage, your Income Tier will be determined by your reported income (and days worked, if applicable).

“Reported Income” is the gross income paid on covered jobs, in covered job categories performed for Participating Employers, on which contributions were received by the Plan.

BASIC TIER - 80 -99 days worked (including banked days) AND annual reported income below $45,000.

Available No Cost Medical Coverage: High Deductible Health Plan w/ Health Savings Account (the HSA Plan) -OR - California Silver Select HMO.

Available “Buy-up” Medical Coverage: California Classic Platinum HMO.

TIER 1 – Annual reported Income: Up to $49,999.

Available No Cost Medical Coverage: California Classic Platinum HMO -OR- High Deductible Health Plan w/ Health Savings Account (the HSA Plan).

TIER 2 – Annual reported Income: $50,000 - $109,999

Available No Cost Medical Coverage: California Classic Platinum HMO -OR- High Deductible Health Plan w/ Health Savings Account (the HSA Plan).

Available ‘Buy up’ Medical Coverage: Classic Plus PPO

TIER 3 – Annual reported Income: $110,000 and above

Available No Cost Medical Coverage: California Classic Platinum HMO -OR- High Deductible Health Plan w/ Health Savings Account (the HSA Plan) -OR- Classic Plus PPO

See your Freelance Enrollment Guide at the top of this page for more details.

To help you maintain eligibility for coverage, you can bank qualified days worked in excess of those needed to qualify in each Qualifying Period for use in the subsequent qualifying period only. The number of banked days credited towards eligibility will be capped at 40 days..

All applicable banked days from your immediately preceding 12 month qualification period will be automatically added to your current day count at the conclusion of your qualifying period.

If the sum of your worked days and applicable banked days is equal to or greater than the 80 days needed for eligibility, you qualify for coverage.

Click here to review your work history and Banked Days.

Covered Freelancers can add their dependents to their medical, vision and dental coverage.

Dependents (spouse/domestic partner, children, children of spouse/domestic partner, children placed with you for adoption, all under age 26 ) can be added for $250 per month for the 1st Dependent, plus $100 per month for each additional dependent.

Dependents may be added during initial enrollment and annual open enrollments when you’ve re-qualified for a subsequent Coverage Period. Exceptions are made for special “life events”, i.e. birth, marriage, adoption, involuntary termination of a dependents’ prior coverage, etc. Example: a spouse’s current employer provided insurance is terminated by the employer. In this case, the spouse can join PHBP without interruption.

If you have a qualifying “life event”, you must notify the Plan Administrator within 30 days or your otherwise eligible dependent could be denied coverage.

Proof of eligibility will be required: the termination notice of prior coverage, marriage certificate, birth certificate, etc.

See the Summary Plan Description (SPD) and all Summary of Material Modifications (SMM) in the Documents and Resources section for more information regarding dependent eligibility.

If you are eligible for coverage, you will have at least one medical plan option available at no cost. Additional medical plans may be available.

If you are a Tier Two participant, you may choose to “Buy Up” to a different level of coverage. See your enrollment guide for details.

All covered Freelancers must pay a $300 annual administrative fee upon enrollment and with each annual policy renewal. Failure to pay will result in the termination of benefits retroactive to the start of the Coverage Period.

Ineligible freelancers may be able to continue coverage for a fee with Bridge Coverage or COBRA continuation coverage. Contact the Plan administrator for details.

If you do not earn eligibility to renew another 12 month Coverage Period but your actual worked days plus applicable banked are 40 days or more, you can “bridge” the gap between the sum of those days and the 80 days of work needed to re-qualify by making monthly bridge payments, calculated by a fee per each day needed to bridge the gap. Additionally, the annual administrative fee will be pro-rated at $25 per month.

Example: You have 20 days banked from your previous Qualifying Period and worked 48 days in the current qualifying year, for a total of 68 days. That’s 12 days short of the 80 needed to re-qualify. The Bridge Payment would be 12 days x $19.25 per day fee, for a total of $231 per month (fee amounts vary and the example is for illustrative purposes only).

The Bridge Coverage available to you will depend on the medical plan you were enrolled in at the end of the terminating Coverage Period.

• If you were on an HMO medical plan, your Bridge Coverage will be the same HMO plan you had during your most recent coverage period.

• If you were on the Classic Plus PPO or the High Deductible HSA Plan, your Bridge Coverage will be on the High Deductible HSA plan.

Keep in mind that rates vary depending on the plan. For more details, refer to your enrollment guide.

While participating in the Bridge program, the Participant will pay the full cost of dependent coverage each month in addition to the per day bridge fee for employee coverage. Additionally, the $300 annual Administrative Fee will be pro-rated and payable at $25 per month.

Bridge participation is on a month by month basis for up to 12 months. If you re-qualify for regular coverage while on the bridge, the Qualifying Event will trigger a new Coverage Period. See the Summary Plan Description (SPD) in the Documents and Resources sections for complete rules

Click here to contact the Plan Administrator to set up bridge payments. Bridge payments must be set-up PRIOR to the termination of your current coverage.

If your PHBP coverage is terminated for failure to re-qualify, you will be offered COBRA continuation coverage. If your coverage is terminated for failure to pay your administrative fee, you will not.

COBRA continuation coverage allows your to pay the full cost of your insurance premium plus a small administration fee on a month by month basis for up to 18 months. Your notice of termination of benefits will include your COBRA notice with instruction to enroll. For more information, contact the plan administrator at staff@phbpbenefits.org

References to or concerning Plan rules, terms, conditions and documents, including carrier insurance contracts, are intended as general statements for informational purposes only. Official plan documents, policies and certificates of insurance contain the details, conditions, maximum benefit levels and restrictions on benefits and in all cases the text of such documents shall control. See the “Documents and Resources” section of this website for more details.

For complete eligibility rules, see the Summary Plan Description and accompanying amendments in the Summary of Material Modifications found in the Documents and Resourcessection of this website. No participant (or dependent) is vested in or guaranteed any level or type of insurance coverage  or any earned eligibility all of which may be eliminated, modified or amended by the Trustees in their sole judgment and discretion.

Call BeneSys Administrators at 855-696-2909, ext. 8604 between 8am – 4pm PST.

Email questions to Staff@phbpbenefits.org