Fund Info

New Employer Health Care Rates Approved by Trustees

The Board of Trustees of the Automotive Industries Welfare Plan have approved the employer health care rates at their June meeting. Health care costs continue to rise throughout the country and our plan is not immune to being impacted by this upward trend in costs. The Trustees reviewed the actuarial information provided by the consultant very carefully and the rates were increased as minimally as possible for the employees and the employers equally.

Effective September 1, 2025, the health care rates will increase between 7% – 9% across all contracts between the employers and the union. If you are under the Plan A benefit plan or have family coverage under Plan B, Plan C or Plan K, your employer will see an increase in the monthly premium by approximately $200. If you have single coverage under the medical plans, your employer will see an increase in the monthly premium by approximately $70. If you are married without children under the medical plans, the employer will see an increase in the monthly premium by approximately $125.

Please check your collective bargaining agreement to see what the cost share of the health care premium is that you will be responsible for as of September 1, 2025.

Pension Plan Special Financial Assistance – 2 Year Update

It has been almost two years since the Pension Plan received the Special Financial Assistance (SFA) as part of the American Rescue Plan Act. The $1.1 billion we received is solely be used to pay benefits and expenses, thus allowing the “legacy” assets to grow. This single action helped secure the financial stability of the pension payments for each and every participant.

Since we received the money in August 2023, we have been able to:

• Grow the Legacy Portfolio by approximately $185 Million.
• Expand the asset allocation of the Legacy Portfolio to include more long-term investment options to maximize returns.
• Earn 6.41% return on the SFA Bond Portfolio.

Thanks to the SFA program, the Pension Plan is now secure to continue on to provide benefit payments for all participants through the year 2053.

Annual Physical Required to Lower Deductible in 2026 Under Blue Cross Self-Funded Plan Options

In 2023, the Board of Trustees instituted an annual physical exam requirement for those on the self-funded medical plans offered by the Automotive Industries Welfare Plan so that members may receive a lower calendar-year deductible. The deductible amounts are now in place for the 2025 calendar year, but participants and their spouse or domestic partner (if applicable) who get an annual physical exam anytime in 2025 will be moved to the lower deductible level in the 2026 calendar year, along with all dependent children.

The physical exam can be taken any time before the end of the 2025 Calendar Year (December 31) and requires the Plan’s certification form to be sent to the Trust Fund Office.

Physical Exam certification forms are available to download at the Trust Fund website at www.aitrustfunds.org. A separate form must be submitted for you and your spouse or domestic partner (if applicable) to reduce your deductible for the 2026 calendar year.

If you have questions about what current deductible level you are in, please contact the Trust Fund Office at 800-635-3105 or by email at AISupport@hsba.com.

Value Based Program

There are wide treatment cost variations for elective outpatient procedures and other types of surgeries. The Value-Based Pricing Program was implemented on January 1, 2015, to keep out-ofpocket costs down to a minimum.

Under the Value-Based Program, the following elective surgeries have a dollar cap limitation when performed in a hospital rather than an Ambulatory Surgical Center (ASC).

• Colonoscopy = $1,500
• Arthroscopy = $6,000
• Cataract Surgery = $2,000

 (The above pricing only pertains to surgeries performed in a hospital setting regardless of the hospital being in-network or out-of-network).

Hip and Knee Replacement surgeries will be limited to a maximum payment of $30,000 for a single hip joint replacement or a single knee joint replacement. The maximum includes all inpatient facility costs; professional fees (surgeon or anesthesia) are paid under a separate benefit.

 If you are going to have any of the above procedures performed in the near future, please contact the Trust Fund Office for a list of the Value-Based Facilities or you can look up the facilities directly at www.anthem.com

Reminder: Pension plan seeking former participants

The Automotive Industries Pension Plan currently has approximately 2,000 participants who are entitled to receive a pension payment under the Plan but have not made application for their money. If you know someone who used to work in the industry during the 1970’s
or 1980’s, is over age 65, and is not receiving a pension payment from the Trust Fund, they could be missing out a monthly payment from the Plan. Have them contact the Trust Fund Office at 800-635-3105 for a review of their work history to see if they are eligible.