Frequently Asked Questions

If you die while still working, your beneficiaries may be entitled to Life Insurance and Accidental Death benefits. In addition, your family may be eligible for continued health coverage for up to 5 years. Survivors should contact us to discuss eligibility.

If your plan has weekly contributions and you’re out of work for less than 52 weeks, coverage is in effect the first week Health Plan contributions on your behalf are made to TeamCare. If you’re out of work more than 52 weeks, your coverage begins the Sunday after Health Plan contributions have been made to TeamCare on your behalf for eight weeks within a 52-week period. If your plan has hourly contributions, please contact us to determine when you are eligible for benefits after your return to work.

Your coverage can end or become inactive for a variety of reasons, such as you no longer working or having no work history reported on your behalf. If your claim was denied stating you were not covered for this date of service, check with your employer first. If the issue isn’t resolved, please contact us.

TeamCare rules require an initial eight-week contribution period (your establishing period) before active coverage begins.

No. Under TeamCare rules they do not meet the definition of an eligible dependent.

Yes. You are eligible for services covered under TeamCare when treatment is received outside the United States. Treatment received must be considered Standard Medical Care, Services, or Supplies within the United States. 

Coverage for your spouse ends on the date your coverage ends, you get divorced, your spouse enters the military, or if you have a multi-tier plan and elect a coverage level that does not provide spouse coverage.

Coverage for your child ends on the date when your coverage ends, when the child reaches age 26 if they are not mentally or permanently physically disabled, or if you have a multi-tier plan and elect a coverage level that does not provide child coverage.

Tier options allow you to decide which dependents in your family you want to cover. There are different tier options available and the tier options available to you are determined as part of the collective bargaining process. Your tier options are listed on your Enrollment Form. Please contact TeamCare via your Message Center or by calling 1-800-TEAMCARE to request a new enrollment form.

All Multi-Tier Enrollment Forms and any applicable documents should be submitted to TeamCare. Mail required documents to the address below, submit via your Message Center, or fax to 847-518-9768.

TeamCare
P.O. Box 5108
Des Plaines IL 60017-5108

Enrollment changes can also be submitted online through New Hire Enrollment, Special Enrollment qualifying event, and once a year during Open Enrollment. Open Enrollment occurs every fall, allowing members to make changes to their coverage and add or remove dependents. More information on Open Enrollment can be found here. 

Contact CustomerCare via your Message Center to request a new Enrollment Form.

TeamCare's Special Enrollment process is available to complete online. To begin, log in and click the “Add or Remove Dependents” button at the top of your dashboard. You have 60 days from the date of the event to complete the Enrollment Form and return it to TeamCare.

TeamCare's Special Enrollment process is available to complete online. To begin, log in and click the “Add or Remove Dependents” button at the top of your dashboard. A Letter of Credible Coverage (or other proof of termination of coverage) must be attached from your spouse’s insurance company stating the last date of coverage. These documents must be submitted to TeamCare within 60 days of the involuntary loss of coverage.

Yes, 60 days.

The change to your tier can be made during the next Open Enrollment period. You have the right to appeal if enrollment is denied because the Plan determined that enrollment was not timely. To obtain an Appeals Form, please log in to your MyTeamCare account and download the form from the My Plan section of the Member Dashboard.

You should contact your employer to advise them that the incorrect amount is being deducted from your paycheck.

In general, you must maintain a minimum of Member only coverage.

The answer depends on the coverage your Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) provides. If your CBA provides only family coverage, Adult Child Coverage will be available at no cost to you. If your CBA allows you to choose among multiple tiers of coverage (e.g., member, member plus one dependent, etc.), you may be required to pay an additional amount to your employer to cover any new dependents as outlined in your CBA.

If you are currently working, your adult children under the age of 26 will be covered by TeamCare regardless of their student status. If you or your spouse are eligible for either Retiree Health Plan RU or RV your child will be covered until age 19, and will be continued to be covered until they reach age 25 if they are a qualified student.

Yes. A married adult child under age 26 qualifies for the Adult Child Coverage, but the coverage does not extend to the adult child’s spouse or children. Your adult child can qualify for Adult Child Coverage even if he/she has other insurance available (whether elected or not) through their employment or their spouse’s employment.

Yes. TeamCare will provide secondary coverage on qualified adult children under age 26.

Yes. Your adult child can qualify for Adult Child Coverage even if he/she has a job with other insurance available (whether elected or not) through their employment. TeamCare will provide secondary coverage on qualified adult children under age 26 who have their own employment-based coverage.

Yes. You may add the adult child to your plan as long as your child is not yet age 26.

If you have a COBRA qualifying event, you or your qualified dependents can elect to make self-payments as long as you are covered under TeamCare on the day prior to the event which causes loss of coverage.

To elect COBRA coverage, you must complete the election form sent by TeamCare. It must be returned to TeamCare within 60 calendar days from the date you received the election form. You then have 45 calendar days to make your first payment for continuation coverage. If you incurred a COBRA qualifying event and you did not receive a COBRA notice, contact TeamCare. 

For events such as termination of employment, reduction in hours, sick leave, and layoff, you will be eligible to make self-payments for up to 24 months. If you lose coverage for some other reason, different rules may apply to your situation — please see your COBRA notice for more details.

The cost of COBRA self-payments varies and is determined by the specific plan you are covered under, but you will be able to continue with the same coverage if you make self-payments in an amount equal to the amount previously paid by your employer. You may also be offered other options. The COBRA premiums and options will be outlined in the COBRA election notice you receive from TeamCare.

Once elected, your first payment is due within 45 days of the postmarked date you mailed in your election notice. Failure to do so results in the loss of all COBRA rights under TeamCare. You are responsible for making sure that the amount of your first payment is correct. The amount of your first payment must be sufficient to pay for the coverage elected from the initial loss of coverage date through the current week if coverage is to be maintained into the future.

Under TeamCare, ongoing COBRA payments are due on the first day of the period for which coverage will be in effect and will not be accepted after a 30-day grace period. All payments should be sent to:

TeamCare
Self-Payments Department
Dept. 10291
Palatine, IL 60055-0291

Make sure to include your Member ID and the coverage period you are self-paying on the check.

Only if previous bills are paid timely and in full. You are still responsible for making self-payments when due even if you do not receive a bill from TeamCare.

Yes. In fact, paying before the due date should ensure that no lapse in coverage or disruption to service occurs.

Yes. A third party can pay the COBRA premiums on your behalf. However, you are still responsible for the COBRA premiums being paid when due and in full and your coverage will be terminated if the premium payments are not made.

Personal check, cashier’s check, and money order. We do not accept credit cards.

Your ex-spouse cannot stay under your coverage, but will be eligible to make COBRA self-payments due to the divorce. A court may order you to make the payments on your spouse's behalf. We will need a copy of the divorce decree and your former spouse’s address. Please contact TeamCare upon the finalization of your divorce for assistance.

Yes. If you get divorced while making self-payments, your ex-spouse may be eligible to make COBRA self-payments under their own event. Please contact TeamCare upon the finalization of your divorce for assistance.

Yes. Your child would be eligible to make COBRA self-payments once they turn 26. To ensure no gap in coverage, contact TeamCare for assistance.

If you have a COBRA event while also covered under your spouse’s insurance, we will coordinate benefits. We will remain your primary insurance for you and any dependents that we were primary for prior to the COBRA event. We would continue to be secondary for your spouse or any dependents we were secondary for prior to the COBRA event.

It depends. If your Medicare benefits started before you elected COBRA, then you can make self-payments. If your Medicare benefits started after you elected COBRA, then your COBRA coverage will end on the date Medicare coverage begins. COBRA ends but only for the person obtaining Medicare benefits so you can still make self-payments to cover qualified dependents.

Medicare coverage will be primary and COBRA coverage will be secondary unless you are entitled to Medicare due to End Stage Renal Disease. In this case, COBRA coverage will be primary during a 30-month coordination period and secondary thereafter. Please review the details about End Stage Renal Disease (ESRD) in the Summary Plan Description in the My Documents section of your Member Dashboard.

Eligibility for COBRA self-payments end the date you become covered under another plan. 

Yes, you must immediately contact TeamCare if you or your dependents become covered under another group health plan or Medicare.

Yes. While this differs from COBRA self-payments, once contributions made by your employer have begun, you can make self-payments in certain circumstances to establish eligibility. Contact us for rates and assistance.

Only if you are covered under one of our multi-tier plans. Your COBRA election notice from TeamCare outlines the specific options available to you.

Yes. As long as you notify TeamCare within 60 days of your marriage and your new spouse meets TeamCare rules for eligibility. 

Yes. Your employer is responsible for notifying TeamCare of employer events. Employer events are termination of employment and reduction of work hours (i.e., sick leave, quit, discharge, and layoff). Employers report COBRA qualifying events to TeamCare automatically when they submit monthly work reports.

During this period eligibility will not be updated and claims will be denied. However, when you elect COBRA and make the appropriate self-payments, your eligibility is updated retroactively and claims previously denied will automatically be reprocessed or can be resubmitted.