Health & Welfare and Pension Funds
of Philadelphia and Vicinity

Trustees' Letter of Introduction

Dear Member:                                                                                             September 2005

Several years have passed since our last Benefit Booklet was published. In the intervening years, many amendments to the Plan and new types of benefit programs have been adopted by your Board of Trustees. Every effort has been made to keep you abreast of these changes either through special bulletins or notices in the Fund's newsletter, Philadelphia Update, which is published several times each year.

New and innovative programs have been implemented by the Fund in recent years. The "Dual Option" medical program, the Dental PPO, Vision PPO, Behavioral Health and Disease Management Programs have served as models upon which other benefit plans have relied and copied. The Fund's service agreement with Independence Blue Cross has given members what they have wanted for the longest time - a permanent identification card, good anywhere in the country - and at the same time, has streamlined hospital claim processing with significant savings to the Fund.

You can help conserve your valuable benefits by:

Take the time to read the material in this section of the web site. These are valuable benefits that are of critical importance to you and your family. Every effort has been made to describe your benefit coverage in easy-to-understand language. Nevertheless, health coverage is a complicated item that oftentimes does not lend itself to easily described terms and concepts. For that reason, the Fund maintains a Member Services Department staffed with highly trained personnel, well versed in the Fund's Plans, and ready to answer your questions and benefit inquiries.

We hope you will agree that these are valuable benefits to be used wisely. Get the most value for each of your Fund dollars by being an aware, informed and concerned health benefits consumer.

Sincerely,

THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES

 Last Date Updated :  10/16/08