Member Profile
Synobia Santiago
Breaking a pattern of poor nutrition and fitness habits helped one young
mother lose 90 pounds and changed her and her daughter’s lives.
It was a little more than two years ago when Synobia
Santiago hit what felt like her lowest point. She
was the proud mother of a beautiful little girl and
was excited about their future, but Synobia’s weight
was already taking a toll on what they could do
together. Heavy for most of her life, she tired easily
and struggled to find the energy to play with then
2-year-old Giselle. Enough is enough, Synobia
remembered thinking to herself one afternoon;
things have got to change. “I thought about the life
that I wanted for her and I felt like I had to lead by
example,” she said. “I didn’t want her to grow up
overweight like I did.”
Only 21 years old at the time, Synobia considered
herself lucky to have avoided any health problems
related to her weight. But she also knew that it
was only a matter of time before her luck ran
out. Working in the housekeeping department at
Mount Sinai Medical Center, Synobia said the
culture of health created at her worksite and the
encouragement of her Benefit Fund Outreach
Coordinator and her Union organizers and delegates
were constant reminders of the importance of
a healthy lifestyle. That support, combined with
her hopes for Giselle and memories of her own
childhood, pushed her into action. “There were so
many things I wanted to do that I missed out on
because of my weight, like joining the volleyball
team or going to school dances,” she said. “I want my
daughter to live a healthy, full life, with no regrets due
to obesity.”
Synobia had tried pills to suppress her appetite and
fad diets in the past and said they not only had
intolerable side effects – such as making her heart
race – but they actually increased her cravings for
unhealthy foods, so she was well aware that crash
diets or other quick fixes were not the answer.
Instead, she set out to make changes she could
sustain: specifically, better nutrition through a wellbalanced diet combined with an exercise program.
At first, she felt self-conscious about working out at a
gym or the park, but she invested in an inexpensive
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www.1199SEIUBenefits.org
1199SEIU NATIONAL BENEFIT FUND FOR HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICE EMPLOYEES
SUMMARY OF MATERIAL MODIFICATIONS
This Summary of Material Modifications describes changes that affect your welfare benefit
plan and updates the Summary Plan Description (SPD) that was previously distributed to you.
You should keep this summary with your current SPD until the booklet is updated to reflect the
changes discussed herein.
Effective January 1, 2014, the following changes to the 1199SEIU National Benefit Fund for
Health and Human Service Employees (“Benefit Fund”) apply, where the strike-out language is
omitted, and the bolded underlined language is added:
Section I.A
YOUR CHILDREN
Your children are eligible up to their 1926th birthday if all the following conditions are met:
s 4HEYREYOURBIOLOGICALCHILDRENOR
s 4HEYREYOURLEGALLYADOPTEDCHILDRENCOVERAGEFORLEGALLYADOPTEDCHILDRENSTARTSFROM
placement); or
s 9OUARETHEIRLEGALPARENTIDENTIlEDONTHEIRBIRTHCERTIlCATEAND
s They’re not eligible to enroll in another employer-sponsored health plan (excluding parent
coverage); and
s You have provided updated information about your child’s coverage under
other benefit plans as requested by the Fund;
s 9OUAREELIGIBLEFORFAMILYCOVERAGEBASEDONYOUR7AGE#LASSSEE3ECTION)$
treadmill and began exercising at home. Before long,
Synobia had gained the confidence to join a local
gym and also started walking in Highland Park,
close to where she lives in Brooklyn. Eventually, she
worked her way up to a routine that includes jogging
at a moderate pace. “Running has been a great release
for me,” she said. “The feel of the wind blowing
through my hair makes me feel like I’m leaving all
my worries right there on the pavement.”
While exercising regularly remains a key to her
health, Synobia has also eliminated nearly all the
added sugars and carbohydrates from her diet. As a
rule, she and Giselle now eat lean meats, vegetables
and brown rice for their main meals – always making
sure to stick with small portions, she said. For snacks,
their favorites include bananas with a little peanut
butter and plain popcorn, without butter or salt.
The results have been amazing, Synobia said, as she’s
dropped 90 pounds and now focuses on maintaining
her weight loss and toning her muscles. She added
that she hopes her story can help inspire others to
make positive changes in their life, saying she now
has no regrets. Perhaps most important, she said, is
that she now has plenty of energy for all the activities
a 4-year-old can come up with. “Giselle is everything
to me,” Synobia said. “We have so much fun together,
but I know from experience it wouldn’t be this way
if I didn’t take care of my health.”
When submitting a claim for your spouse’s or child’s care, you must include a statement from
your spouse’s the primary plan showing what action they have taken.
…
0G
IF BENEFIT COVERAGE IS AVAILABLE THROUGH YOUR SPOUSE’S EMPLOYER, OR
IF YOUR SPOUSE IS SELF-EMPLOYED
Your spouse must:
s %NROLLINTHATEMPLOYERSBENElTPLANOR
s 0URCHASEINSURANCEIFSELFEMPLOYEDASDElNEDBYTHE0LAN!DMINISTRATOR and
s Choose coverage at least for himself or herself; and
s 0AYANYPREMIUMSREQUIREDBYTHeat plan to maintain this insurance.
The Benefit Fund will only pay benefits up to the amount the Benefit Fund would have paid if
your spouse had been covered by his or her employer’s plan. You and your spouse will have to pay
any charges not paid by the 1199SEIU National Benefit Fund and your spouse’s employer’s plan.
Your stepchildren, foster children and grandchildren are not covered by the Benefit Fund.
Children of your same-sex partner cannot be covered by the Benefit Fund, unless you are their
legally recognized parent or they are legally adopted by or placed for adoption with you.
Pg. 36
WHEN CHILDREN ARE COVERED BY BOTH PARENTS
If you and your spouse both have dependent coverage, benefits for your children are coordinated
as follows:
s The primary payers are the children’s employer-sponsored coverage
through their employment and/or through their spouses, if any.
s The secondary payer is the plan of the parent whose parent whose birthday is
earliest in the year; and
s 4HEOTHERPARENTSPLANISTHEnext payer.
…
AFTER YOUR CHILD REACHES AGE 19
Your child’s coverage may be continued from your child’s 19th birthday up to his or her 26th
birthday if:
s You file a properly completed Young Adult Enrollment Form with the Benefit Fund when your
child turns age 19 and each year after that until your child’s 26th birthday; and
WHEN YOU ARE COVERED BY MEDICARE
…
If you prefer, you may elect to end your coverage under the Benefit Fund and elect to have
Medicare as your only insurance. However, if you elect this option, the Benefit Fund may not
provide any benefits that supplement those provided under Medicare.
They’re not eligible to enroll in another employer-sponsored health plan (excluding parent
coverage).
…
Section I. G
WHEN OTHERS ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR YOUR ILLNESS OR INJURY
…
QUALIFIED MEDICAL CHILD SUPPORT ORDER
The Benefit Fund will comply with the terms of any Qualified Medical Child Support Order
(QMCSO) as the term is defined in the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) of 1974,
as amended.
A QMCSO may require the Benefit Fund to make coverage available to your child even though
the child is not, for income tax purposes or Fund purposes, your legal dependent, because of
separation or divorce.
In order to be a qualified order, the medical child support order must:
s Be issued by a court or authorized state agency;
s Clearly specify the alternate recipient;
s Reasonably describe the type of coverage to be provided to suchalternate recipient;
s Clearly state the period to which such order applies; and
s Indicate the name and last known address of the member who is required to provide the
coverage and the name and mailing address of each child covered by the order.
The Plan Administrator will determine the qualified status of a medical child support order in
accordance with the Benefit Fund’s written procedures.
Pg.39
If you fail or refuse to sign a lien or to comply with these terms, the Plan
Administrator may suspend your eligibility for benefits, until the Benefit
Fund is fully repaid.
Section I.F
WHEN YOU AND YOUR SPOUSE OR CHILD ARE COVERED BY DIFFERENT PLANS
Section I. I
Pg. 42
WHEN YOUR BENEFITS STOP
If you are no longer employed by a Contributing Employer, stop working or
your employer is not obligated to make payments to the Benefit Fund on
your behalf:
All benefits end 30 days after the last day for which your employer is required to make contributions
to the Benefit Fund* on your behalf unless your benefits are continued as described in Sections I.D
and I.J or Section VI. However, your benefits end on the last day of employment
if you or your spouse are eligible for Medicare, in which case, coverage for
– Retiree Health Benefits medical (doctor visits, laboratory and radiology),
surgical and hospital benefits will stop immediately
* This may include contributions for severance or other wages paid to you, such as vacation, etc.
…
When your spouse or child is covered by another plan, or benefit coverage is available through
your spouse’s employer, the Benefit Fund will coordinate payment of your benefits with that Plan.
For your care:
s 4HE"ENElT&UNDISTHEprimary payer. It makes the first payment on your claim.
s 9OURSPOUSESPLANISYOURsecondary payer. It may cover any remaining balance, according
to the terms of that plan.
For your spouse’s care:
s 9OURSPOUSESPLANISTHEprimary payer. The Benefit Fund is your spouse’s secondary
payer.
For your child’s care:
s When your child is covered by another employer-sponsored plan
(excluding parent coverage), your child’s plan is the primary payer.
FOR YOUR BENEFIT
35
SUMMARY ANNUAL REPORT
1199SEIU/GREATER NEW YORK JOB SECURITY FUND
This is a summary of the annual report for the 1199SEIU/Greater New York Job Security Fund, EIN:
FORTHEPERIOD*ANUARYTO$ECEMBER4HISISAWELFAREBENElTPLAN
offering retraining, unemployment and continued health insurance benefits. The annual report has
been filed with the Employee Benefits Security Administration, as required under the Employee
Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA).
The plan is self-insured and has committed to pay covered claims out of plan assets.
Basic Financial Statement
4HEVALUEOFPLANASSETSAFTERSUBTRACTINGLIABILITIESOFTHEPLANWASASOF$ECEMBER
COMPARED TO AS OF *ANUARY $URING THE PLAN YEAR THE PLAN
EXPERIENCEDADECREASEINITSNETASSETSOF4HISDECREASEINCLUDESUNREALIZEDAPPRECIATION
or depreciation in the value of plan assets; that is, the difference between the value of the plan’s
assets at the end of the year and the value of the assets at the beginning of the year, or the cost
OFASSETSACQUIREDDURINGTHEYEAR$URINGTHEPLANYEARTHEPLANHADTOTALINCOMEOF
INCLUDINGEMPLOYERCONTRIBUTIONSOFANDEARNINGSFROMINVESTMENTSOF
0LANEXPENSESWERE4HESEEXPENSESINCLUDEDINADMINISTRATIVEEXPENSES
ININVESTMENTFEESANDINBENElTSPAIDTOPARTICIPANTSANDBENElCIARIES
Your Rights to Additional Information
You have the right to receive a copy of the full annual report, or any part thereof, on request. The
items listed below are included in that report:
s ANACCOUNTANTSREPORT
s lNANCIALINFORMATIONANDINFORMATIONONPAYMENTSTOSERVICEPROVIDERSAND
s ASSETSHELDFORINVESTMENT
You also have the right to receive from the plan administrator, on request and at no charge, a
statement of the assets and liabilities of the plan and accompanying notes, or a statement of
income and expenses of the plan and accompanying notes, or both. If you request a copy of the
full annual report from the plan administrator, these two statements and accompanying notes will
be included as part of that report.
“Giselle is everything to me. We have so much
fun together, but I know from experience it
wouldn’t be this way if I didn’t take
care of my health.”
To obtain a copy of the full annual report, or any part thereof, write or call the plan administrator,
Board of Trustees of 1199SEIU/Greater New York Job Security Fund, P.O. Box 842, New York, NY
You also have the legally protected right to examine the annual report at the main office of the plan:
1199SEIU/Greater New York Job Security Fund, 330 West 42nd Street, 28th Floor, New York, NY
10036, and at the U.S. Department of Labor in Washington, D.C., or to obtain a copy from the
U.S. Department of Labor upon payment of copying costs. Requests to the Department should be
ADDRESSEDTO0UBLIC$ISCLOSURE2OOM2OOM.%MPLOYEE"ENElTS3ECURITY!DMINISTRATION
U.S. Department of Labor, 200 Constitution Avenue, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20210.
SUMMARY ANNUAL REPORT
1199SEIU/LEAGUE REGISTERED NURSE TRAINING AND JOB SECURITY FUND
This is a summary of the annual report for the 1199SEIU/League Registered Nurse Training and
*OB3ECURITY&UND%).FORTHEPERIOD*ANUARYTO$ECEMBER4HISIS
a welfare benefit plan offering educational and training benefits to participating RNs. The annual
report has been filed with the Employee Benefits Security Administration, as required under the
Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA).
Your Rights to Additional Information
You have the right to receive a copy of the full annual report, or any part thereof, on request. The
item listed below is included in that report:
s ANACCOUNTANTSREPORTAND
s lNANCIALINFORMATIONANDINFORMATIONONPAYMENTSTOSERVICEPROVIDERS
The plan is self-insured and has committed to pay covered claims out of plan assets.
Basic Financial Statement
4HEVALUEOFPLANASSETSAFTERSUBTRACTINGLIABILITIESOFTHEPLANWASASOF$ECEMBER
COMPAREDTOASOF*ANUARY$URINGTHEPLANYEARTHEPLANEXPERIENCED
ADECREASEINITSNETASSETSOF$URINGTHEPLANYEARTHEPLANHADTOTALINCOMEOF
INCLUDINGEMPLOYERCONTRIBUTIONSOFANDOTHERINCOMEOF
0LANEXPENSESWERE4HESEEXPENSESINCLUDEDINADMINISTRATIVEEXPENSES
ANDINBENElTSPAIDTOPARTICIPANTSANDBENElCIARIES
You also have the right to receive from the plan administrator, on request and at no charge, a
statement of the assets and liabilities of the plan and accompanying notes, or a statement of
income and expenses of the plan and accompanying notes, or both. If you request a copy of the
full annual report from the plan administrator, these two statements and accompanying notes will
be included as part of that report.
To obtain a copy of the full annual report, or any part thereof, write or call the plan administrator,
Board of Trustees of the 1199SEIU/League Registered Nurse Training and Job Security Fund, P.O.
"OX.EW9ORK.9
You also have the legally protected right to examine the annual report at the main office of the plan:
1199SEIU/League Registered Nurse Training and Job Security Fund, 330 West 42nd Street, 28th Floor,
New York, NY 10036, and at the U.S. Department of Labor in Washington, D.C., or to obtain a copy
from the U.S. Department of Labor upon payment of copying costs. Requests to the Department
SHOULD BE ADDRESSED TO 0UBLIC $ISCLOSURE 2OOM 2OOM . %MPLOYEE "ENElTS 3ECURITY
Administration, U.S. Department of Labor, 200 Constitution Avenue, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20210.
Do you have a healthy story to share?
We’re always looking for the opportunity to spotlight members who are protecting their health by losing weight,
quitting smoking, bringing a chronic condition under control or just improving their lifestyle in general. If you
have made positive changes in your health – or are just starting to – we want to hear from you! To share
your story with your fellow members in an upcoming issue of For Your Benefit, please contact the Fund at
[email protected].
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www.1199SEIUBenefits.org
FOR YOUR BENEFIT
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