The Legal Service Plan endorsed by NYSUT Member Benefits Trust was enhanced as of Sept. 1. These enhancements will be provided to bargaining unit members who enroll in the plan on or after that date and to current participants who renew their plan on or after that date.
In addition to the free Simple Will, the plan now provides a Health Care Proxy, Living Will and Durable Power of Attorney. These forms make up the Legal Security Package, which previously was only available with the purchase of the Elder Law rider.
The plan has other new benefits: advice on identity theft prevention and for identity theft victims, assistance with debt consolidation, and assistance with mortgage foreclosure.
The Retiree Legal Service Plan is being phased out, as the enhanced Legal Service Plan now includes special pricing for retirees. The retiree plan included a coupon for a 30-minute office consultation and a free Power of Attorney and Simple Will. With the enhanced plan, retirees will now receive two, hour-long office consultation coupons and a free Living Will and Health Care Proxy in addition to the Power of Attorney and Simple Will.
Retirees enrolled in the Retiree Plan with a plan year ending on or after Sept. 1 will renew in the enhanced Legal Service Plan to continue plan participation. Retirees who renewed their Retiree Legal Service Plan prior to Sept. 1 will continue in that plan until their plan year ends. At that time, retirees renewing their plan will be enrolled in the enhanced plan.
The plan still offers unlimited, toll-free legal advice from Plan attorneys, legal phone calls and written correspondence, maximum legal fees for a number of specific legal matters and the optional Elder Law and Business Protection riders.
If you are referred to a participating attorney, the guaranteed hourly legal fee for plans starting or renewing on or after Sept. 1 is $175 or a 40 percent reduction in the attorney’s usual hourly rate, whichever is less. Current plan participants will still experience the $150 hourly rate until their plan year ends.
The plan’s annual fee is $85, reduced to $80 if payroll deduction is available. Retirees’ annual fee is $55, reduced to $50 if pension deduction is available.
(For information about programs or about contractual expense reimbursement/endorsement arrangements with providers of endorsed programs, please call NYSUT Member Benefits Trust at (800) 626-8101, e-mail benefits@nysutmail.org, visit www.memberbenefits.nysut.org, or refer to your NYSUT Member Benefits Trust Summary Plan Description. Agency fee payers are eligible to participate in NYSUT Member Benefits-endorsed programs.)