While there is not much to be happy about concerning the State of Illinois insurance plans, the Teamster Insurance plan (TEWTI) has been a silver lining. While the traditional state employee health plans have been underfunded for more than three years, the TEWTI plan is doing quite well.

Unfortunately, state insurance claims are being paid anywhere from 275 to 734 days late. The interest fees alone from this late payment has risen to approximately $518 million. In addition,state employees pay anywhere from 14% to 19.6%. Meanwhile, higher premiums sought by the Governor’s office continues to be an ongoing battle.

Members under the Downstate and Pro-Tech units have the option of enrolling in the Teamsters & Employers Welfare Trust of Illinois (TEWTI). This is a premium free benefit plan that covers medical, dental, pharmaceutical, wellness, life insurance and short-term disability. In addition, the plan also has components of a legal and tuition assistance. The insurance is through Blue Cross Blue Shield and is a PPO 90/10 plan with minimal deductibles and low out-of-pocket maximums.

Medical claims are paid on average within ten (10) days. As an additional beneft, members of TEWTI are eligible for a tuition reimbursement program that just this spring paid out at $3,844 to eligible full-time students.

For members who complete the requirements of the wellness program, most have zero co-pays or deductibles for the remaining portion of the year. We are very proud of the results of the wellness program. Multiple members have contacted us with their personal success stories on how the Wellness program changed their lives. Keep up the good work!

TEWTI has recently installed a dedicated phone number for our health care plans. The number is 888-336-3196. You can also email them at [email protected]. Members can track their claims regularly by logging onto their website.

Teamsters Local 916 proudly represents over 4,000 hardworking men and women throughout the State of Illinois in the private and public sectors.