A Word From the Trustees

To: All Plan Participants                              

As Trustees of your Health & Welfare Fund, we have always tried to provide the very best benefits. In 1999, the Fund introduced “Choice Benefits,” with the goal of offering benefit programs that best meet your personal family situation. In April, 1999 we expanded the Retirement 401(k) plan to allow you to make your own contributions through convenient payroll deduction.
The Choice plan met our expectations for the first two years with a number of members electing to participate in the Keystone Point of Service plan or the Dual Income option.
This year we hope to increase participation in Choice Benefits. Think about your health care and other personal financial requirements and review the available benefit options that can help you meet those requirements.
With health care cost increases hitting double digits, we ask you to choose the medical plan that best fits your personal health care needs. We hope those of you who chose to maintain your same benefits will consider the options available to you for the year 2004.
If you have other coverage, through your spouse or other employer, consider the Dual Income option. That way you have not only the medical protection you need; you also have extra dollars to help meet your other benefit needs.             
If you don’t have other coverage, consider the Keystone Point of Service Plan. The Point of Service plan provides a high level of benefits and still frees up some dollars for you to use for other benefits.
We continue to review our benefit program to assure quality, promote choice, manage the cost of health care and meet your individual needs effectively. Finding ways to get the most from our benefit plans is important to all of us. Read this information, share it with your family. Help us to use available benefit dollars as wisely as possible.

Sincerely,