Bad Health & Pension News For SAG Members

The Screen Actors Guild’s Pension and Health Plansjust informed members that minimum earnings to qualify for health coverage are increasing 2% effective January 1, 2012. Out-of-pocket maximums for individuals and families also are increasing. SAG notified members in its latest “Take 2 Newsletter” just mailed and on SAG’s website. Minimum annual earnings requirements will rise to $30,750 for Plan 1 and to $15,100 for Plan 2. Out-of-pocket in-network maximums are also increasing by $500 for individuals to $1,750, and by $1,000 to $3,500 for families.On the pension side, the earnings level increaseis accelerated and a pension credit will require $20,000 in earnings effective January 1, 2012 instead of 2013.The number of qualifying days of employment will remain the same.This bad news will undoubtedly have an effect on SAG leadership’s determinationto merge withAFTRA. Reps of both unions meet this weekend in a third set of confabs to hammer out details of the merger plan with the goal of presenting a final proposal to the national boards in January.. The SAG/AFTRA Group for One Union will begin conferring Friday and conclude on Tuesday. So farbarely any detailswere disclosed after meetings in June and August.