Your Rights Under ERISA
The Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA) gives you certain rights and protections while you are a participant in the JPMorgan Chase employee benefits plans described in this Guide. It is unlikely you will need to exercise these rights, but it is important that you be aware of what they are.
ERISA provides that all plan participants are entitled to:
- Examine, without charge, at the office of the plan administrator, all plan documents including insurance contracts and copies of all documents filed by the plans with the U.S. Department of Labor, such as detailed annual reports (Form 5500 Series).
- Obtain, upon written request to the plan administrator, copies of all plan documents and other plan information (for example, insurance contracts, Form 5500 Series, and updated summary plan descriptions). The plan administrator may require reasonable charges for the copies.
- Receive a summary of the plans' annual financial reports. (The plan administrator is required by law to furnish each participant with a copy of such reports.)
- Continue health care coverage for yourself, your spouse, or your eligible dependents if there is a loss of coverage under the plan because of a qualifying event. You or your dependents may have to pay for such coverage. Review this summary plan description and the documents governing the plan on the rules governing your COBRA continuation coverage rights.
Active participants are required to update their personal contact information, including mailing address, to receive benefits-related information and correspondence. You can make changes online via me@JPMC – Personal Information – Contact Information. You can also contact HR Answers. See the Contacts section.
If your claim for a welfare benefit is denied or ignored, in whole or in part, you have the right to know why this was done, to obtain copies of documents relating to the decision free of charge, and to appeal any denial, all within certain time schedules.
Under ERISA, there are steps you can take to enforce the above rights. For instance:
- If you request a copy of the plans' documents or the latest annual report from the plan administrator and do not receive it within 30 days, you may file suit in a U.S. federal court. In such a case, the court may require the plan administrator to provide the information and pay up to $110 a day until you receive the materials, unless they were not sent because of reasons beyond the control of the plan administrator.
- If you have a claim for benefits that is denied or ignored, in whole or in part, you may file suit in a U.S. state or federal court. In addition, if you disagree with the plan's decision, or lack thereof, concerning the qualified status of a domestic relations order or a medical child support order, you may file suit in federal court.
- If it should happen that the plans' fiduciaries misuse the plans' money, or if you are discriminated against for asserting your rights, you may seek assistance from the U.S. Department of Labor, or you may file suit in a U.S. federal court. The court will decide who should pay court costs and legal fees. If you are successful, the court may order the person you have sued to pay these costs and fees. If you lose, the court may order you to pay these costs and fees, for example, if it finds your claim to be frivolous.
The plan "fiduciary" is the individual or organization responsible for plan administration, claims administration, and managing plan assets. The plan fiduciary has a duty to administer the plan prudently and in the best interest of all plan members and beneficiaries.
In addition to establishing the rights of plan participants, ERISA imposes duties upon the people who are responsible for the operation of the benefits plans. Certain individuals who are responsible for the plans are called "fiduciaries," and they have a duty to administer the plans prudently and in the interest of you, other plan members, and beneficiaries. While participation in these plans does not guarantee your right to continued employment, no one — including your employer or any other person — may terminate you or otherwise discriminate against you in any way to prevent you from obtaining your benefits or exercising your rights under ERISA.
For each of the following plans that are governed by ERISA, the plan administrators delegate fiduciary responsibility for claims and appeals to the claims administrators, and to the Health Care and Insurance Plans Appeals Committee, where that committee is authorized to decide appeals as described in this Guide:
- Medical Plan;
- Prescription Drug Plan;
- Dental Plan;
- Health Care Spending Account Plan;
- Vision Plan;
- Health & Wellness Centers Plan;
- Life and AD&D Insurance Plans;
- Business Travel Accident Insurance Plan;
- Long-Term Disability Plan, including Group LTD and Individual Disability Insurance;
- Short-Term Disability Plan;
- Employee Assistance Program;
- Group Legal Services Plan; and
- Back-Up Child Care Plan.
If you have any questions about the JPMorgan Chase Health Care and Insurance Plans for Active Employees, you should contact HR Answers. (See the Contacts section.) If you have any questions about this statement or about your rights under ERISA, you should contact the nearest Regional Office of the Employee Benefits Security Administration, U.S. Department of Labor, listed in your telephone directory, or:
Division of Technical Assistance and Inquiries
Employee Benefits Security Administration
U.S. Department of Labor
200 Constitution Avenue, N.W.
Washington, DC 20210
Employee Benefits Security Administration
U.S. Department of Labor
200 Constitution Avenue, N.W.
Washington, DC 20210
You may also obtain certain publications about your rights and responsibilities under ERISA by calling the publications hotline of the Employee Benefits Security Administration or by visiting www.dol.gov/ebsa via the Internet.
You should also contact the Department of Labor if you need further assistance or information about your rights under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA), with respect to health benefits that are offered through a group health plan, as well as the remedies available if a claim is denied in whole or in part.