NASI Pension update
Published on Thursday, March 26, 2020
Message
from the
National Automatic Sprinkler Industry Fund Office
Pension Benefits and Medical Claims Will Be Paid
With the disruption caused by COVID-19, we expect that Fund Office operations will not be as smooth as usual for some weeks. While we have been preparing for this possibility for some time, nevertheless, we expect that the breath of the disruption in Maryland will cause some delays in some normal Fund Office operations. While members can be assured that essential tasks of the Fund Office, like get pension benefits paid on time, will not be affected by staffing disruption, we also recognize that telephone service may be difficult with many on staff working remotely in the coming weeks.
Contacting the Fund Office
Our toll-free telephone number, 800-638-2603, will work, but with distributed staffing, there may be a longer-than-usual time in the queue before the Fund Office staff can provide service. In order to provide the best level of service, if your members are having trouble reaching us by telephone we encourage them to contact us through email at Mail@nasifund.org. Emails can be distributed to the staff person best able to provide the service requested. Emails should contain the member’s name and SFI (or NMT) ID number (do not include a Social Security Number in an email) and a brief description of the question or what is needed. If what someone needs is to talk to a Fund staff person on the telephone, emailing that request with a brief description of the subject and a telephone number and the best times for that person to receive a call would be helpful. Remote staff will have secure computer access to our computer network and will try to call back at a time convenient to the member.
Employer Contributions
We encourage all contractors to pay the monthly contributions for their employees on the NASI web remittance portal. It is the best way to be sure there is no disruption in contribution reporting and to avoid late payments due to slow or inconsistent mail service. If the company is not setup yet for online reporting, please have them contact the Remittance Department atMail@nasifund.org.
Regarding COVID-19
What are the symptoms of the coronavirus?
- Fever
- Cough
- Shortness of Breath
What should a person do if they think they have COVID-19?
Seek medical advice; either from their own doctor or an urgent care facility (In-Network, of course). Members who are not yet eligible for Medicare can use MDLive at no cost to them. MDLive is well suited to provide medical advice as to what additional steps may be appropriate on a case-by-case basis. The web-link for MDLive is on the NASI Welfare Fund webpage under “Fund Providers”.