THE HYATT PREMIER LEGAL PLAN
- SUMMARY PLAN DESCRIPTION
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| INTRODUCTION
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The Hyatt Premier Legal Plan was established to provide personal legal services for eligible employees, their spouses and dependent children. If you choose to join the Legal Plan, the coverage available to you and your family through the Hyatt Premier Legal Plan can help you with many of your personal legal needs. This summary provides general
information about the Plan, who is eligible to receive benefits under
the Plan, what those benefits are, how to obtain benefits and what your
rights under ERISA are. If you have any questions that are not answered,
please contact the Benefits Department. Hyatt Legal Plans, Inc. has been
selected to provide for legal plan benefits. The services will be provided
through a panel of carefully selected Participating Law Firms. Lawyers
in this network are called Plan Attorneys. These arrangements are described
in detail in this summary. The actual provisions of the Plan are set out
in a written document maintained by your employer. All statements made
in this booklet are subject to the provisions and terms of that document,
which control in the event of conflict with this summary. |
| HOW
TO GET LEGAL SERVICES (back
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To use the Hyatt Premier Legal Plan, call Hyatt Legal Plans' Client Service Center at 1-800-821-6400 Monday - Thursday: 8am - 7pm and Friday: 8am - 6pm. All times are Eastern Time. Be prepared to identify yourself as a participant in the Hyatt Premier Legal Plan and to give your Social Security Number. If you are a spouse or a child of an eligible person, you will need the Social Security Number of the employee through whom you are eligible. The Client Service Representative who answers your call will:
You then call the Plan Attorney to schedule an appointment at a time convenient to you. Evening and Saturday appointments are available. If you wish, you may tell the
Client Service Representative that you want to use your own attorney.
Hyatt Legal Plans will reimburse you for these attorneys' fees in accordance
with a set fee schedule. You must call Hyatt Legal Plans, as described
above, prior to contacting any attorney. Plan benefits will be denied
if you do not call first. |
| WHAT
SERVICES ARE COVERED (back
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The Hyatt Premier Legal Plan entitles you and your eligible dependents to receive certain personal legal services. The available benefits are very comprehensive, but there are limitations and other conditions that must be met. Please take time for yourself and your family to read the description of benefits carefully. The following services are covered under the Plan:
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| EXCLUSIONS
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Certain matters are excluded from coverage under the Plan. No services, not even a consultation, can be provided on the following matters:
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| OTHER
SPECIAL RULES (back
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In addition to the coverages and exclusions listed, there are certain rules for special situations. Please read this section carefully. What if other coverage is
available to you? What if you are involved
in a legal dispute with your dependents? What if you are involved
in a legal dispute with another employee? What if the court awards
attorneys' fees as part of a settlement? |
| ELIGIBILITY
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To be eligible for legal services
under the Hyatt Premier Legal Plan, you must have included the Plan in
your benefits selection. You are eligible to enroll in the Legal Plan
for yourself and, for some cases, your eligible dependents. Eligible dependents
include your spouse and your unmarried child (or children) up to the age
of 21 provided he or she depends on you for support. |
| ENROLLMENT
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During your employer's annual
enrollment period, you can change or update your benefits selection. An
eligible employee may choose to join or drop out of the Legal Plan at
that time. If you become an eligible employee after the annual enrollment
period, you can elect to participate in the Legal Plan by completing your
election form within 30 days of employment. The Plan has a minimum participation
period of one year. |
| WHEN
COVERAGE ENDS (back
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Your ability to receive legal
services under the Plan ends if you are no longer an eligible employee
or if you choose not to enroll during future annual enrollment periods.
If you cease to be eligible to participate in the plan or your employment
with the Company ends, the Plan will cover the legal fees for those covered
services that were opened and pending during the period you were enrolled
in the plan. Of course, no new matters may be started after you become
ineligible. |
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PLAN CONFIDENTIALITY, ETHICS AND INDEPENDENT JUDGMENT (back to top) Your use of the Plan and the legal services is confidential. The Plan Attorney will maintain strict confidentiality of the traditional lawyer-client relationship. Your employer will know nothing about your legal problems or the services you use under the Plan. Plan administrators will have access only to limited statistical information needed for orderly administration of the Plan. No one will interfere with your Plan Attorney's independent exercise of professional judgment when representing you. All attorneys' services provided under the Plan are subject to ethical rules established by the courts for lawyers. The attorney will adhere to the rules of the Plan and he or she will not receive any further instructions, direction or interference from anyone else connected with the Plan. The attorney's obligations are exclusively to you. The attorney's relationship is exclusively with you. Hyatt Legal Plans, Inc., or the law firm providing services under the Plan is responsible for all services provided by their attorneys. You should understand that the Plan has no liability for the conduct of any Plan Attorney. You have the right to retain at your own expense any attorney authorized to practice law in the state. Plan attorneys will refuse to provide services if the matter is clearly without merit, frivolous or for the purpose of harassing another person. If you have a complaint about
the legal services you have received or the conduct of an attorney, call
Hyatt Legal Plans at 1-800-821-6400. Your complaint will be reviewed and
you will receive a response within two business days of your call. While your employer expects
to continue to offer participation in the Hyatt Premier Legal Plan, it
reserves the right to amend, or terminate the Plan at any time. If the
Plan is terminated, all covered services then in process will be handled
to their conclusion under the Plan. |
| ADMINISTRATION
AND FUNDING (back
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The Legal Plan is provided for and administered through a contract with Hyatt Legal Plans, Inc. Hyatt Legal Plans makes all determinations regarding attorneys' fees and what constitutes covered services. All contributions collected from employees electing this coverage are paid to Hyatt Legal Plans, Inc. COST OF THE PLAN You pay the cost of the Plan through after-tax payroll deductions. DENIAL OF BENEFITS AND APPEAL PROCEDURES Denials of Eligibility Hyatt verifies eligibility using information provided by your employer. When you call for services, you will be advised if you are ineligible and Hyatt Legal Plans will contact your employer for assistance. If you are not satisfied with the final determination of eligibility, you have the right to a formal review and appeal. See the procedures outlined in the next section. Denials of Coverage If you are denied coverage by Hyatt Legal Plans or by any Plan Attorney, you may appeal by sending a letter to: Hyatt Legal Plans, Inc. The Director will issue Hyatt Legal Plans' final determination within 30 days of receiving your letter. This determination will include the reasons for the denial with reference to the specific Plan provisions on which the denial is based and a description of any additional information that might cause Hyatt Legal Plans to reconsider the decision, and an explanation of the review procedure. |
| YOUR
ERISA RIGHTS (back
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Congress enacted the Employee
Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) to safeguard your interests and
those of your beneficiaries under your employee benefit plans. As a participant
in the Hyatt Premier Legal Plan, you are entitled to certain rights and
protections under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974
(ERISA). ERISA provides that all Plan participants shall be entitled to:
In addition to creating rights
for Plan participants, ERISA imposes duties upon the people who are responsible
for the operation of the employee benefit Plan. The people who operate
your Plan, called "fiduciaries" of the Plan, have a duty to
do so prudently and in the interest of you and other Plan participants
and beneficiaries. No one, including your employer or any other person,
may fire you or otherwise discriminate against you in any way to prevent
you from obtaining a welfare benefit or exercising your rights under ERISA.
If your claim for a welfare benefit is denied in whole or in part, you
must receive a written explanation of the reason for the denial. You have
the right to have the Plan review and consider your claim. Under ERISA,
there are steps you can take to enforce the above rights. If you request
materials from the Plan and do not receive them within 30 days, you may
file suit in a federal court. In such a case, the court may require the
Plan Administrator to provide the materials and pay you up to $110 a day
until you receive the materials, unless the materials were not sent because
of reasons beyond the control of the Administrator. If you have a claim
for benefits which is denied or ignored, in whole or in part, you may
file suit in a state or federal court. If it should happen that Plan fiduciaries
misuse the Plan's 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 federal court. The court will decide who should
pay court costs and legal fees. If you lose, the court may order you to
pay these costs and fees, for example if it finds your claim is frivolous.
If you have any questions about your Plan, you should contact the Plan
Administrator. If you have any questions about this statement or about
your rights under ERISA, you should contact the nearest Area Office of
the U.S. Labor Management Services Administration, U.S. Department of
Labor. |
| FOR
YOUR INFORMATION: (back
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Type of Plan: Welfare Benefit Plan for pre-paid legal services Agent for Service of Legal Process: Plan Administrator Provider of Benefits: Hyatt
Legal Plans, Inc. If you are having any kind
of problem, please call Hyatt Legal Plans at 1-800-821-6400. A Hyatt Legal
Plans representative will help you solve the problem to your satisfaction. |