Employee Assistance Program
Summary plan description of the Employee Assistance Program (EAP) as of January 2024
Introduction
The ExxonMobil Employee Assistance Program (EAP) offers confidential, professional counseling for personal problems requiring limited intervention and referral services. Short-term counselling through EAP is available either virtual or in person, or a combination of both. You also have access to the following resources: resiliency coaching; digital Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) through an interactive digital program that addresses stress, depression, anxiety, substance use, mindfulness, insomnia, and more; an online platform available 24/7; credentialed clinicians with expertise in children for caregivers of children with special needs; and work-life assistance resources including legal/financial services and referrals. EAP coverage is automatic for eligible employees and family members at no cost to you.
EAP is described in this SPD. These tools help you find specific information quickly and easily.
- Information sources, places where you can get more information.
- Plan at a glance, highlighting plan basics.
- A list of Key terms containing definitions of some words and terms used in this SPD.
A careful review of this SPD will help you understand how the Plan works so you can make the best use of it.
You may obtain additional information through the sources shown in the Information sources section.
Information sources
Care manager — Arranges for and provides counseling services.
Phone number:
ComPsych
888-226-1420
24 hours a day, seven days a week
Website:
www.guidanceresources.com. Register using your Organization web ID: exxonmobil.
App: GuidanceNowSM
ExxonMobil Benefits Service Center – Provides plan-related information.
Phone: 833-776-9966
Hours: 8am – 4pm CST, Monday through Friday, except certain holidays
Your Total Rewards portal: digital.alight.com/exxonmobil
Alight Mobile app (available through Apple App Store or Google Play)
Address:
Dept 02694, PO Box 64116, The Woodlands, TX, 77387-4116
ExxonMobil sponsored sites –Provides employees and their family members access to plan-related information.
- EM Connect, the Human Resources Intranet Site — Can be accessed at work by current employees.
- ExxonMobil Family, the Human Resources Internet Site — Can be accessed from home by everyone at www.exxonmobilfamily.com.
Eligibility and enrollment
Eligibility and enrollment details for the Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
Most U.S. dollar-paid employees of Exxon Mobil Corporation and participating affiliates are eligible for EAP. See eligible employees in the Key terms section. Your eligible family members may also participate. Coverage is automatic; you do not enroll.
Generally, you are eligible if:
- You are a regular employee.
- You are an extended part-time employee.
- You are characterized as a trainee as described in the Key Terms section.
Eligible family members
Eligible family members are generally your:
- Spouse,
- A child who is described in any one of the following paragraphs (1) through (3):
- has not reached the end of the month during which age 26 is attained, or
- is totally and continuously disabled and incapable of self-sustaining employment by reason of mental or physical disability, provided the child:
- is recognized under a qualified medical child support order as having a right to coverage under this Plan.
- A child aged 26 or over who was disabled but who no longer meets the requirements of paragraph two (2) above, ceases to be an eligible family member 60 days following the date on which the applicable requirement is not met.
(a) meets the Internal Revenue Service's definition of a dependent, and
(b) was covered as an eligible family member under this Plan immediately prior to age 26 when the child's eligibility would have otherwise ceased, and
(c) met the clinical definition of totally and continuously disabled before age 26 and continues to meet the clinical definition through subsequent periodic reassessment reviews, or
Refer to Key terms for definitions of eligible family members, child, spouse and Qualified Medical Child Support Order.
When coverage begins
Generally, your coverage begins on your first day of employment. Family members are covered on the later of the date you begin employment or the date your family member meets the eligibility requirements.
When coverage ends
Coverage for you and/or your family members ends on the earliest of the following dates:
The last day of the month in which:
- You terminate employment. Your employment is deemed to continue for purposes of this Plan until the end of the period during which you are:
- Absent due to a leave of absence approved by your employer, or
- Receiving short-term disability benefits under a disability income plan sponsored by the company.
- The date:
- You (as a covered employee or family member) are no longer eligible for benefits under this Plan.
- Your employer discontinues participation in the Plan.
- Your family member begins active duty in the armed forces of any country, state or international organization, or becomes a member of any civilian force auxiliary to any military force.
- The Plan is terminated.
A Qualified Medical Child Support Order is no longer in effect for a covered family member.
Extended coverage at termination
You are entitled to extended coverage for as much as a year if you are terminated due to disability with fewer than 15 years of service. This coverage is provided at no cost to you. This is considered a portion of the COBRA continuation period. In order to continue coverage beyond this extension period, you must elect COBRA upon termination of employment.
Several conditions must be met:
- The disability must exist when your employment terminates.
- The extension lasts only as long as the disability continues, but no longer than 12 months.
This extension applies only to the employee who is terminated because of a disability. Continuation coverage for eligible family members may be available through COBRA.
How the plan works
How the plan works for the EAP
Private and confidential
EAP professional counselors are located away from your workplace location, and ComPsych does not reveal to the company the names of or reasons for individuals seeking EAP assistance. Unless your supervisor identifies and discusses with you a situation where EAP benefits would be beneficial, you tell others, or the law requires disclosure, no one at the company will know that you are using the program. In situations involving real or potential harm to individuals (for example, child abuse cases or direct threats of violence against a person), laws require that certain notifications be made. EAP counselors will comply with these laws and disclose required information.
Professional counselors
ComPsych makes available the counseling and referral services offered by EAP through a network of credentialed, licensed clinicians with expertise in areas such as: adolescents and children, anxiety disorders and depression, domestic violence, marriage and families, stress management, and substance abuse.
No charge for EAP services
Many problems can be resolved in just a few sessions with an experienced counselor. EAP may provide you or your eligible family members with up to eight sessions in a calendar year for each issue.
If you need more counseling sessions than are provided under EAP - or if you need services that are not provided by EAP - the EAP counselor will refer you to outside services. If the EAP counselor determines that more intense services are needed, you may be immediately referred to an appropriate mental health provider. The cost of the additional or outside services is not covered under EAP.
Eligible services under your plan
Eligible services under your plan under the EAP
You may call the service at any time, for any reason. Reasons for seeking assistance are as varied as the individuals calling. Some of the types of situations for which you may seek help include:
Counseling Services: Confidential, professional counseling for personal problems requiring limited intervention and referral services for more complicated problems. Up to 8 sessions per issue per year, which can be either virtual, in person or a combination of both.
Well-Being Coaching: Connecting with a personal coach for one-on-one sessions available virtually or by phone to cover a variety of issues, including tackling burnout and work-life balance, developing self-compassion and resiliency, improving sleep, and more.
Work/life support and services: Offers services for family care and personal convenience matters; including customized, timely referral information and educational literature. Participants can call an unlimited number of times regarding the same or different issues related to child and elder care, adoption, education, pet care, and personal convenience needs. Online access to information also available.
Legal: access to in-house legal department that can provide insightful coaching and guidance to address participants’ unique and challenging needs, such as bankruptcy, contracts, credit, estate planning, identity theft, real estate, wills, family/civil, and more. If necessary, participants can receive a referral to a local network attorneys for a free 30-minute initial meeting as well as a 25% reduction in fees for any services rendered thereafter.
Financial: access to in-house financial department. Covers broad range of issues, including credit issues, debt and bankruptcy, family budgeting, insurance options, investment options, money management, mortgages, loans, and refinancing. Personal finance professionals must have a college degree, professional certification, and financial planning experience. Helpful articles also available online.
For more extensive financial support, see the Financial Fitness Program.
Children with special needs – education and counseling: EAP includes online resources and licensed clinicians with expertise in children. It can assist caregivers with connecting them to providers who have specialties in parent/child relationships, family issues, learning disabilities, caregiver burnout, parental stress, and other relevant areas of expertise, as well as helping locate support groups. EAP also offers a wide range of articles, resource guides, online centers, and entire website sections focused on parenting, caregiving, special needs and gifted children, autism spectrum disorder, and other challenges.
Digital Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT), through interactive digital program that addresses stress, depression, anxiety, substance use, mindfulness, insomnia, and more. This needs-based digital platform uses sophisticated artificial intelligence to address issues in a personalized and user-friendly fashion. Digital CBT is available via desktop, tablet, and mobile app, providing support and services whenever and wherever users need it most. Go to www.guidanceresources.com and on the main landing page, search for “Additional Tools & Resources” and click Digital Self-Care Tools tile so you can download the Koa Foundations app.
GuidanceResources Online: Access to an online portal which provides employees with instant guidance, information, and helpful tools to address life’s challenges. This site includes a comprehensive library of topics, including health, wellness, consumer, family, career, education, legal, and financial information as well as multimedia and interactive tools. Employees can also download the GuidanceNow app to their smartphones to browse articles and HelpSheets, search directories and use one-touch dialing to connect with local experts.
How to get the care you need
To get EAP assistance, check these options to get started:
Option 1: Call ComPsych
Dial 888-226-1420 24 hours a day, seven days a week. You will reach a licensed, master’s-level intake clinician.
Intake and Assessment Process
Routine Intake: For routine calls, the intake clinician or GuidanceConsultant will:
- Complete an assessment of the caller’s situation and determine if there is an urgent need
- Explain the referral process and answer any questions about the service
- Refer the caller to a local GuidanceExpert
The member will then schedule online or virtual counseling appointments and follow-up visits with a GuidanceExpert, or the GuidanceConsultant can help to make the initial appointment at the caller’s request.
Urgent and Emergent Triage: When a caller presents with an emergency, our professionals engage the caller, implement crisis protocols, and provide emergency intervention with a local professional (such as a hospital, the police, or a GuidanceExpert) who will take further action, as appropriate.
Assessment and Counseling: Intake and assessment are generally completed during the first call and finalized during the first session with a GuidanceExpert. The remaining sessions are used to work toward resolving the presented issue.
During in-person or virtual counseling sessions, GuidanceExperts will:
- Evaluate the individual’s situation and symptoms
- Work with the individual to identify the primary issue and set achievable treatment goals
- Determine an appropriate treatment plan
GuidanceExperts will typically evaluate individuals during the first and second sessions and treat them in the remaining ones. For individuals seeking help beyond the EAP (needing inpatient care, or longer term treatment), GuidanceExperts will help them engage with the ExxonMobil Medical Plan for the next phase of care.
Option 2: Find an EAP Provider
You may also select an EAP provider at www.guidanceresources.com. Sign in with your user name and password. If you are registering for the first time, go to the Register tab and type exxonmobil under Organization Web ID and complete registration process. You can then locate a nearby counselor by clicking the “Find a Therapist with GuidanceConnect” button at the Connect to Care bar in the home page. Users can also search for a local attorney, financial expert, child care, and elder care providers under the Additional Tools and Resources section further down on the homepage.
Option 3: Connect to Care Online
Through the “Connect to Care” area on the homepage at www.guidanceresources.com, ComPsych also offers alternative methods of accessing support for those individuals who prefer the anonymity of the internet or are otherwise reluctant to call the toll-free number.
These access methods can include:
Sending a Question: Through the “Send a Question” option, users can send a confidential message to ComPsych requesting help for any emotional, mental, family, financial, legal, or other issue. The appropriate ComPsych expert will reply to the inquiry within one business day with a response sent via email to the user’s specific email account/mailbox or phone number.
Chatting with an Expert: Through the “Chat for a Referral” option, users can chat with our local intake clinicians, providing a quick and discreet way for users to receive referral information and services. Chat is conducted in real time, so individuals can receive immediate help. All chats with our intake clinicians are private, as ComPsych adheres to the highest levels of confidentiality and privacy standards.
Option 4: GuidanceResources Mobile App
GuidanceResources Online mobile app, GuidanceNowSM enables users to access all of the same great features as the website. Members can access program information and member resources, find local providers, and browse content on topics such as managing stress, financial planning, child care, elder care, and more. In addition to enabling one-click capability to reach our call center, via the ExxonMobil-dedicated phone number, users can also access mobile-specific features such as click-to-call (to dial a phone number) and location-based mapping.Continuation coverage
Continuation coverage for the Employee Advisory Program (EAP)
If ComPsych determines that you need urgent care, ComPsych will provide telephonic crisis counseling and make an appropriate referral to your benefit plan and/or emergency resources in the community. The EAP does not provide urgent care.
Because ComPsych pays all EAP providers directly, you should not make any payment to a provider for EAP services. In the event that you mistakenly pay a provider for EAP services, ComPsych will make a determination on your request for reimbursement within 15 days after receipt of the Claim (if EAP services have not yet been received) or with 30 days after receipt of the Claim (if the EAP services have already been received). ComPsych will notify you of its determination in writing, within the 15 day or 30 day period, as applicable.
To use EAP, call ComPsych at 888-226-1420. You do not pay for or file claim forms for your EAP counseling sessions. If you require additional services beyond that provided by EAP, those services may be provided under your medical plan.
If you have a problem with a plan benefit, contact ComPsych. The Care Manager is responsible for determining and informing you of your entitlement to a benefit.
The following categories of claims for benefits apply to the ExxonMobil Employee Assistance Program, and according to the type of claim submitted, ComPsych will review your claim and respond within a designated response time. If ComPsych needs additional time (an extension) to decide on your claim because of special circumstances, you will be notified within the claim response period.
Urgent care means care needed to avoid serious jeopardy to your life or health or to regain maximum function (or required to avoid severe pain), as determined by ComPsych or your treating physician. ComPsych does not make Claim determinations relating to urgent care.
Pre-service claims are any claims for benefits where the Plan provisions require approval before care is obtained.
Post-service claims are claims made after care is received and apply to claims under the ExxonMobil Employee Assistance Program.
Type of Claim |
Response Time |
Extension |
Urgent care claims |
Not applicable |
|
Pre-service claims |
15 days |
An additional 15 days. However, if an extension is necessary due to incomplete information, you must provide the additional information within 45 days from the date of receipt of the extension notice. |
Post-service claims |
30 days |
An additional 15 days. However, if an extension is necessary due to incomplete information, you must provide the additional information within 45 days from the date of receipt of the extension notice. |
Denied claims
If your claim for benefits is denied completely or partially, and you authorize written communication to you, ComPsych will provide written notice to you, your beneficiary, or designated representative. The notice will describe:
- The specific reason(s) for the denial for the denial decision,
- Identify Plan provisions on which the decision is based,
- Describe any additional material or information necessary for an appeal review and an explanation of why it is necessary,
- Explain the review procedure, including time limits for appealing the decision and to sue in federal court,
- Identify your right to receive, free of charge, upon your request, any internal rule, guidelines, protocol, or similar criterion relied on in making the decision, and
- Identify your right to receive, free of charge, upon your request, an explanation of the clinical judgment on which the decision is based (if the denial is based on exclusion of experimental treatment services or because EAP services are not clinically appropriate).
If you do not authorize written notice, ComPsych will furnish this information to you or your Authorized Representative by telephone.
Filing a mandatory appeal
If you believe your Claim for EAP benefits was denied in error, you may appeal the decision. Your appeal must be submitted in writing to ComPsych within 180 days following your receipt of a denial notice.
Your appeal should state the reasons why you feel your Claim for EAP benefits is valid and include any additional documentation that you feel supports your Claim for EAP benefits. You can also include any additional questions or comments. You may submit written comments, documents, records and other information relating to your appeal, whether or not the comments, documents, records or information were submitted in connection with the initial Claim for EAP benefits. On your request, ComPsych will make relevant documents available to you.
The review of the initial decision will consider all new information, whether or not it was presented or available for the initial decision. The person who conducts the appeal review will be different from the person(s) who originally denied your Claim for EAP benefits and will not report directly to the original decision maker or prior reviewer.
You or your Authorized Representative will be notified of the appeal decision within the following time frames:
- If the case involves an adverse determination on a request for EAP services or a pre-service adverse determination relating to reimbursement, within thirty (30) days of ComPsych's receipt of the request for appeal;
- If the case involves a post-service adverse determination relating to reimbursement, within sixty (60) days of ComPsych's receipt of the request for appeal.
If ComPsych needs additional time to decide on your claim because of special circumstances, you will be notified within the claim response period. However, an extension may be requested, but the law stipulates that no additional time will be allowed.
If you authorize written communication, ComPsych will give you or your Authorized Representative the decision on the appeal in writing. If the denial is upheld on appeal, the notice will set forth:
- The specific reason(s) for the denial and the Plan provisions upon which the denial is based.
- A statement that you are entitled to receive, upon request and free of charge, reasonable access to, and copies of, all documents, records, and other information relevant to the claim.
- Notice of your right to receive, free of charge, upon your request, any internal rule, guidelines, protocol, or similar criterion relied on in making the decision.
- Notice of your right to receive, free of charge, upon your request, an explanation of the clinical judgment on which the decision is based (if the denial is based on exclusion of experimental treatment services or because EAP services are not clinically appropriate).
- A statement of your right to bring an action under section 502(a) of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA).
If you do not authorize written notification, ComPsych will furnish this information to you or your Authorized Representative by telephone. If you do not agree with the final decision of ComPsych, you may bring a lawsuit in federal district court within one year of the final decision. You cannot bring legal action unless your Claim has been reviewed and denied by ComPsych.
Legal actions
No action at law or in equity to recover benefits under the Plan shall be brought unless the mandatory appeal process has been completed. In any event, no such action shall be brought after the expiration of one year from the time an appeal is decided by ComPsych.
Continuation coverage
Continuation coverage for the Employee Advisory Program (EAP)
Introduction
You are required to be given the information in this section because you are covered under a group health plan (the ExxonMobil Employee Assistance Program). This section contains important information about your right to COBRA continuation coverage, which is a temporary extension of coverage under the Plan under certain circumstances when coverage would otherwise end. This section generally explains COBRA continuation coverage, when it may become available to you and your family, and what you need to do to protect the right to receive it.
The right to COBRA coverage was created by a federal law, the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1985 (COBRA). COBRA coverage can become available to you when you would otherwise lose your group health coverage. It can also become available to your spouse and children, if they are covered under the Plan when they would otherwise lose their group health coverage or other rights under the Plan. This section does not fully describe COBRA coverage or other rights under the Plan. For additional information about your rights and obligations under the Plan and under federal law, you should review this SPD or contact the ExxonMobil Benefits Service Center at the telephone numbers or address listed the Contacts for COBRA rights under the ExxonMobil Employee Assistance Program.
If you, your spouse and your family members lose coverage under a qualifying event, you have the right to continue by electing COBRA. You have to make an active COBRA enrollment in EAP. EAP services are available at no charge throughout the COBRA period.
Determination of Benefits Administration Entity to Contact: current ExxonMobil employees[FMG1] [TGG2] , their covered family members and former ExxonMobil Employees and their covered family members, who have elected and are participating through COBRA should all contact ExxonMobil Benefits Service Center at 1-833-776-9966 (Monday – Friday 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m CST) or access Your Rewards portal.
The contact information for each of these entities is as shown in the Contacts for COBRA Rights section.
What is COBRA coverage?
COBRA coverage is a continuation of Plan coverage when coverage would otherwise end because of a life event known as a qualifying event. Specific qualifying events are listed later in this section. If a specific qualifying event occurs and any required notice of that event is properly provided to the ExxonMobil Benefits Service Center, COBRA coverage must be offered to each person losing coverage who is a qualified beneficiary. You, your spouse, and your children could become qualified beneficiaries if coverage under the Plan is lost because of the qualifying event. Certain newborns, newly adopted children, and alternate recipients under QMCSOs may also be qualified beneficiaries. This is discussed in more detail in separate paragraphs below.
Who is entitled to elect COBRA?
If you are an employee, you will be entitled to elect COBRA, if you lose your coverage under the Plan because either one of the following qualifying events happens:
- Your hours of employment are reduced, or
- Your employment ends for any reason other than your gross misconduct.
If you are the spouse of an employee, you will be entitled to elect COBRA if you lose coverage under the Plan because any of the following qualifying events happens:
- Your spouse dies,
- Your spouse’s hours of employment are reduced,
- Your spouse’s employment ends for any reason other than his or her gross misconduct,
- You become divorced from your spouse. Also, if your spouse (the employee) reduces or eliminates your group health coverage in anticipation of a divorce, and a divorce later occurs, then the divorce may be considered a qualifying event for you even though your coverage was reduced or eliminated before the divorce.
A person enrolled as the employee’s child will be entitled to elect COBRA if he or she loses coverage under the Plan because any of the following qualifying events happens:
- The parent-employee dies,
- The parent-employee’s hours of employment are reduced,
- The parent-employee’s employment ends for any reason other than his or her gross misconduct, or
- The child stops being eligible for coverage under the Plan as a child.
When is COBRA coverage available?
When the qualifying event is the end of employment or reduction of hours of employment or death of the employee, the Plan will offer COBRA coverage to qualified beneficiaries. You need to notify the ExxonMobil Benefits Service Center of any other qualifying events.
For the other qualifying events (divorce of the employee resulting in the spouse or a child losing eligibility for coverage), a COBRA election will be available to you only if you notify and provide the appropriate forms to the ExxonMobil Benefits Service Center. You must notify the Benefits Service Center of the loss of your eligibility or your ineligible family members within 30 days from the date of the event except for the events of divorce or loss of Medicaid or Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) coverage of you, your spouse or dependent for which you have up to 60 days to report. You may enroll in COBRA continuation coverage within 60 days from the later of the date coverage is lost or the date on the COBRA Election Notice statement. Current employees may give notice of qualifying events by logging onto Your Total Rewards portal.
Please note: Notice is not effective until either a change is made on Your Total Rewards portal or the proper information is received by the ExxonMobil Benefits Service Center. If notice is not submitted during the 30 or 60-day notice period depending on the change in status, then all qualified beneficiaries will lose their right to elect COBRA.
Election of COBRA
Each qualified beneficiary will have an independent right to elect COBRA. Covered employees and spouses (if the spouse is a qualified beneficiary) may elect COBRA on behalf of all qualified beneficiaries, and parents may elect COBRA on behalf of their children. Any qualified beneficiary for whom COBRA is not elected within the 60-day election period specified in the Plan’s COBRA election notice WILL LOSE HIS OR HER RIGHT TO ELECT COBRA.
How long does COBRA coverage last?
COBRA coverage is a temporary continuation of Plan coverage that lasts between 18-36 months depending on the qualifying event.
You, your spouse and covered dependents may qualify for up to 18 months of continuation coverage, if you qualify due to one of the following qualifying events:
- Your employment ends for any reason other than termination for gross misconduct;
- Your work hours are reduced and you are no longer eligible to participate in the Plan ; or
- Unpaid Leave of Absence
Your covered spouse and covered dependent may qualify for up to 36 months of continuation coverage, if they qualify due to one of the following qualifying events:
- You die;
- You and your spouse get a divorce; or
An enrolled child no longer meets the definition of “child” under the terms of the Plan.
Second qualifying event extension COBRA coverage
If your family experiences another qualifying event while receiving COBRA coverage as a result of the covered employee’s termination of employment or reduction of hours (including COBRA coverage during a disability extension as described above), the covered spouse and children in your family can get up to 18 additional months of COBRA continuation coverage, for a maximum of 36 months, if notice of the second qualifying event is properly given the COBRA Administrator. This extension may be available to the spouse and any children receiving COBRA coverage if the employee or former employee dies, gets divorced, or if the covered child stops being eligible under the Plan as a child. This extension is not available under the Plan when a covered employee becomes entitled to Medicare after his or her termination of employment or reduction of hours. This extension due to a second qualifying event is available only if you notify the correct benefits administration entity within 60 days of the date of the second qualifying event.
Disability extension of 18-month COBRA continuation coverage
The 18-month continuation period may be extended for you and your covered family members if the Social Security Administration determines that you or another family members, who is a qualified beneficiary, is disabled at any time during the first 60 days of continuation coverage. If all of the following requirements are met, coverage for all family members who are qualified beneficiaries as a result of the same qualifying event can be extended for up to an additional 11 months (for a total of 29 months):
- This extension is available only for qualified beneficiaries who are receiving COBRA coverage because of a qualifying event that was the covered employee’s termination of employment or reduction of hours.
- The disability must have started at some time before the 61st day after the covered employee’s termination of employment or reduction of hours and must last at least until the end of the period of COBRA coverage that would be available without the disability extension (generally 18 months, as described above).
- A copy of the Notice of Award from the Social Security Administration is provided to the COBRA Administrator [ExxonMobil Benefits Service Center] within 60 days of receipt of the notice and before the end of the initial 18 months of continuation coverage.
- If the disabled qualified beneficiary elects continuation coverage, you must pay an increased premium of 150 percent of the monthly cost of Plan coverage that’s continued, beginning with the 19th month of continuation coverage.
Extension Due to Medicare Eligibility
Coverage may also last up 36 months for a covered spouse or covered dependent when loss of coverage is the result of a qualifying event that is the end of the employee’s employment or the reduction of the employee's hours of employment, and the employee became entitled to Medicare benefits less than 18 months before the qualifying event. In this case, COBRA coverage under the Plan for qualified beneficiaries (other than the employee) may last until up to 36 months after the date of the employee’s Medicare entitlement. For example, if a covered employee becomes entitled to Medicare 8 months before the date on which his employment terminates, COBRA coverage for his spouse and children who lost coverage as a result of his termination can last up to 36 months after the date of Medicare entitlement, which is equal to 28 months after the date of the qualifying event (36 months minus 8 months). This COBRA coverage period is available only if the covered employee becomes entitled to Medicare within 18 months before termination or reduction of hours.
When COBRA Coverage Ends
- COBRA coverage may be terminated before the maximum period if the member requests early termination, or if Exxon Mobil Corporation no longer provides group health coverage to any of its eligible employees or eligible retirees. Otherwise, coverage will last for the applicable period.
Are there other coverage options besides COBRA continuation coverage?
Yes. Instead of enrolling in COBRA continuation coverage, there may be other coverage options for you and your family through the Health Insurance Marketplace, Medicaid, or other group health plan coverage options (such as a spouse’s plan) through what is called a special enrollment period. You can learn more about many of these options at www.healthcare.gov.
More information about individuals who may be qualified beneficiaries during COBRA
A child born to, adopted by, or placed for adoption with a covered employee during a period of COBRA coverage is considered to be a qualified beneficiary provided that, if the covered employee is a qualified beneficiary, the covered employee has elected COBRA coverage for himself or herself.
The child's COBRA coverage begins when the child is enrolled in the Plan, whether through special enrollment or open enrollment, and it lasts for as long as COBRA coverage lasts for other family members of the employee. To be enrolled in the Plan, the child must satisfy the otherwise-applicable Plan eligibility requirements (for example, regarding age).
Alternate recipients under QMCSOs
A child of the covered employee who is receiving benefits under the Plan pursuant to a qualified medical child support order (QMCSO) received by ExxonMobil during the covered employee's period of employment with ExxonMobil is entitled to the same rights to elect COBRA as an eligible child of the covered employee.
Cost of COBRA coverage
EAP services are available at no charge throughout the COBRA period.
If you have questions
Questions concerning your Plan or your COBRA continuation coverage rights should be addressed to the contact or contacts identified below. For more information about your rights under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA), including COBRA, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, and other laws affecting group health plans, contact the nearest Regional or District Office of the U.S. Department of Labor’s Employee Benefits Security Administration (EBSA) in your area or visit www.dol.gov/ebsa. (Addresses and phone numbers of Regional and District EBSA Offices are available through EBSA’s website.) For more information about the Marketplace, visit www.healthcare.gov.
Keep your plan informed of address changes
In order to protect your family's rights, you should keep ExxonMobil Benefits Service Center informed of any changes in your address as well as the addresses of family members. You should also keep a copy, for your records, of any notices you send.
Contacts for COBRA rights under the ExxonMobil Medical Plan
The following sets out the contact numbers based on your status under the ExxonMobil Medical Plan. FAILURE TO NOTIFY THE CORRECT ENTITY COULD RESULT IN YOUR LOSS OF COBRA RIGHTS.
If your status is not listed, call the ExxonMobil Benefits Service Center for help.
Contacts: |
Address: |
Employees and their covered family members / Former employees and family members who have elected and are participating through COBRA: |
|
ExxonMobil Benefits Service Center |
ExxonMobil Benefits Service Center |
Administrative and ERISA information
Administrative and ERISA information for the Employee Advisory Program (EAP)
This section contains technical information about the Plan and identifies its administrator. It also contains a summary of your rights with respect to the Plan and instructions about how you can submit an appeal if your claim for benefits is denied.
The formal name of the Plan is the ExxonMobil Employee Employee Assistance Program.
Plan sponsor and participating affiliates
The ExxonMobil Employee Assistance Program is sponsored by:
Exxon Mobil Corporation
22777 Springwoods Village Pkwy
Spring, TX 77389
All of Exxon Mobil Corporation's divisions and most of the major U.S. affiliates participate in the ExxonMobil Employee Program. A complete list of participating affiliates is available from the Administrator-Benefits upon written request.
Certain employees covered by collective bargaining agreements do not participate in the Plan.
Basic Plan information
Plan administrator
The Plan Administrator for the ExxonMobil Employee Assistance Program is the Administrator-Benefits. The Administrator-Benefits is the Manager-Global Benefits Design, Exxon Mobil Corporation. You may contact the Administrator-Benefits at the following address. Legal process may be served upon the Administrator-Benefits c/o Exxon Mobil Corporation by serving the Corporation's Registered Agent for Service of Process, Corporation Service Company (CSC).
Administrator-Benefits
ExxonMobil Employee Assistance Program
DEPT 02694 / PO Box 64116 / The Woodlands, TX, 77387-4116
For service of legal process:
Corporation Service Co.
211 East 7th Street, Suite 620
Austin, Texas 78701-3218
Authority of Administrator-Benefits
The Administrator-Benefits (and those to whom the Administrator-Benefits has delegated authority) has the full and final discretionary authority to determine eligibility for benefits, to construe and interpret the terms of the Employee Employee Assistance Program in its application to any participant or beneficiary, and to decide any and all claim appeals.
Claims Fiduciary and appeals
The Claims Fiduciary is the person to whom all appeals are filed. For the ExxonMobil Employee Assistance Program, the Claims Fiduciary is the Care Manager, ComPsych. The Care Manager will decide all appeals for denied benefits. File any appeals with:
ComPsych
455 North Cityfront Plaza Drive
Chicago, IL 60611
Type of plan
The ExxonMobil Employee Employee Assistance Program is a welfare plan under ERISA providing professional counseling for personal problems requiring limited intervention and referral services for more complicated problems.
Plan numbers
The ExxonMobil Employee Employee Assistance Program is identified with government agencies under two numbers: the Employer Identification Number 13-5409005 and the Plan Number 609.
Plan year
The plan year is the calendar year, January 1 through December 31.
Plan funding
Benefits are funded through employer contributions.
No implied promises
Nothing in the ExxonMobil Employee Assistance Program gives you a right to remain in employment or affects ExxonMobil’s right to terminate your employment at any time and for any reason (which is hereby reserved).
Future of the Plan
ExxonMobil has the right to change, suspend, withdraw, amend, modify, or terminate the Plan or any of its provisions at any time and for any reason. A change also may be made to required contributions and future eligibility for coverage, and may apply to those who retired in the past, as well as those who retire in the future. If any material changes are made in the future, you will be notified.
For health plans, certain rules apply regarding what happens when a plan is changed, terminated, or merged.
Claims incurred before the effective date of a plan change or termination will not be affected. Claims incurred after a plan is terminated won't be covered.
Your rights under ERISA
As a participant in EAP, you have certain rights and protections under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA). ERISA provides that as a plan participant, you shall be entitled to:
Receive information about your plan and benefits
- Examine, without charge, at the office of the Administrator-Benefits and at other specified locations, such as worksites and union halls, all documents governing EAP, including collective bargaining agreements, and a copy of the latest annual report (Form 5500 Series) filed by EAP with the U.S. Department of Labor and available at the Public Disclosure Room of the Employee Benefits Security Administration.
- Obtain, upon written request to the Administrator-Benefits, copies of documents governing the operation of EAP, including collective bargaining agreements, and copies of the latest annual report (Form 5500 Series) and updated summary plan description. The administrator may require a reasonable charge for the copies.
- Receive a summary of EAP's annual financial report. The Administrator-Benefits is required by law to furnish each participant with a copy of this summary annual report.
Prudent actions by EAP fiduciaries
In addition to creating rights for EAP participants, ERISA imposes duties upon the people who are responsible for the operation of the employee benefit plan. The people who operate EAP, called fiduciaries, have a duty to do so prudently and in the interest of you and other EAP participants and beneficiaries. No one, including your employer, your union, or any other person, may fire you or otherwise discriminate against you in any way to prevent you from obtaining a plan benefit or exercising your rights under ERISA.
Enforce your rights
If your claim for a benefit is denied or ignored, in whole or in part, you have a right to know why this was done, to obtain copies of documents relating to the decision without 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 EAP documents or the latest summary annual report from the EAP 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 Administrator-Benefits 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 and an appeal for benefits, which are denied or ignored, in whole or in part, you may file suit in a state or Federal court. Any such lawsuits must be brought within one year of the date on which an appeal was denied. Such lawsuit must be filed in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Texas, Houston, Texas, or in the United States District Court for the federal judicial district where the employee currently works. If a retiree or terminee, the suit must be filed in the last location worked prior to termination of employment. Beneficiaries must also file in the same federal judicial district that the employee or retiree would be required to file. 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 is frivolous.
Assistance with your questions
If you have any questions about EAP, you should contact the Care Manager or contact ExxonMobil Benefits Service Center. If you have any questions about this statement or about your rights under ERISA, or if you need assistance in obtaining documents from the Administrator-Benefits, you should contact the nearest office of the Employee Benefits Security Administration, U.S. Department of Labor, listed in your telephone directory or the Division of Technical Assistance and Inquiries, Employee Benefits Security Administration, U.S. Department of Labor, 200 Constitution Avenue N.W., Washington, D.C. 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.
Key terms
List of key terms in the Employee Advisory Program (EAP)
Barred employee
An employee who is covered by a collective bargaining agreement except to the extent participation is provided under such agreement.
Care Manager
ComPsych Healthcare or its successor as designated by ExxonMobil Corporation.
Child
A person under age 26 who is;
- A naturally or legally adopted child of a regular or non-regular employee or retiree,
- A grandchild, niece, nephew, cousin, or other child related by blood or marriage over whom a regular or non-regular employee, retiree, or the spouse of a regular or non-regular employee or retiree (separately or together) is the sole court appointed legal guardian or sole managing conservator,
- A child for whom the regular or non-regular employee or retiree has assumed a legal obligation for support immediately prior to the child's adoption by the regular or non-regular employee or retiree, or
- A stepchild of a regular or non-regular employee or retiree.
Child does not include a foster child.
Eligible employees
Most U.S. dollar-paid employees of Exxon Mobil Corporation and participating affiliates are eligible. Full-time employees not hired on a temporary basis (also called regular employees) are eligible. Effective January 1, 2023 non-regular employees are also eligible.
The following are not eligible to participate in the Plan: employees of Station Operators, Inc. (SOI), leased employees as defined in the Internal Revenue Code, barred employees, or special agreement persons as defined in the plan document. Generally, special-agreement persons are persons paid by the company on a commission basis, persons working for an unaffiliated company that provides services to the company, and persons working for the company pursuant to a contract that excludes coverage of benefits.
Expatriate employee inbound to the United States including service-oriented employees employed by non-U.S., non-participating employers who are temporarily working in the United States are also eligible employees.
Eligible family members
Eligible family members are generally your:
- Spouse,
- A child who is described in any one of the following paragraphs (1) through (3):
- has not reached the end of the month during which age 26 is attained, or
- is totally and continuously disabled and incapable of self-sustaining employment by reason of mental or physical disability, provided the child:
- is recognized under a qualified medical child support order as having a right to coverage under this Plan.
a) meets the Internal Revenue Service's definition of a dependent, and
b) was covered as an eligible family member under this Plan immediately prior to age 26 when the child's eligibility would have otherwise ceased, and
c) met the clinical definition of totally and continuously disabled before age 26 and continues to meet the clinical definition through subsequent periodic reassessment reviews, or
A child aged 26 or over who was disabled but who no longer meets the requirements of paragraph two (2) above, ceases to be an eligible family member 60 days following the date on which the applicable requirement is not met.
Please note: An eligible employee's parents are not eligible to be covered.
Non-regular employee
“Non-regular employee” means an employee of a participating employer who does not regularly work a full-time schedule or is employed on a temporary basis.
Qualified Medical Child Support Order
A Qualified Medical Child Support Order (QMCSO) is a court decree under which a court order mandates health coverage for a child. A QMCSO must include, at a minimum:
- Name and address of the employee covered by the health plan.
- The name and address of each child for whom coverage is mandated.
- A reasonable description for the coverage to be provided.
- The time period of coverage.
- The name of each health plan to which the order applies.
You may obtain, without charge, a copy of the Plan's procedures governing QMCSO determinations by written request to the Administrator-Benefits.
Regular employee
An employee of a participating employer, whether or not the person is a director, who, as determined by the participating employer, regularly works a full-time schedule, and is not employed on a temporary basis. The definition includes a person who regularly works a full-time schedule but who, for a limited period of time, is approved for a part-time regular work arrangement under the participating employer’s work rules relating to part-time work for regular employees.
Spouse; marriage
All references to marriage shall mean a marriage that is legally recognized under the laws of the state or other jurisdiction in which the marriage takes place, consistent with U.S. federal tax law. All references to a spouse or a married person shall refer to individuals who have such a marriage.