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Not sure if this topic has ben discussed on this forum but I have to vent - I have been member of IATSE local 695 for the past 7 years. I have paid my quarterly dues on time and have worked hard to accrue my hours to be eligible for my insurance benefits. I recently received a letter from MPI Health Plan stating that as of January 1, 2013, participants will have to pay a premium for their dependents. "For Participants with 1 dependent, the premium is $25 per month, paid quarterly, semi-annually or annually." "For Participants with 2 or more dependents, the premium is $50 per month, paid quarterly, semi-annually or annually." So for someone like me who has two dependents I'm now asked to pay $50 a month (totalling $600/year). I thought the hard work of accruing the hours on union shows was enough to cover my family - apparently not. My biggest fear is that once we are used to paying for our dependents, the premiums are eventually going to be raised in the future. This is not what I was expecting when I joined the union and paid my expensive initiation fee along with my quarterly dues and accruing hours for benefits. Not sure how this deal benefits any of our members! Somene please tell me if I read this letter incorrectly.