Benefits Handbook

36-2668272

We hope you never feel you need to resort to legal action to enforce your rights. However, if you feel you have cause for legal action after you have exhausted the plan's claims appeal process, a timely complaint may be served on the Company's General Counsel at:

Service of legal process may be made upon the Plan Administrator or a Plan Trustee as well.

The claims review and appeal procedures for the plans provide that no legal action for benefits may be brought by any participant or beneficiary unless the plan's claim review procedure has been exhausted (that is, all appeals of adverse decisions have been made).

Any such action (whether at law, in equity or otherwise) must be commenced within one year. This one-year period shall be computed from the earlier of (a) the date a final determination denying such benefit, in whole or in part, is issued under the Plan's claim review procedure and b) the date such individual's cause of action first accrued.

Except where pre-empted by ERISA or other US laws, the validity of the Kaiser medical plans and any of their provisions will be determined under the laws of the State of California without giving effect to principles of conflict of laws.

Except where preempted by ERISA or other US laws, the validity of the Legal Assistance Plan and any of its provisions will be determined under the laws of Delaware without giving effect to principles of conflict of laws.

Except where pre-empted by ERISA or other US laws, the validity of the Hawaii HMO and PPP plans and any of their provisions will be determined under the laws of State of Hawaii without giving effect to principles of conflict of laws.

Except where pre-empted by ERISA or other US laws, the validity of the plans (with the exception of the Kaiser, Hawaii HMO, Hawaii PPP and Legal Assistance Plan) and any of their provisions will be determined under the laws of New York State without giving effect to principles of conflict of laws.