When BTA Coverage Begins and Ends
When Coverage Begins
All full-time and part-time employees are eligible for coverage on their first day of employment. Non-employee directors are eligible for coverage on their first day of service.
When Coverage Ends
Generally, your business travel accident (BTA) coverage ends when you:
Terminate employment with DallasNews Corporation (effective on the last day of active employment)
Cancel or drop coverage
Stop making any required payments for coverage
Die
Coverage also ends if the plan is terminated, your employer stops participating in the plan or the plan is amended to terminate coverage for a group or class of individuals that includes you. The BTA coverage is provided under a fully insured policy which is incorporated herein by reference. You can contact DallasNews Corporation Benefits for questions.
How the BTA Plan Works
Covered Situations
Business travel accident insurance protects you and your eligible family members in the event of an accidental death, dismemberment or paralysis resulting:
While you are traveling anywhere in the world on a business trip, including onboard commercial or military transport aircraft. It also covers your spouse and/or children if they are accompanying you on that trip
While you are traveling as a passenger, pilot or member of the crew on a company aircraft
While you are traveling to and from and attending meetings of the Board of Directors
While your
spouse and/or
children are traveling anywhere in the world for relocation at DallasNews Corporation’s request
During a hijacking which occurs during a business trip
If you’re eligible and you die or become dismembered or injured as described above, the plan pays a benefit to you or your beneficiaries of one and one-half times your annual earnings, rounded to the next higher $1,000, up to a maximum of $300,000. The minimum employee benefit is $100,000.
Annual earnings are defined as your current annual salary or wage (including commissions if you are in sales) on the date of the accident, excluding overtime pay, bonuses or any other extra compensation.
Eligible spouses are covered for $50,000, and each child is covered for $25,000. The benefit amount for non-employee directors is $100,000. Refer to
How Benefits are Paid for a description of how the plan pays benefits for covered losses.
Definition of a Business Trip
A business trip means a bona fide trip:
While on assignment or at the direction of DallasNews Corporation for the purpose of furthering the business
Which begins when you leave your residence or place of regular employment, whichever occurs last, for the purpose of beginning the trip
Which ends when you return to your residence or place of regular employment, whichever occurs first
Travel to and from work, bona fide leaves of absence and vacations are excluded from business travel accident coverage.
Definition of Injury
Injury means you are covered for bodily injury resulting directly and independently of all other causes from an accident that occurs while you are covered under this plan.
Loss resulting from illness or disease (except a pus-forming infection that occurs through an accidental wound) or medical or surgical treatment of an illness or disease is not considered to be resulting from injury.
Exposure
Exposure to the elements will be considered to be an injury if it results from the forced landing, stranding, sinking or wrecking of a conveyance in which you were an occupant at the time of the accident.
How BTA Benefits Are Paid
Benefits for Loss of Life
The plan will pay any benefit due for loss of life:
According to the beneficiary designation in effect at the time of death,
If no beneficiary is designated, according to the beneficiary designation under the Group Life Insurance policy issued to DallasNews Corporation and in effect at the time of death, or
To the survivors in equal shares in the first of the following classes to have a survivor at your death
Spouse
Children
Parents
Brother and sisters
If there is no survivor in any of these classes, payment will be made to your estate.
All other benefits due and not assigned will be paid to you, if living; otherwise, the benefits will be paid as described in this section.
Disappearance
You will be considered to have suffered loss of life if:
Your body has not been found within one year after the disappearance of the form of transport in which you were an occupant at the time of its disappearance, and
The disappearance of the form of transport was due to its accidental forced landing, stranding, sinking or wrecking
Accidental Death & Dismemberment Benefit
If your injury results in any of the following losses within 365 days after the date of the accident, the BTA plan will pay the sum shown below. The plan will not pay more than 100% of the benefit for all losses due to the same accident.
Loss Table for Accidental Death & Dismemberment Benefit
Covered Loss | Percentage of Benefit Paid |
Life | 100% |
Speech and hearing | 100% |
Movement of both arms and legs | 100% |
Movement of both legs | 75% |
Sight of one eye | 50% |
Both hands or both feet or sight of both eyes | 100% |
Speech or hearing | 50% |
Movement of arm and leg on one side of body | 50% |
Thumb and index finger of same hand | 25% |
Either hand or foot and sight of one eye | 100% |
One hand and one foot | 100% |
Either hand or foot | 50% |
Loss means:
Hands and feet, actual severance through or above wrist or ankle joints,
Sight, speech or hearing (entire and irrecoverable loss),
Thumb and index finger, actual severance through or above the metacarpophalangeal joints, and
Movement of limbs, complete and irreversible paralysis of such limbs.
Aggregate Benefit Limits
An accident may involve more than one employee. Total benefits to all covered employees involved in a single aircraft accident are limited to $5,000,000. Total benefits for all covered employees involved in a single war risk accident are limited to $5,000,000 whether on the ground or in the air.
BTA Exclusions
The business travel accident insurance policy does not cover any loss resulting from:
Intentionally self-inflicted injury, suicide or attempted suicide, whether sane or insane
War or act of war, whether declared or undeclared, occurring within the geographical limits, the territorial waters, or the airspace above the United States, Canada, Afghanistan, Algeria, Colombia, Iraq, Israel, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, and South Sudan and any country of which the employee is a permanent resident (the list of excluded countries is subject to change at any time as determined by the insurance carrier)
Injury sustained while in the armed forces of any country or international authority
Injury sustained while traveling to and from work, or while on bona fide leaves of absence and vacations
Note: In some cases, the company has been able to secure coverage through Sun Life Insurance and Gerber Life and Accident Insurance Company for employees working in some of the countries where there is a war, or the risk of war, occurring. Contact DallasNews Corporation Benefits for more information.