The Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA) gives you certain rights and protections while you are a participant in the JPMorgan Chase employee benefits plans described in this Guide. It is highly unlikely you will need to exercise these rights, but it is important that you be aware of what they are. (Remember, all JPMorgan Chase benefits plans are subject to ERISA except those listed in "An Important Note" on this page.)

ERISA provides that all plan participants are entitled to:

If your claim for a pension and/or welfare benefit is denied or ignored, in whole or in part, you have the right to know why this was done, to obtain copies of documents relating to the decision free of 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:

The plan "fiduciary" is the individual or organization responsible for plan administration, claims administration, and managing plan assets. The plan fiduciary has a duty to administer the plan prudently and in the best interest of all plan members and beneficiaries.

In addition to establishing the rights of plan participants, ERISA imposes duties upon the people who are responsible for the operation of the benefits plans. Certain individuals who are responsible for the plans are called "fiduciaries," and they have a duty to administer the plans prudently and in the interest of you, other plan members, and beneficiaries. While membership in these plans does not guarantee your right to continued employment, no one — including your employer or any other person — may terminate you or otherwise discriminate against you in any way to prevent you from obtaining your benefits or exercising your rights under ERISA.

For each of the following plans, the claims administrators have fiduciary responsibility for claims and appeals:

The Plan Administrator has final fiduciary responsibility for appeals of denied benefits under the JPMorgan Chase Retirement Plan and 401(k) Savings Plan, although the JPMorgan Chase Employee Benefits Appeals Committee makes a recommendation to the Plan Administrator about a denied claim.

If you have any questions about the JPMorgan Chase benefits plans, you should contact the Plan Administrator/insurer at the addresses shown in "General Information" and in "Contacting the Claims Administrators." If you have any questions about this statement or about your rights under ERISA, you should contact the nearest Regional Office of the Employee Benefits Security Administration, U.S. Department of Labor, listed in your telephone directory, or:

You may also obtain certain publications about your rights and responsibilities under ERISA by calling the publications hotline of the Employee Benefits Security Administration or by visiting www.dol.gov/ebsa via the Internet.

You should also contact the Department of Labor if you need further assistance or information regarding your rights under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA), with respect to health benefits that are offered through a group health plan, as well as the remedies available if a claim is denied in whole or in part.

Under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA), JPMorgan Chase is required to provide you with a Certificate of Creditable Coverage if your JPMorgan Chase-provided health care coverage ends. The certificate identifies the names of you and/or your eligible dependents and the duration for which you were covered under the JPMorgan Chase health care benefit plans.

You may need to present this certificate to your new employer at the time you are enrolling for benefits under the new employer's plan, especially if you or your dependents have a pre-existing condition that would limit coverage under your new employer's plan. If you have proof of creditable coverage from another plan, exclusion periods for pre-existing conditions are reduced or eliminated. Without proof of creditable coverage, you may be subject to an exclusion period of 12 months (18 months for late enrollees) after your enrollment date in your new coverage. You should always keep a copy of your HIPAA certificate for your records.

You automatically will be sent a Certificate of Creditable Coverage at the time your coverage ends and again when your continued coverage under COBRA (if elected) ends. You also may request a Certificate of Creditable Coverage from the Plan Administrator at any time within the 24-month period after your coverage under the benefits plans ends. Please refer to "Continuing Coverage Under COBRA" for more information about continuing coverage.

JPMorgan Chase will send a Notice of Creditable Coverage to participants who become eligible for Medicare. This notice states that the JPMorgan Chase Medical Plan options provide prescription drug benefits that are, on average, at least as good as the standard Medicare prescription drug plan benefits. The notice is important because it can help you avoid late enrollment penalties associated with Medicare prescription drug plans that may apply given that JPMorgan Chase benefits-eligible employees would generally wait until retirement to enroll in Medicare Part B and Part D.

If you have a dependent who is eligible for Medicare benefits and you do not receive a Notice of Creditable Coverage, you may contact the Benefits Call Center.