10.5Furnishing Information. A Participant or his Beneficiary will cooperate with the Administrator by furnishing any and all information requested by the Administrator and take such other actions as may be requested in order to facilitate the administration of the Plan and the payments of amounts hereunder.
10.6Information between the Administrator and Trustee. The Administrator agrees to furnish the Trustee, and the Trustee agrees to furnish the Administrator, with such information relating to the Plan and Trust as may be required by the other in order to carry out their respective duties hereunder, including without limitation information required under the Code or ERISA and any regulations issued or forms adopted thereunder.
10.7Notices. Any notice or other communication in connection with this Plan shall be deemed delivered in writing if addressed as provided below and if either actually delivered at said address or, in the case of a letter, three business days shall have elapsed after the same shall have been deposited in the United States mails, first-class postage prepaid and registered or certified:
(a) If it is sent to Quest Diagnostics, an Employer or the Administrator, it will be at the address specified by Quest Diagnostics, such Employer or the Administrator, as the case may be.
(b) If it is sent to the Trustee, it will be sent to the address set forth in the Trust Agreement; or, in each case at such other address as the addressee shall have specified by written notice delivered in accordance with the foregoing to the addressee’s then effective notice address.
10.8Writings and Electronic Communications. All elections, notices and other communication with respect to the Plan, including signatures relating to such documentation, may be executed and stored on paper, electronically or in another medium. Any documentation executed or stored electronically shall comply with the Electronic Signatures Act.
10.9Governing Law. The Plan will be construed, administered and enforced according to ERISA, and to the extent not preempted thereby, the laws of the State of New Jersey.
10.10Construction. In the event that it is determined that a Participant or group of Participants does not qualify as a select group of management or highly compensated employees as determined in accordance with Sections 201(2), 301(a)(3) and 401(a)(1) of ERISA, the Administrator shall have the right, in its sole discretion, to (i) terminate any election to defer Compensation made by each such Participant pursuant to Section 3.1 for the remainder of the Plan Year in which the Participant’s status changes, (ii) prevent the Participant from making future elections to defer Compensation and/or (iii) immediately pay the value of the Participant’s Account and terminate the Participant’s participation in the Plan. In any event, following such determination the Plan shall constitute two plans, one covering such non-qualifying Participants and one covering the remaining Participants up to the maximum number of participants permissible for an unfunded deferred compensation plan maintained for the benefit of a select group of management or highly compensated employees under such sections of ERISA.
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Article 11. | Plan Administration. |
11.1Powers and Responsibilities of the Administrator. The Administrator has the full power and the full responsibility to administer the Plan in all of its details, subject, however, to the applicable requirements of ERISA. The Administrator’s powers and responsibilities include, but are not limited to, the following:
(a) To make and enforce such rules and regulations as it deems necessary or proper for the efficient administration of the Plan;
(b) To interpret the Plan, its interpretation thereof in good faith to be final, conclusive and binding on all persons claiming payment under the Plan;
(c) To decide all questions concerning the Plan and the eligibility of any person to participate in the Plan;
(d) To compute the amount of benefits which will be payable to any Participant, former Participant or Beneficiary in accordance with the provisions of the Plan;
(e) To determine the person or persons to whom such benefits will be paid;
(f) To authorize the payment of benefits;
(g) To comply with applicable requirements of Part 1 of Subtitle B of Title I of ERISA; and
(h) To appoint such agents, counsel, accountants, and consultants as may be required to assist in administering the Plan.
11.2Claims and Review Procedures.
(a)Claims Procedure. If any person believes he is being denied any rights or benefits under the Plan, such person may file a claim in writing with the Administrator. If any such claim is wholly or partially denied, the Administrator will notify such person of its decision in writing. Such notification will contain (i) specific reasons for the denial, (ii) specific reference to pertinent Plan provisions, (iii) a description of any additional material or information necessary for such person to perfect such claim and an explanation of why such material or information is necessary, and (iv) information as to the steps to be taken if the person wishes to submit a request for review. Such notification will be given within 90 days after the claim is received by the Administrator (or within 180 days, if special circumstances require an extension of time for processing the claim, and if written notice of such extension and circumstances is given to such person within the initial 90-day period). If such notification is not given within such period, the claim will be considered denied as of the last day of such period and such person may request a review of his claim.
(b)Review Procedure. Within 60 days after the date on which a person receives written notice of a denied claim (or, if applicable, within 60 days after the date on which such denial is considered to have occurred), such person (or his duly authorized representative) may (i) file a written request with the Appeals Committee for a review of his denied claim and of pertinent
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documents and (ii) submit issues and comments to the Appeals Committee. The Appeals Committee will notify such person of its decision in writing. Such notification will be written in a manner calculated to be understood by such person and will contain specific reasons for the decision as well as specific references to pertinent Plan provisions. The decision on review will be made within 60 days after the request for review is received by the Appeals Committee (or within 120 days, if special circumstances require an extension of time for processing the request, such as an election by the Appeals Committee to hold a hearing, and if written notice of such extension and circumstances is given to such person within the initial 60-day period). If the decision on review is not made within such period, the claim will be considered denied.
(c)LIMITATIONS ON ACTIONS. NO ACTION (WHETHER AT LAW, IN EQUITY OR OTHERWISE) SHALL BE BROUGHT BY OR ON BEHALF OF ANY PARTICIPANT OR BENEFICIARY FOR OR WITH RESPECT TO PAYMENT DUE UNDER THIS PLAN UNLESS THE PERSON BRINGING SUCH ACTION HAS TIMELY EXHAUSTED THE PLAN’S CLAIM REVIEW PROCEDURE. ANY 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 (I) THE DATE A FINAL DETERMINATION DENYING SUCH BENEFIT, IN WHOLE OR IN PART, IS ISSUED UNDER THE PLAN’S CLAIM REVIEW PROCEDURE AND (II) THE DATE SUCH INDIVIDUAL’S CAUSE OF ACTION FIRST ACCRUED (AS DETERMINED UNDER THE LAWS OF THE STATE OF NEW JERSEY WITHOUT REGARD TO PRINCIPLES OF CHOICE OF LAWS).
11.3Plan’s Administrative Costs.
The Employers shall pay all reasonable costs and expenses (including legal, accounting, and employee communication fees) incurred by the Administrator and the Trustee in administering the Plan and Trust.
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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, Quest Diagnostics has caused this Plan document to be executed by its duly authorized officer, effective as of December 31, 2004.
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QUEST DIAGNOSTICS INCORPORATED |
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By: | /s/ David W. Norgard |
| David W. Norgard |
| Vice President Human Resources |
| December 22, 2008 |
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By: | /s/ Surya N. Mohapatra |
| Surya N. Mohapatra |
| Chief Executive Officer |
| December 22, 2008 |
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