benefit report
BENEFIT REPORT NEWSLETTER | FALL 2012 | WWW.CLAC.CA
CHANGES TO YOUR DISABILITY COVERAGE The CLAC Health and Welfare Trust Fund, through its board of trustees and plan consultant, has completed its yearly rate negotiations with its various benefit providers. We are pleased to announce that our trustees approved an increase to the short and long term disability maximums on most of our plans. The new plan design details specific to you can be obtained by calling the Benefit Administration office. The plan changes will be effective November 1, 2012, and will only apply to new disability claims with a disability date after November 1. In summary, the changes are: 1. Short Term Disability (STD) coverage • For plans where the STD maximum equals the weekly employment insurance (EI) maximum, coverage has been updated to a maximum of $600 per week. •
Plans that were at a maximum of $600 per week have been updated to a maximum of $700 per week.
2. Long Term Disability (LTD) coverage • For plans where the LTD maximum benefit was $2,100 per month, coverage has been updated to a maximum of $2,600 per month. •
Plans that were at a maximum benefit of $2,700 per month have been updated to a maximum of $3,000 per month.
We encourage you to contact our office at 1–888–600–2522 should you have any questions about your coverage.
Western Benefits
Follow CLAC:
NEW LIFEWORKS WEBSITE LAUNCHING IN DECEMBER! Colourful. Intuititve. Helpful. These are just some of the words used to describe the all-new www.lifeworks.com website. Refreshed and revitalized, with improved navigation and some exciting new features, the new site will have secure access available anytime from anywhere by December 19, 2012. Your user name (clac) and password (wellness) will not change. What will be new with the website? •
•
• •
Look and feel – The site’s appearance has been updated to reflect the nature of the supportive services provided—friendly, warm, and inviting. New navigation – The site’s organization has been revised to make it easier to navigate the vast library of content and interactive tools. Where there had been thirteen categories in the site navigation, there are now five: work, life, family, health, and money. Clear access to additional services – Including telephone and email contact. Design that enables prompt content updates – The site’s design will enable more frequent, eye-catching changes
to content, encouraging repeat visits and providing a channel to communicate time-sensitive information. •
Smartphones – The site will now be smartphone friendly.
We encourage you to visit www.lifeworks.com. Remember, as part of your CLAC-sponsored employee family assistance program (EFAP), you can visit the website or call Ceridian LifeWorks at 1–866–714–3129 anytime.
TEMPORARY FOREIGN WORKERS’ GROUP BENEFIT PLAN Through MSH International, CLAC has a group benefit plan for temporary foreign workers (TFWs) working on CLAC job sites in Canada. Until recently, this plan only provided coverage to the member working in Canada and did not provide coverage for dependents who might be living in Canada with the plan participant. We have responded to requests to add coverage for dependents who reside in Canada. Effective November 1, 2012, we will now provide extended health and dental coverage for eligible family members as long as they reside in Canada. If you are a participant in the TFW plan, you will have received a form in the mail to list your dependents’ names and birth dates who live with you in Canada. Once we receive your original signed form, we will add the coverage for your dependents. Please contact our Benefit Administration office at 1–888–600–2522 should you have further questions.
DID YOU KNOW . . . •
our benefit plan covers you for treatment by several different types of paramedical practiY tioners with a separate limit for each category of specialist. Treatment by a licensed massage therapist must be ordered by a doctor in order to be eligible for coverage and you must submit a doctor’s prescription when you make your first claim. All other practitioners do not require a referral from a doctor.
•
I n order for you to receive reimbursement for claims incurred this year, Sun Life must receive your claim no later than 180 days into the new year. Claims submitted after 180 days will not be eligible for reimbursement.
NEW DENTAL FEE FINDER Unlike the rest of Canada, the Alberta Dental Association and College does not publish an annual fee guide for dentists to use as a reference. As a result, dental fees can vary widely among Albertabased dentists. In light of this, Sun Life and other insurers need to establish their own reimbursement levels for dental fees in Alberta. However, some dentists charge fees that are higher than the reimbursement levels set by Sun Life. The difference between what dentists charge and what Sun Life reimburses is the plan member’s responsibility. Sun Life has now developed a dental fee finder to help plan members in Alberta determine the range of fees that dentists charge in certain areas. This fee finder allows you to have some insight into how your dentist’s fees may compare with others in the area and with the maximum payout levels under Sun Life’s reimbursement guide.
How does it work? By visiting sunlife.ca/albertadental you will be able to select a specific geographic area (by the first three characters of an Alberta postal code) to see the fees for fifteen commonly submitted dental procedures in that area for which Sun Life receives claims. This dental fee finder, which is based on Sun Life claims data, shows just how much variation there is in fees in the various regions across the province. By being a better-informed consumer, you can better manage your out-of-pocket costs. You can negotiate a better price with your dentist, get a cost estimate from another dentist in the area, or agree to pay your dentist’s extra fees.
Please keep in mind that Alberta’s dental fee finder report is for informational purposes only. The report may not include all regions and your CLAC dental plan may not include all of the services listed in the report. You can call the Benefit Administration office at 1–888–600–2522 if you have any questions.
CONTACT INFORMATION
FAQ I received a letter that my hourbank had insufficient hours for coverage. What should I do?
What should I do to find out if my plan will cover me if I need extensive dental work?
When you work a partial month, or are laid off, your hourbank may not have sufficient funds to cover you for next month’s coverage. You always have the choice to make a self-payment, and can continue to self-pay for up to six months of coverage. During this time, you will not be able to continue disability coverage, but you can choose to continue the other components of the plan including your dental and extended health coverage. It is important to note that you cannot skip months of coverage when you decide to self-pay. Also, your payment(s) should be made on time to avoid any interruption of coverage.
We suggest that your dentist send in an estimate (also known as pre-determination) before the work is performed for any major treatment or procedure that will cost more than $500. Sun Life will then tell you how much of the planned treatment is covered. This way you will know how much of the cost you will be responsible for before the work is done. Please keep in mind that any work must be done while your coverage is in effect. The estimate is not a guarantee that the work will be covered if your coverage ends.
CLAC BENEFIT ADMINISTRATION OFFICE 14920 118 Ave. Edmonton, AB T5V 1B8 Telephone: 780–454–6181 Toll Free: 1–888–600–2522 Facsimile: 780–454–6180 [email protected]
SUN LIFE Telephone: 1–800–661–7334 www.sunlife.ca/member
CERIDIAN LIFEWORKS Telephone: 1–866–714–3129 www.lifeworks.com Username: clac Password: wellness
www.clac.ca
Calgary Edmonton Grimsby
•
•
•
Cambridge
Kelowna
Ottawa
•
•
Chatham
•
Fort McMurray
•
Langley
Saskatoon
•
Fort St. John
•
Mississauga
Winnipeg
CHANGES TO YOUR DISABILITY COVERAGE The CLAC Health and Welfare Trust Fund, through its board of trustees and plan consultant, has completed its yearly rate negotiations with its various benefit providers. We are pleased to announce that our trustees approved an increase to the short and long term disability maximums on most of our plans. The new plan design details specific to you can be obtained by calling the Benefit Administration office. The plan changes will be effective November 1, 2012, and will only apply to new disability claims with a disability date after November 1. In summary, the changes are: 1. Short Term Disability (STD) coverage • For plans where the STD maximum equals the weekly employment insurance (EI) maximum, coverage has been updated to a maximum of $600 per week. •
Plans that were at a maximum of $600 per week have been updated to a maximum of $700 per week.
2. Long Term Disability (LTD) coverage • For plans where the LTD maximum benefit was $2,100 per month, coverage has been updated to a maximum of $2,600 per month. •
Plans that were at a maximum benefit of $2,700 per month have been updated to a maximum of $3,000 per month.
We encourage you to contact our office at 1–888–600–2522 should you have any questions about your coverage.
Western Benefits
Follow CLAC:
NEW LIFEWORKS WEBSITE LAUNCHING IN DECEMBER! Colourful. Intuititve. Helpful. These are just some of the words used to describe the all-new www.lifeworks.com website. Refreshed and revitalized, with improved navigation and some exciting new features, the new site will have secure access available anytime from anywhere by December 19, 2012. Your user name (clac) and password (wellness) will not change. What will be new with the website? •
•
• •
Look and feel – The site’s appearance has been updated to reflect the nature of the supportive services provided—friendly, warm, and inviting. New navigation – The site’s organization has been revised to make it easier to navigate the vast library of content and interactive tools. Where there had been thirteen categories in the site navigation, there are now five: work, life, family, health, and money. Clear access to additional services – Including telephone and email contact. Design that enables prompt content updates – The site’s design will enable more frequent, eye-catching changes
to content, encouraging repeat visits and providing a channel to communicate time-sensitive information. •
Smartphones – The site will now be smartphone friendly.
We encourage you to visit www.lifeworks.com. Remember, as part of your CLAC-sponsored employee family assistance program (EFAP), you can visit the website or call Ceridian LifeWorks at 1–866–714–3129 anytime.
TEMPORARY FOREIGN WORKERS’ GROUP BENEFIT PLAN Through MSH International, CLAC has a group benefit plan for temporary foreign workers (TFWs) working on CLAC job sites in Canada. Until recently, this plan only provided coverage to the member working in Canada and did not provide coverage for dependents who might be living in Canada with the plan participant. We have responded to requests to add coverage for dependents who reside in Canada. Effective November 1, 2012, we will now provide extended health and dental coverage for eligible family members as long as they reside in Canada. If you are a participant in the TFW plan, you will have received a form in the mail to list your dependents’ names and birth dates who live with you in Canada. Once we receive your original signed form, we will add the coverage for your dependents. Please contact our Benefit Administration office at 1–888–600–2522 should you have further questions.
DID YOU KNOW . . . •
our benefit plan covers you for treatment by several different types of paramedical practiY tioners with a separate limit for each category of specialist. Treatment by a licensed massage therapist must be ordered by a doctor in order to be eligible for coverage and you must submit a doctor’s prescription when you make your first claim. All other practitioners do not require a referral from a doctor.
•
I n order for you to receive reimbursement for claims incurred this year, Sun Life must receive your claim no later than 180 days into the new year. Claims submitted after 180 days will not be eligible for reimbursement.
NEW DENTAL FEE FINDER Unlike the rest of Canada, the Alberta Dental Association and College does not publish an annual fee guide for dentists to use as a reference. As a result, dental fees can vary widely among Albertabased dentists. In light of this, Sun Life and other insurers need to establish their own reimbursement levels for dental fees in Alberta. However, some dentists charge fees that are higher than the reimbursement levels set by Sun Life. The difference between what dentists charge and what Sun Life reimburses is the plan member’s responsibility. Sun Life has now developed a dental fee finder to help plan members in Alberta determine the range of fees that dentists charge in certain areas. This fee finder allows you to have some insight into how your dentist’s fees may compare with others in the area and with the maximum payout levels under Sun Life’s reimbursement guide.
How does it work? By visiting sunlife.ca/albertadental you will be able to select a specific geographic area (by the first three characters of an Alberta postal code) to see the fees for fifteen commonly submitted dental procedures in that area for which Sun Life receives claims. This dental fee finder, which is based on Sun Life claims data, shows just how much variation there is in fees in the various regions across the province. By being a better-informed consumer, you can better manage your out-of-pocket costs. You can negotiate a better price with your dentist, get a cost estimate from another dentist in the area, or agree to pay your dentist’s extra fees.
Please keep in mind that Alberta’s dental fee finder report is for informational purposes only. The report may not include all regions and your CLAC dental plan may not include all of the services listed in the report. You can call the Benefit Administration office at 1–888–600–2522 if you have any questions.
CONTACT INFORMATION
FAQ I received a letter that my hourbank had insufficient hours for coverage. What should I do?
What should I do to find out if my plan will cover me if I need extensive dental work?
When you work a partial month, or are laid off, your hourbank may not have sufficient funds to cover you for next month’s coverage. You always have the choice to make a self-payment, and can continue to self-pay for up to six months of coverage. During this time, you will not be able to continue disability coverage, but you can choose to continue the other components of the plan including your dental and extended health coverage. It is important to note that you cannot skip months of coverage when you decide to self-pay. Also, your payment(s) should be made on time to avoid any interruption of coverage.
We suggest that your dentist send in an estimate (also known as pre-determination) before the work is performed for any major treatment or procedure that will cost more than $500. Sun Life will then tell you how much of the planned treatment is covered. This way you will know how much of the cost you will be responsible for before the work is done. Please keep in mind that any work must be done while your coverage is in effect. The estimate is not a guarantee that the work will be covered if your coverage ends.
CLAC BENEFIT ADMINISTRATION OFFICE 14920 118 Ave. Edmonton, AB T5V 1B8 Telephone: 780–454–6181 Toll Free: 1–888–600–2522 Facsimile: 780–454–6180 [email protected]
SUN LIFE Telephone: 1–800–661–7334 www.sunlife.ca/member
CERIDIAN LIFEWORKS Telephone: 1–866–714–3129 www.lifeworks.com Username: clac Password: wellness
www.clac.ca
Calgary Edmonton Grimsby
•
•
•
Cambridge
Kelowna
Ottawa
•
•
Chatham
•
Fort McMurray
•
Langley
Saskatoon
•
Fort St. John
•
Mississauga
Winnipeg
