A message from Human Resources:
- We are changing our provider for extended health and dental benefits from Canada Life to Green Shield Canada effective January 1, 2023
- We have launched a project website to track the project milestones, announcements, and let you know about actions you need to take
- Human Resources (HR) will hold information sessions with Green Shield Canada in October and November
Last year, the University’s Pension and Benefits committee (P&B) decided to review the long-term disability, extended health, and dental benefits provider market to ensure the University is getting the best price for these products through a request for proposal process (RFP) that commenced in June 2021.
Following an extensive review of the proposals, the P&B committee approved engaging Sun Life Financial to insure the long-term disability benefit effective May 1, 2022, and Green Shield Canada to administer the extended health and dental benefits effective January 1, 2023. The implementation of Sun Life Financial as the insurer for the long-term disability benefit was successful earlier this year, and we are currently working closely with Green Shield Canada to support the implementation of their services.
As required through the RFP process, Green Shield Canada will match the existing extended health and dental benefits plan design in terms of maximums and coinsurance; however, every benefits provider has differences in terms of administration (i.e., reasonable and customary charges, technology capabilities, and other policies/practices) that apply to the adjudication decisions. HR is currently working with Green Shield Canada to identify these differences relative to the Canada Life arrangements, as well as any options that might be available to the University to manage the transition or to support ongoing claims management.
To support the forthcoming change from Canada Life to Green Shield Canada at the start of winter term, HR has created a benefit implementation website to inform the University community on this project, including key milestones, important announcements, and essential action items that you (and any current benefit plan members in your family) must complete to support this change.
In the coming months, HR is hosting a series of information sessions with Green Shield Canada for the various stakeholder groups. We will share more information about these sessions with you in late September. Look for invites in your email, on HR social media, the Daily Bulletin, the HR website, and more.
In the interim, Canada Life will continue to provide reimbursement for any eligible expenses incurred up to and including December 31, 2022. Please remember to submit your claims to Canada Life promptly to ensure all your claim submissions are up-to-date and processed without delay prior to the changeover. A two-month grace period, from January 1, 2023, to February 28, 2023, will occur to allow for claims incurred in 2022 to be submitted to Canada Life for processing. Canada Life will not provide reimbursement for any eligible 2022 expenses received after February 28, 2023.
Please contact hrhelp@uwaterloo.ca if you have any questions about this message. Be sure to visit the project website for more updates on this project.
Supervisors, please post this message in a central location or otherwise circulate for the convenience of employees without direct access to email. Please connect with your reports to ensure they have read and understood the forthcoming changes.
Links in this message include: