CUPE EWBT LEADERSHIP UPDATE – ENROLMENT EXTENSION ANNOUNCEMENT
As the enrolment deadline of March 23, 2018 is upon us, the CUPE EWBT is pleased to announce that approximately 85% of our eligible members have successfully enrolled in the CUPE EWBT Benefits Plan. However, the CUPE EWBT also recognizes there have been many ongoing challenges, both on an individual basis and at the Local level in enrolling all eligible members.
We want to ensure every member has the opportunity to enrol and therefore are extending the enrolment deadline to April 6, 2018.
Please note the following:
- If you or your member has contacted either OTIP, Great-West Life or the Trust regarding ongoing issues with enrolment, such as data and system errors, errors in reporting of hours or life insurance amounts, or premium calculation concerns among others, the extended deadline of April 6, 2018 will not apply. We also want to assure these members that the member will not be considered a Late Applicant, coverage in the Benefits Plan will be retroactive to March 1, 2018 regardless of actual date of completion of enrolment, and no Late Applicant Evidence of Insurability will be required.
- If a member was hired subsequent to January 1, 2018, but has not received an enrolment email, please advise the member that the updated data provided by the Boards is being verified and processed, and once complete, an enrolment invitation email will be forwarded to the member’s Board email address. NOTE: If the member is a new hire, the extended deadline of April 6, 2018 will not apply. The member will have 31 days from the date of the enrolment invitation email to complete the enrolment process. Again, we also want to assure these members that the member will not be considered a Late Applicant, coverage in the Benefits Plan will be retroactive to March 1, 2018 or the member’s date of hire (whichever is later), and no Late Applicant Evidence of Insurability will be required provided the member enrols within the 31 days
- If a member believes they should be eligible but have not received an enrolment email, please encourage the member to contact OTIP’s Call Centre directly to confirm eligibility and request the email be sent. NOTE: If the member has not received the enrolment email, the extended deadline of April 6, 2018 will not apply. The member will have 31 days from the date of the enrolment invitation email to complete the enrolment process. Claims eligibility will be retroactive to March 1, 2018 and Late Applicant Evidence of Insurability will not be required provided the member enrols within the 31 days.
- Members for whom claims eligibility is determined to be retroactive to March 1, 2018 should be advised that once enrolment is complete, any and all member’s share of the premium costs owed from March 1, 2018 onwards will be payable. Should this cause substantial undue hardship, the member is encouraged to contact OTIP directly to discuss a manageable repayment schedule.
- For members whose enrolment process has not been completed, please remind the member to retain any medical/dental receipts from March 1, 2018 onwards as once the enrolment has been processed, the member will be able to submit those receipts retroactively for reimbursement.
We hope the extension of the deadline to April 6, 2018 provides some assurance to members who have not enrolled or continue to experience difficulty enrolling, that we are making every effort to assist them in completing the process. We also want to reassure those members affected that regardless of final date of enrolment, claims reimbursement eligibility will be retroactive to the date the member should first have been eligible.
On behalf of the Trustees of the CUPE EWBT, thank you for all your work to date in helping ensure that the majority of our members have completed the enrolment process and are receiving benefits under the new plan. We appreciate your understanding and cooperation in facilitating the transition for those remaining members who are experiencing challenges during this transition to the new CUPE EWBT Benefits Plan.
Regards,
David Spek
Managing Director
CUPE Education Workers’ Benefits Trust