The Board of Trustees
The board is composed of representatives from the government, Council of Trustees’ Associations (CTA) and CUPE membership. Four trustees are appointed by the Crown/CTA, and five are appointed by CUPE. This diverse group of individuals ensures all voices are heard and that the trust operates with integrity and transparency.
Our Guiding Principle
Through their decision-making process, the CUPE EWBT Trustees are continuously following one overarching guiding principle, which is to provide a single, comprehensive and affordable Life, Health and Dental benefits plan to eligible CUPE members and their dependents that:
- Enhances member wellbeing
- Is efficiently managed
- Balances the plan participants’ needs, accessibility, and future sustainability
Our Trustees in 2024
The following Trustees were members of the CUPE EWBT Board in 2024.
| Appointed Trustees in 2024 | |
|---|---|
| Gary Goddard, Chair | Wanda Muirhead |
| William Campbell | Tammy Graham |
| Carrie-Lynn Poole-Cotnam | David Marshall (Resigned February 28, 2024) |
| Dan Crow | David Wright (Resigned June 2, 2024) |
| Karen McRae | Craig Young (Appointed June 3, 2024) |
Learn more about the Trustees who are actively serving on the CUPE EWBT in 2025 by visiting Meet Your Trustees.
The Trust’s Activities in 2024
Introducing the Remedial Action Committee
In 2024, the Board established the Remedial Action Plan Committee. Their role is to develop a contingency plan to help keep the Trust running smoothly and sustainably. Throughout 2024 and into 2025, the Committee has reviewed various plan designs to ensure that we can continue to meet all our members’ benefits needs.
Managing Expenses for High-Cost Drugs: Cubic Health’s FACET Program
On January 1, 2024, we introduced Cubic Health’s FACET program for prescriptions related to all high-cost specialty drugs.
- 3,212 reviews were completed from January 1, 2024, to mid-March 2025:
- 1,223 specialty drug claim reviews completed
- 1,989 reviews of GLP-1 medications to treat Type 2 Diabetes and Chronic Weight Management, given that weight loss was an approved benefit during the first year of the FACET Program.
- Reviews completed either the same day or the next day:
- 97% of claims for specialty drug therapies
- 90% of claims for GLP-1 Agonists used in Type 2 Diabetes and Chronic Weight Management
- 92.9% of decisions were turned around within 24 hours.
Enhanced Coverage for Flash Glucose Monitors (FGM) and Continuous Glucose Monitors (CGM)
Effective February 1, 2024, FGM and CGM devices were given separate coverage limits under the CUPE EWBT plan, a positive step that highlights the Trust’s ongoing support of your well-being and financial health.
In addition, we enabled FGM supply purchases using your Drug Card at your preferred pharmacy. By submitting the claim at point of sale, members aren’t out of pocket while waiting for their claim to be reimbursed.
Enhanced Drug Management: Specific Weight-Loss Drugs
Beginning May 1, 2024, the administration and authorization processes for new prescriptions for semaglutide drugs for weight loss – including Ozempic and Wegovy – changed. Wegovy became the primary medication considered for authorization for all new semaglutide claims related to weight loss; existing authorizations for Ozempic for weight loss remained unchanged until each individual’s applicable prior authorization
renewal date.
Special Note About Weight Management Medications
Starting January 1, 2025, new weight management-related prescriptions were no longer eligible for coverage under our CUPE EWBT benefits plan; existing approved prescriptions for these medications continued to be covered until April 30, 2025.
Plan Design Changes
Effective September 1, 2024, the CUPE EWBT dental plan changed:
- A basic dental maximum of $2,500 per person per benefit year was added (there was previously no maximum);
- Periodontal scaling/root planning combined maximum was adjusted to 10 units per person per rolling 12 months (the previous maximum was 12 units per person per rolling 12 months).
Find additional details about the plan design changes related to dental coverage in the 2024 Q2 newsletter.
Our New Member Website Launched in 2024!
In September 2024, we went live with our new CUPE EWBT website, designed to be your one-stop shop for all benefits-related information.
As we celebrate the one-year anniversary of our new website’s launch, we’d love to hear from you about your experience of using it so far!
TAKE OUR SURVEY
Please take a minute to complete this quick pulse survey –your feedback will help us better meet your needs.
Plan details as of December 31, 2024
The plan’s funding comes from three separate sources, each one crucial to maintaining the Trust’s ongoing sustainability:
53,673
members eligible for coverage
48,443
members receiving Health and Dental benefits coverage
64
school boards in Ontario
- The majority is provided through the school boards and is based on the number of full-time equivalent (FTE) staffing positions (following negotiations between OSBCU/CUPE, the Crown, and the CTA);
- Member contributions; and
- Return on investments.
Spotlight on finances[1]
Between January and December 2024, the CUPE EWBT received $265.1 million[2] in funding
Full-time equivalent staff funding: $240.9 million
Member contributions: $16.5 million
Return on investments: $7.7 million
Most of this funding goes directly toward paying members’ claims, in addition to the premiums charged by the plan’s insurance providers.
The table below illustrates the Trust’s funding and expenses (in millions) and how benefit dollars were spent in 2024
The Trust’s audited financial statements as of December 31, 2024, show that assets (net assets available for benefits) were $71.8M as of December 31, 2024, down from $97.3M on December 31, 2023. This marks the third consecutive year of operating costs exceeding revenue, where the majority of expenses are the result of paying members’ claims.
Did you know?
Healthcare costs have risen by an average of 5% since the inception of our plan. However, plan funding has only increased by 1% in 2024 and 2025, with a 4% increase planned for2026.
That gap puts pressure on the plan and highlights why we’re focused on doing everything we can to keep it sustainable. With costs rising faster than funding, we all have a role to play in helping preserve funds for the long term.
[1] All numbers are extracted from the audited financial statements as of December 31, 2024.
[2] Net of taxes.
| Funding | In $ Millions |
|---|---|
| All Funding Sources (net of retail sales tax) | $265.1 |
| Expenses | |
| Health and Dental Claims (Canada Life) | $256.2 |
| Life Insurance Premiums (Canada Life) | $13.9 |
| Global Assistance (Canada Life) | $0.2 |
| AD&D Premiums (Chubb) | $0.8 |
| Benefit and Trust Administration Costs | $14.9 |
| Premium Tax | $4.7 |
| Total expenses | $290.7 |
| Net assets (beginning of year) | $97.4 |
| Change in net assets | ($25.6) |
| Net assets (end of year) | $71.8 |
*Net assets used in the actuarial valuation are $3,502,000 higher than financial statements as of December 31, 2024
2024 Actual Revenue vs Costs
Important Member Notices
Member Contribution Changes Were Effective September 1, 2025
While the Trust has run well since inception, costs are now outpacing funding, and reserves are being depleted. To address the Trust’s financial challenges, the Trustees have had to make evidence-based adjustments while ensuring the impact on members remains minimal.
Effective on September 1, 2025, you would have experienced:
- A decrease to Basic Life Insurance and Supplementary Life Insurance premiums;
- An increase to the monthly member cost-share (percentage of benefits costs) for members working 15 hours or more per week;
- Increases to the monthly member premium for Health and Dental coverage.
You can learn more about these changes right here on our website:
- Our June Update explains the changes and shows the cost differences;
- The Current Monthly Member Premiums are posted on the Your Benefits Premiums page.
Changes will be reflected on your September 15, 2025, OTIP pre-authorized bank deduction.
While Trustees are doing everything possible to support plan sustainability, the premium increases are only designed to bring member contributions in line with current cost realities.
Prescription Drug Coverage Update:
Therapeutic Class Pricing begins October 1, 2025
Starting October 1, 2025, the CUPE EWBT plan will include Therapeutic Class Pricing.
This pricing strategy helps manage prescription drug costs while ensuring continued access to effective treatments.
This approach sets a maximum reimbursement amount for certain drug classes, based on a clinically proven, lower-cost option. It will apply only to medications used to treat high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and stomach acid conditions.
If you’re currently taking medication for one of these conditions and Therapeutic Class Pricing applies to you, you’ll receive a letter from Canada Life with more information and next steps.
In the meantime, you can send any questions you may have to info@cupe-ewbt.ca.
Your Annual Benefit Reset is Approaching
Every October, we review your regularly scheduled working hours to see if changes are needed to your benefits funding or premium contributions for the coming year – we call it the October Checkpoint.
Any premium changes from the 2025 October Checkpoint will take effect in November 2025 for the 2025/2026 year.
If your scheduled hours have decreased:
- You’ll move to the appropriate cost share category, and your premium share will be adjusted accordingly.
- If the decrease affects your funding level, your benefits will be suspended effective November 1
- OTIP will email you to complete an event and reinstate the benefits you wish to continue.
This ensures higher premiums aren’t deducted from your bank account without your permission.
If your scheduled hours increase during the benefit year and this changes your funding level:
- You can take advantage of the lower premium share.
- You won’t need to provide medical evidence of insurability for Health and/or Dental coverage if you apply within 31 days of the increase.
Learn About Your Benefits on our website to help you better understand your eligibility and how the premium share works.
Want more information?
Visit our Contact Us page to get in touch with the right contact for your questions or needs.
A final word
This bulletin has been prepared exclusively for eligible CUPE education workers in the province of Ontario covered by the CUPE Education Workers’ Benefits Trust. It is not intended to be comprehensive or provide advice. If there are any differences between the information provided in this bulletin and any legal documents that govern the delivery of benefits, the legal documents will apply. The CUPE EWBT Trustees have sole discretion to modify any or all plan terms, including benefits levels, eligibility conditions, premium share, limits and co-pay amounts.
