The back-to-school season is an exciting and busy time. As we begin a new school year, you may have questions about your benefits coverage.
Here are some important reminders:
Review your member share for Extended Health Care and/or Dental Care benefits. Your monthly premium is based on the number of hours you work per week (see the chart below).
| Hours worked | Member share (% of benefit costs) |
|---|---|
| ≥ 15 hours per week | 5.25% |
| 10-15 hours per week | 50% |
| < 10 hours per week | 100% |
Update your preferred email address so you don’t miss important information about your benefits coverage and plan. Not getting our emails? If you entered a personal email address as your preferred one, please add OTIP to your contacts or safe senders list. This will ensure that our emails are sent to your inbox and not to your junk or spam folder.
Log in to My Member Account to manage your benefits coverage.
- Update your benefit selections and view who is covered under your plan.
- Review and update your beneficiary designation(s) for your life insurance benefit(s), if applicable.
Update your coverage within 31 calendar days if your family status has changed or you had a recent life event (i.e. birth/adoption of a child, marriage/divorce, spouse gains/loses their benefits plan).
If you do not update your coverage within 31 calendar days, proof of good health (evidence of insurability) may be required.
Extended Health Care and Dental Care benefits, coverage and forms
- Once you are logged in to My Member Account, you can select Visit My Canada Life at Work to access your claims, forms, coverage details and submit your health and dental claims online.
- Set up co-ordination of benefits (COB) to submit your eligible claims to another benefits plan. You can be reimbursed up to 100% for eligible health and dental expenses.
- Always keep your receipts in case the insurer requires them for claim processing or audit purposes.
Changes to your employment status
- If you have a new permanent position or a casual/temporary position with a school board that provided benefits to eligible non-permanent employees under its collective agreement before the CUPE EWBT was implemented on March 1, 2018, on or after September 1, you will receive an email to enrol. This email will be sent to your board email address once OTIP has received and processed your employment information from your school board/employer. Please note that it may take a few weeks for your information to be updated in our systems. Your benefits coverage will be effective from the start date of your eligible position.
- If you do not receive an enrolment email from OTIP within four weeks of your start date, please contact OTIP at 1-866-783-6847.
- You will have 31 calendar days from the date you receive your email from OTIP to complete your enrolment. If you do not complete your enrolment within 31 calendar days, you will be set up with default coverage (Basic Life and Basic Accidental Death and Dismemberment benefits) for members working 15 or more hours per week. This does not include Extended Health Care and Dental Care coverage.
- You will have 31 calendar days from the date you receive your email from OTIP to complete your enrolment. If you do not complete your enrolment within 31 calendar days, you will be set up with default coverage (Basic Life and Basic Accidental Death and Dismemberment benefits) for members working 15 or more hours per week. This does not include Extended Health Care and Dental Care coverage.
- If you have received notice that you are being laid off or declared redundant, your school board/employer will notify OTIP of your change in employment status for this school year.
Laid off or redundant employees
- Permanent employees: If you were laid off in June, your coverage continued over the summer at your active member share. Starting on September 1, your 60-calendar-day grace period begins. After that period, you may extend your benefits for up to 22 additional months by paying the full premium, which includes both your share and the CUPE EWBT share.
- Non-permanent employees eligible for CUPE EWBT coverage: This applies to boards that offered benefits as part of their collective agreement before the CUPE EWBT implementation.
- If your contract ended in June, your coverage continued over the summer at your regular active member share.
- If you do not have a new contract by September 1, your coverage will end at midnight on August 31.
Reduction in hours
If you had a reduction of hours that changes your funding level for this school year, it will take effect on November 1.
- Your benefits will be suspended as of this date unless you confirm you wish to continue coverage.
- You will receive an email from OTIP at the end of October with instructions to review the new cost of your benefits. You can choose to continue or end your coverage.
We hope these benefit reminders help ensure a smooth transition back to school for you and your family. Best of luck in the upcoming school year!
For questions about your benefits coverage and eligibility, log in to My Member Account at member.otip.com to use live chat with OTIP or call at 1-866-783-6847. You can also visit OTIP’s Help centre at otipraeo.com/help-centre.