As the school year winds down, now is a good time to review your benefits information and make sure everything is up to date. A few quick updates can help ensure you don’t miss important communications or coverage when you need it.
Is your employment status changing at the end of the school year?
If your work status is changing, your benefits may be affected. Here’s what you need to know.
If you are retiring
Congratulations on your retirement.
Your benefits coverage ends at the end of the month in which you retire. OTIP will contact you to confirm when your coverage has ended or will end.
After your coverage ends:
- You will no longer have access to your OTIP member account or Canada Life’s My Canada Life at Work. Consider logging in before your coverage ends to submit outstanding claims or download documents for your records.
- You have 90 calendar days from the date your coverage ends to submit claims for expenses incurred up to and including your last day of coverage.
- If you are under age 65, you may be able to convert your group life insurance to an individual policy within 60 days of your coverage ending, without providing medical evidence.
For questions, contact:
- Canada Life: 1‑866‑800‑8058 (claims)
- OTIP: 1‑866‑783‑6847 (life insurance conversion and coverage options)
If you are resigning
If you resign (and are not retiring), your benefits coverage ends at 11:59 p.m. on your last day worked. (Example: If your last day worked is June 28, your benefits end at 11:59 p.m. on June 28.)
If you are laid off or declared redundant
If you received notice that you are being laid off or declared redundant and you were:
- A permanent employee: Your benefits continue for 60 calendar days at your active member share. After this period, you can extend your benefits for up to another 22 months by paying 100% of the benefit costs (your premium share and the CUPE EWBT share).
- Laid off in June: Your coverage continues at your active member share over the summer. On September 1, your 60-calendar day grace period will begin, after which, you can extend your benefits for up to another 22 months by paying 100% of the benefit costs (your premium share and the CUPE EWBT share).
If you are a 10-month employee
- If you are a 10-month employee with a scheduled July and August layoff, your benefits coverage continues over the summer months at the same level of funding as when you are actively at work.
If you are a non-permanent employee eligible for CUPE EWBT coverage*
*This arrangement is only applicable to boards that offered benefits as part of their collective agreement prior to the CUPE EWBT implementation.
Your coverage ends on the last day of your contract.
If your contract ends in June, your coverage continues at your regular member share over the summer. If you do not have a new contract by September 1, your coverage will end.
Learn more on how to manage your benefits during job changes. If you have plan-specific questions, contact OTIP at 1-866-783-6847.
Review your family coverage
Add your spouse or child*
You have 31 days from the date of a life event (such as marriage, divorce, birth or adoption of a child, or a spouse losing coverage) to add an eligible spouse or child to your plan. Adding them within the deadline helps ensure they have coverage and avoids being considered a late applicant.
Confirm over-age student coverage*
If you have an over-age student covered under your plan, OTIP requires you to confirm each year that they are still eligible and need coverage for the upcoming school year. If this applies to you, you’ll receive email reminders starting in June with instructions on how to complete the confirmation.
*You need confirm if your natural or adopted child, stepchild, or foster child, is still eligible and requires coverage if they meet the following criteria:
*Over-age student eligibility
Your natural/adopted/foster child or stepchild may remain covered if they are:
- Unmarried
- Not employed full time
- Not eligible for insurance under another group plan
- Under age 21, or under age 26 if a full-time student at an accredited school, college, or university
A stepchild must live with you to be eligible. Coverage for over-age students ends on their 26th birthday.
Keep your contact information up to date
Update your preferred email address
Your school board email address may still be set as your default email from when you first enrolled in the benefits plan. To make sure you don’t miss important updates over the summer, it’s a good idea to update your preferred email address to a personal one in your OTIP member account.
Update your mailing address
Make sure your school board has your current home mailing address on file. Your board provides this information to OTIP electronically, and it’s especially important if you are on a leave, as some communications are sent by mail.
Review your beneficiary designation
It’s a good idea to review your beneficiary designation at least once a year, or whenever you experience a life event. This ensures your benefits are paid according to your wishes.
You can review or update your beneficiary designation through your OTIP member account.